CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 161, 7 January 1914, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at the county office.* Waitara, yesterday, when there were present: Crs S. M. Bower (in the chair) R. T. Hicks, C. O'Sullivan, S. Elliott, H. Sander and W. Jones. EN(LINKER'S RETORT. The countv engineer (Mr C: F. I^ow-, sell) reported that the Wai-iti metalling had been completed, and that the excess metal was being put down at needful spots. The Okoke metalling had proceeded right through the holidays and would be completed tliis week.; A further section was laid off during l the month and he wished to know if this was to be proceeded with. The. surfaceman's cottage at Olinu had been satisfactorily completed mul was already occupied. Reports from the North Matau stated that the girders for the new bridge were on the site, and the contractor should proceed without delay. He asked authoritity to call tenders for the Taramouku bridge, Hawcra culvert, sandstoning at Okau, .lones' culvert and King's bridge, at an estimated cost ; of £I7BO Kis j

It was agreed to call tenders for nil the al>ovc works and also for metalling a further 40 chain of Okoke road. FOREMEN'S REPORTS.

Foreman If. T. Hickton (Orenui) reported that the main-road was in a very ! bud state, and that, if the contractor ( did not push on with his job of getting the stone from the 'beach, trallic would < not get through. As ouiekly as he filled j up one rut, two others formed on either ' side of the patch. Foreman 11. Howe (Okau) reported that he had been employed clearing ' slips, having to employ extra help on 1 several occasions to let the cream cart j through, as there were three large slips J on the kotaro end. He had to shift a J culvert, owing to the road hiving slipped ' away, due to an underground water ' course, lie had been patching several j wooden culverts, which urgently re- ' quired renewal with pipes. Fifty nine-inch pipes will he forwarded. ' THIC lilUTl ROAD. } ] Messrs )>. S. Muskcr and K. J. Nicholls i of Crati road, wrote drawing attention to the disgraceful state of the upper end •! of the Vruti road, more especially from ; Musker's school. It was now over i eighteen months since the timber for the -; upper Uruli bridge had been carted, and i as the 'bulk was done in the winter, i great pits were cut in the road, and since then nothing had been done to them. J | The road was absolutely unsafe for vehi- yl cular traffic, and consequently the woniem- - folk-were to a great extent prisoners, j' which was. they supposed, one of the c I penalties of being the helpmate of aP backblocks settler. The surfaceman had I 1 not a possible chance of putting.the road '. in ordt'r, as he had so .much other work j \ to attend to and in any ense it would j i tako a dozen men, at least a month to < .put the road in anything like order, j Thev asked that the road grader should l be put on while, the line spoil lasted, l The matter hail been referred to the ■ council twelve months ago. without any i effect. They also drew the council's attention to the rotten state of the decking on the bridge over the Uruti stream near Air. (hiscott's farm. There were at present three holes in it, they coneluded, which were getting bigger every day, and if something was not done, there would be a serious accident. The chairman remarked that an ncei-, dent had happened since the letter was . written, a horse owned l>y Mr Pcpperell having been badly injured. The matter was left in the hands of the engineer. Ju tlif afternoon, Mr. Kirton..oii behalf of the Uruti Settlers' Association,' waited on the. council in reference: to Ithe expenditure of the loan money on metalling the lower portion of the road. He asked that the ,t2."io which had been granted on the estimates should be. expended at once. Cr. O'Sullivan pointed nut that this £250 was pait of a £ for X. subsidy in the loan money, and could not he touched until the loan money was raised.. They had applied for the loan money but had not yet bad it granted. Air. Kirton remarked that it. was a ■big disappointment to the settlers, who fully expected that the £230 would be] expended. j Cr. Jones said that it was a big job [ to move headquarters. \ Cr. O'Sullivan stated lliat this was' one of tile matters on which he Would interview the Minister when in Wellington. TU'AWROAtf. ' Mr. C X. Howe, of Urenui, asked that the work required at the entrance 'of Taupari road at Waitoitoi, should he done as early as possible. A six-foot track would answer his present requirements, mid this had been surveyed some lime ago. On the motion of Cr. Jones it wns agreed to form- u six-feet track and to bridge the creek, OTAKAOA liOAl). Mr. I{ .Stuart complained of the. very rung*! state of tlio Otaraoa road, Tar«ta, iKiiticiilarly beyond I lie metul. The water hud jfouged the road •tit, urftil it waa almost unsafe. The engineer explained how the delay hud ocC'iirrcd and suggested that if two of the settlers could be employed with a plough and m-«o)i. (lit matter could toe remedied. The matter was left iu the engineer's hands t'o attend to. PUKKIAIIUIIE l!0AL). Wr. Herbert Wells again wrote asking the Council to nielul the small hill north of Mr. A. Davis' gate, about four chains. Me thought they were justly entitled to have this done, as Air. Skinner anil himself were paying the whole of the interest of the' loan for the I'ukeaV'iihe deviation. After Home discussion, il was resolved to ask Mr. Wells at what price per chain, he or any of the settlers would b* prepared to do the metalling. BtWU , AGJSME\'\S COTTAGK-S. •r. lilliot reported on tlm question of building a suriVu-cm-aii's eoWaire at Wiiihi. He Miiggested. as iie 'could not arrange for icasimr am- land, that the cottage, diould he liu'ilt on the Ouiicro gravei reserve now leased by lire. Byrnes. On Cr. Sullivan's suggestion, if was first decided in write the Public Trustee nuking if it was not possible to secure a» acw. ef native land in the district. The question of erecting a »hcd at> tlm Okau surfaceman's cotluga was left in tin- chairman's hands. ROAD t'flADKi: AMI) CULSinCR. It wa* arranged Unit ihe road grader should be sent, in 1 lit- Kaipukari road, I'reiiui, as soon as it was linislu-d in the Wiiihi riding. The new grader had been «ent out to the rigiiliina.ni riding. The engineer .stated that he was endeavoring to secure a jjcrniiuieiit man to work the grader. As soon as the crtivbfr has finished n.t Wan-iti it will lie sent tvi .Uruti to with' t'ne stone now accumulated *ft«e. ' . TTATAU- XOAB. Mr. «. WiiiJ, a settler on the Tfaiau

