STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 47, 16 July 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEKONG. I The, ordinary monthly meeting of tin; Stratford County Council was held at Stratford yesterday, when there were present: Crs. W. Ilathaway (chairman). J. Thomson, T. R. Anderson. ■!. Smith, W. TI. Were, E. Walter, J. Young, and Wm. Rogers. ENGINEER'S REPORT. I Mr E. C. Robinson (county engineer) reported that the contract lor clearing '■ and tarring Stanley road bridge had been completed satisfactorily. The ■di-il rock supply contract at Stanley road was also approaching completion. lie had arranged for a supply of trucks, and had put the crushing operations at Skinner road in hand. It would be an advantage to obtain more trucks for the purpose of railing metal to Huiroa, but on application, he found it impossible to secure them. The various instruction.; from last meeting had been carried out, and were referred to in the foremen's report-. The Douglas foreman bad been laid up for some little time, having contracted illness whilst on council work. Following the usual custom, he had included in tile voucher full time for the month. In conclusion, Mr. Robinson thank >d the Council for the courtesy extended to him during the 10 years he had been its engineer, and for the cordial relations, which, by their existence, had promoted in no" small degree any measure of success achieved in various works carried out. The Engineer was instructed to re'port on the North Cardiff and Stanley roads and Makino bridge, and also the bridge on the Mountain road near the Midhirst factory. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. The forenu n's reports were as follows: North Riding, West-Repairs had been carried out on the Mountain, Hunt, Cardiff, liarclay, Denbigh, Denmark Terrace, Radnor, Upper and Lower Perbroke and Monmouth roads. Twenty or 30 yards of stone were required for the Cardiff and upper end of Radnor roads. Cm the latter road, he had arranged with Messrs Rushy and Co. to break down half the road complained of, and he would attend to the balance as soon as possible. The old trusses from the Waipuku bridge had been removed to the site directed, at a cost of 30s for haulage. He had not yet found out who removed the gravel from the Hunt road, but if it occurred again, the council would at once lie advised. North Riding, West—They had bc-n engaged patching Stanley east, Kahouri, Kent Terrace, and Beaconsfield roads. All the maintenance metal, as well us 00 yards of shell rock, had lieen used on Stanley road, which was very weak, lie had found that the 100 yards granted would he barcK sullicient for it, leaving none for Ackiand road, which was in a bad state. Mr Cray had deepened nis creek, but not sufficiently to give the Midhirst creamery creek a good fall. South Riding.—The roads generally were in fair order with the exception oi a small portion of Upper Skinner road, which was badly cut. up by the metal cartage from the crusher to the station. Fifty to SO ,vards of metal should be left'on completion of crushing, so as to repair the road. Seventeen chains ■hail been metalled, forty chains scarified and rolled on the Climie road, fifteen chains trimmed up on Mountain road, and 1! chains metalled on Upper Cheal road. East Riding, Toko.--Water-tabling and general maintenance work had be"ii • curried out on the Waiwiri, Toko, ltea--1 conslield, Mangaehu and lluiiiga roads. I There was no maintenance metal for tinToko road, which was in a very bad ■ state, nor for the Beaconsfield road, ! which was still cutting up badly. tie i-hud "had stone carted from the crusher ito effect urgent repairs. The Mangaehu ; road bridge had been cleaned of silt and I the anoroacli fence repaired. Some /SO ■ cubic'yards had been crushed in about 8 day- at Skinner road, lie had not i vet had time to put in hand the work of obtaining metal from Iluiuga nit. : but would do so as soon as possible. , lie reported a settler for sledging on Lie '.Waiwiri road after having warned to ' desist Fast Riding. Donglas.-All the roads ! w.-re in fair order. Patching bad been i done on the (Ihura, Oliura-Mangaeiiu. i Mangaotukii. and Douglas roads. 1 East riding, Huiroa.- -The work ol I dumping metal at Huiroa was proceeding. I Repairs had been made to Waiwiri road ! bridge. Sixty chains of water-tabling ! -ml banking had been carried out on ' the Makiiri East road. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining grazing, he had to use local team*, which were givir-g Wi-t Riding. -Wnioiigongoro road bed broken up bad 1... owing to wood carting and wet wiathci. and all the niaime::- ■ ■■i .. iv'H was used up. Repairs hud ;T , . r .,\.. (,„ the Onuie'.k.' Cardiff. WaiM ...■,;...•,.,... (Tunic. Mauaki .V»rth and s'- : -.;h road-. A settler was herding a ..i of cows mi the I'iuuorty mid Ronald !■: :■.!- to the damage of both. One ei th ■ surfacemen had left owing to the loir wages, and if would be hard to get such a competent man at the price. ' Mangaehu Riding.- -Ooiiersil niaiii'._e- : nance work bad been carried out on toe Mangaotukii. Mangaehu. and Mangaeiiu : south roads. The roads generally were in I'air order for the time ol the..ear. j j RANOICIVS REPORT. i The ranger reporetd that he had visited various roads, and found ii w.-au-rs. 3 cows. I steer. I bullocks, and 11 horses stvaviii" Several of the roads were clear o'f stock. • SPECIAL RATE. ; It was resolved to strike a separate : ,-.,(,. ~f a p-nnv in the £ on the llus'.ie road. This would bring in '-'■"' 7s. it was also ~-ohod to .u'eidU- Ih.s r„:.i „- ■„ c|l: in, b. >: for '-' trom 1 '■■' V,,,.;.,] f,„„l. i'r. Thomson nrotesied against this, on i* H'""'"' L .'"' M ....-b,| funil was originally started tor the purpose m| providing agiun-t e^t-^ "';'.!■ 'lo'b.'.dges. ,■(•. ! RADNOR ROAII. : I' \ Rii~hv wrote that Moratti lives. , and' himself' had done half the bad ■ roiul and were now waiting lor the , c.uneil to do it- -hare. When that ,'■ was finished n.-url, -10 chains would be I , picked up and leoken. He -"ff^W i (!,„(, it should be blinded ami rolled M. ! ||. Tavlorhcd oli-rcl 1,, gU,- the blindj i)lK free ~1 cos!, and be would ass.st to I ""litis resoKcl to lliank the settlers ■ ; ,-,,. (lie offer, which will be availed oi a- -non a- funds permit.

