TARANAKI COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 137, 3 November 1914, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY.

CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL STATEMENT. A BROGHIDSISIVB BODY. At yesterday s meeting of the Tara-: na-ki County Council, the chairman presented the following report: — Fellow Councillors, As this will be the last opportunity I will have of presiding over the present Council and possibly any future Council, I would like to make a few remarks in connection with the work of t'lie Council for the present- term. Hoads. —During the last few months I have been over the various Ridings ind I must say that our Foremen are to be congratulated on the excellent manner they mai.nta.in their respective road lengths. I have met person, who nave ' been travelling over the most of the roads [ in the Dominion and they have repeatedly stated that our 1 roads " are equal to any water-bound macadam roads I in New Zealand. Certainly our ratio of expenditure per mile of road is increasing annually. The first financial year I was appointed chairman we expended on roads £4stis as against £Dtiß(i last year. We placed on the rojids 7282 yards ot' metal as against 14145 yards last year. Our road foremen increased from six to fifteen. Our permanent road stall then was eight an against nineteen at present. There is no doubt that during recent years tlho methods of road 1 maintenance have 'undergone a change of quite a revolutionary character chiefly due to tho fast petrol driven vehicles. We hare had to instal large rolling plants and it seems apparent that the time is not far distant when we will have to go in for a waterproof road 1 either concrete or bituminous macadam, bu: as this class of road is only in experimental stage in America and England it- would bo inadvisable for this Council to go further than lay down an experimental length of concrete and bituminous macadam an some approved portion of the Oouity whem they are in a position to vote a sum for the purpose. Metal.—There wan deposited on the roads tho following:—'Moa Hiding, 2911 yards, avcrago cost 6s 4d per yard; Mangorei Riding, 1905 yards, average cost «Js lid pcT yard; Waitara Riding, 5345 yards, average cost, 5s Vd per yard; Omata Riding, 894 yards, average cost j Os per yard; Okato Riding, 31410 yards, average cost 5s od per yard. The' higfhMt cost throughout the County was paid in the Moa and Mangorei Ridings at 8s Od per yard, and the lowest in the Waitara Hiding at 3s 3d per yard. Crushing Rolling and Scarifying.—The cost of crushing, rolling, scarifying and wateringnewly metalled roads was as follows:—wages, crushing, rolling and , watering plant, £720 13s 10d; repairs and replacements plant, £lls 7s lid; coal, oil, waste, etc., £257 6s lid; depreciation 7 1 /. per cent on plant valued At- £1914, £143 lis; total cost 1 , £1242 19s Bd, or la 9d per cubic yard. Mergers.—During this last few months we have had three miergeils effected, namely, the Tataraimaka, Werekino and . a portion of the Moa Road District, leavinjj only the Oka to Road District on the Coast, and the Waitara West, a»d a portion of the Moa Road Districts in the eastern and southern portion of the County. Personally I think this i» £ step in the right direction and it is safe to predict that the time is fast approaching when the" dual control system by County and Road Hoard will be nonexistent in-this County v Touching on this point I was rather interested in a

remark of the Prime Minister's on the second reading of tho Road Boards . Amendment Act in the House the other night. _ A number of Opposition monikers twitted the Prime Minister on the failure of the Government to deal with the question of Local Government and instead of giving Road Boards extended powers to consolidate local body administration. The Prime Minister in reply said "that -he recognised that the day of 'small Local Bodies was gone." This is an indication of how the Govern ment of the day view the road board system. When I first assumed tha chair, there were sixteen Road Boards in this County which have been reduced iown to three. Just imagine sixteen Road Boards with the sixteen clerks. sixteen statutory advertisements, sixteen different audits, sixteen balance sheet*, sixteen elections, and so on, which can !be more efficiently and eeonom ieally administered !by one local authority. In conclusion, I would like to thank all my fellow Councillors for their valued assistance. We have all worked together with the one aim, namely, to give our ratepayers the ibest roads possible with t'he funds at our- disposal. , The chairman added that he wished to convey his heartiest thanks to the. County Clerk, Mr R. Ellis, and his staff for the valuable assistance rendered by tlieui. ft could not Ibe said that the Council a non-progressive body as it bad a very efficient- staff and a complete equipment of machinery wherewith to carry on ills work. He also tendered his thanks to the members of the Council for their invariable courtesy and assitance, and expressed the hope that if ;he was re-elected he would see many of the present members again occupying seats at the table. Or. 'Hopson said that he had spent many pleasant days at the Council, but the tinie had arrived when he hoped

to take things easier and he was therefore retiring from the Council. He had worked for 13'/ 2 years with tile present chairman and had always been pleased at the cordial and harmonious way in which the business had been transacted. Ho was confident that the Council would still pursue a progressive policy. Crs. Andrews, Stevens and Billing spoke in similar terms.