road, waited on the Council and asked thai seven and a-half chains of metalling should be done on the road. He pointed out that he had been paying rates on . tie road for over 20 years, and there was not a yard of metal on the road. Cr. Elliott, in supporting the application, said that no doubt tin; .settlers would be prepared to do the earthwork. Gravel could be obtained from the Onaero pit. Cr. O'Sullivan suggested that the settlers should do as was done in oilier districts—go in for a special loan and metal the road right through.

After some further discussion it was resolved that five chains of metal be granted, provided the settlers do the necessary formation. TENDERS. Tenders were, dealt with as follows:~ 100 yds of stone at Waipapa, Paul and Tate, 2s t)d per yard (accepted); L. George, ss. Carting 12(>0vds of shell rock at liruti, K. RadcKfl'e, Os (accepted). Quarrying and delivering 180 yds of metal, Junction, road, J. Rowan. Hs Gd (accepted). Quarrying and delivering 420 yds from Bullock's Pit (Junction road), Us per yard (accepted). Fresh tenders will be called for the t'Venui metal contracts. GENERAL.

Mr..C. J. Davis wrote that he had been employed at an extra shilling petday more than allowed on last voucher. The Council decided that this was not so as Mr. Davis was not put in charge of the work.

Mr. H. It. Farmer asked the Council to expend £1 of the thirds accruing to his section in widening the track on the top of the hill, Whelc it had slipped away. Left to the engineer. 'Air. Jos. Stocklcy In forwarding t'heqne for his rates, protested against paying rates when he did not use any of'the County's roads, lie said that his land did." riot touch the Clifton County, the sKtion- being in the Stratford County. As that -body had to maintain the road, he thought that it was entitled to the rates.—Xe action was takes. Or. Jones referred to the necessity of repairing the Okohe Hill. The engineer was instructed to attend to this as well as the -patching of the main road with metal from the pit in that locality. It was resolved to purchase a motor cycle for the use of the County Engineer. It was estimated that <this cost would be more than saved, as the engineer would be able to personally superintend the erection (it the, new bridges, saving the cost of a clerk of works. On the application of a native, a ratepayer in the locality, it was resolved to again request Air. Sofl'e to open up the Ngatimsiru road, which he at present occupies. Failing his removal of the fences within seven days, the Council would he compelled to do the work at his expense. The clerk (Mr. 11. Vaughan) will write to the Minister for Public Works, asking what grants will tie available for expenditure in the county during the vear. Cr. O'Sullivan, who will be in Wellington during the week will also wait on the Minister;

■ Accounts amounting to £lll3 I.ls Oil were passed for payment.