A MIDHIRST REQUIREMENT. Messrs Smith and Schofield, of Midhirst, waited on the Council, and asked that ten or twelve chains of Kelly street, one of the main streets of the township, which was now almost impassable, should be metalled. On consulting the plan, it was found that the distance would be about 18 chains, and that the metalling alone would cost abont £OO. It was suggested to the deputation that the settlers should raise a loan to metal the road, and that the Council would subsidise this, as the Council had half a dozen sections on it which were used for a horse paddock and stables for the county horse. It was resolved that the engineer should meet the settlers interested at Midhirst, and submit an estimate of the cost, so that a loan proposal could he considered. A STANLEY ROAD COMPLAINT. Airs. Savage wrote, in respect to a notice not to use a sledge on the roads, that she had only used the sledge for About 15 to 20 chains, and considered that a dray would have done more damage-. She asked that the road should be inspected. She also suggested that another settler would he acting justly if he complained about a portion of Makuri road which he used himself, and also if lie would consider the damage he was doing to the road, and paddock his cattle instead of grazing them on the road. The chairman pointed out that the, road was not a metalled one, and that tiic sledging was not doing it any harm. If tin- sledging were not allowed, Mrs. Savage would have to drive her cattle along the road twice a day, and the road would soon become impassable. Each of these sledging cases should be dealt with on its merits. No action was taken. ROAD ACCOUNTS. On the motion of Cr. Walter, it was resolved that in future no credits be expended on work unless included in the year's estimates covered by the general rate, save in the case of unforeseen contingencies. The mover said that at present some of the roads were no less than a total of £17,000 in debt, whereas there was a total of £BOOO to the credit of other roads. After the year's Tates had been struck, and their expenditure apportioned according to the estimates, settlers on roads in credit came and asked that that money should be expended on them, and the Council, of course, did not know where to get the money from. This system would enable the Council to lie provided f-rr the expenditure of these credits, as the matter would be considered when Cue rate was being struck. He did not wish to take away credits from any road. , Cr, Smith favored separate rates being struck on roads heavily in debt. He did not believe in separate road accounts being abolished. The chairman considered that this had opened up a wide question. These road credits existed, of course, only on paper, and if they were expended it meant that the estimates made by the engineer to be. expended out of general rates could not be expended. He thought that the only solution was to ask the engineer to keep well within the estimates for the year. The expenditure must not. exceed the estimates. Cr. Walter said that his idea was to weld the road system and the estimates together. Cr. Thomson made a lengthy speech in opposition to the proposal, and moved a further resolution that before the rate was struck the riding members, with the engineer, should give an estimate, of what would be required by each road during the coming year. This was carried, with very little discussion. CENERAL. The engineer was authorised to .procure metal for Radnor and Cardiff roads, as recommended by the foremen. Sufficient metal will be reserved at Skinner road to make good the damage caused bv metal carting. Metal for the Toko road will be procured from tlie Tluinga road pit. The engineer was authorised to keep Beaconsfield road passable until the spring. The Council, without discussion, confirmed the general rate struck at li;>t meeting. Two settlers on the Makuri road wrote asking that for the. time being the rates from their section should be transferred to the Stanley road—lt was resolved to transfer £lO of the credit balance of Makuri road to the Stanley road. Mr. R. -I. Hogg, clerk to the Midhirst cemetery trustees, drew attention to th.i state of the outlet to the creek at the cemetery grounds, where the flood-wafer was causing terrible damage.--The matter has been attended to. It was resolved to warn the settler on the Waiwiri road, who had continued sledging on the metal after being warned b,v the .foreman, that he will be prosecuted if the practice is persisted in. Mr. Alex. To'dd drew attention to the Heao road, which was in a "tiitd state owing to slips and wn-'-outs. Several trees were also lying ;o ross tile road. Ho understood that £WO was available for the road. The engineer was instructed to confer with Mr. Todd re th" expenditure, and to report at next meeting. Mr. 'l 1 . Jacobs, (ontractor for shell rock at. Waiwiri and Ahnroa roads, asked that "nis account be passed \for payment. Tie pointed out that the stuff had been n.en-ur-1 up by the foreman nail 'inspcctfc;' rhe 'heal.-.- The accou.r -ill ■'»' Ill'l,l- - amounting co £3700 were passed for payment.