STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 18 February 1915, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

ORDINARY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held in the Count Chambers, Stratford, yesterday, wher. there were present: Crs. \V. Hathawa? (clu-.irman), V. Coleman, J. CliristofTci T. 11. Anderson, .K. 1 Smith, L. Baskini ■II. 1!. Wortkhigton,.E. Walter, and W. ,11. Were. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr W. J. Lopdell) reported that H. Julian liad completed his' Midhirst contract. 'The road between the Piakau and Mangamii had been scarified arid rolled. It had been necessary to hire the borough roller. As early as possible he would have the intersections of the Beaeonsfield and Mountain roads -lowered. "To -grade 'Whitcome street, Midhirst, would cost .-£5. The underKinit on the Stanley road bridge had broken, arid be had had it temporarily repaired. Julian and Bennett had nearly completed their contract on the Hastings and Opunake roads. A hill on the Opunake road had been regraded. if. Kchelcy'had made a start with the Row-! an arid Opunake contract. J. Ncilsonj had "dumped the boulders for the Palmer] | arid Duthie road coAract and would' crush the same as soon as he finished, the Toko road contract. On the Mountain road. 'Ngaere, and the Toko road, the permanent gang were engaged at reducing the hills authorised at last meeting. The thanks of the Council were duo to the New Plymouth Borough Council and Mr Fincham for the piece of land at the corner of the Standish road arid also to Mr Hooper for his land on the Opunake. road. The removing ofi these corners had considerably improv-j ed the roads. Repairs to the surface-' man's cottage at Puniwhakau had been! effected. 'A start had been made with! the work authorised at the. Makirri 'bridge. The bridge gang had finished! the Manawaiwera bridge. Toko, and were about to start Walker's bridge, Kaiapoi road. Tenders had been called for] six contracts. The engineer's report was adopted. Votes of thanks were accorded (o tin: "New Plymouth Borough Council, Messrs Tincham and Hooper. MIDHIRST CEMETERY. In connection with the proposal to vest the Midhirst cemetery in trustees, Mr W. 0. Malone, county solicitor, advised that the Council should apply to the District Land Registrar at New Plymouth to be registered as proprietor (for cemetery purposes) of the land. If a deed of trust was already in existence, the Council could allow the existing trustees to carry on i n terms of sucli deed, or as an alternative appoint new trustees. If there was no deed of .trust in existence, the Council should by » deed of trust appoint Trustees for cemetery purposes. After some discussion the Council decided to defer consideration till next ' meeting when the solicitor will be invited to —eet the Council. THE TOLL GATE. *~" Ci "' > -' u | The Minister of Internal Affairs • ed receipt of the Council's application for permission to erect a toll gate and to charge tolls on the Mountain road about 12 chains south of the Waipuku stream, and in reply stated that the matter had been referred to the Public .Works Department, under whose administration it came. In the event of a reply not being received within a week, it was' resolved to approach the Minister of Public Works on the matter.

STANLEY ROAD BRIDGE. | The matter of renewing the bridge ! over the Almroa stream on the Stanley road, a narrow, deep gorge, at present; spanned by a wooden bridge, which is ; in a dangerous state, was the subject j of much discussion. The Government I has given a grant of £250, on a £ for ■ £ subsidy basis, and the plans of the ! proposed bridge have to be approved \>y ■. the district roads engineer. i It was stated that the engineer had ' prepared two plans, on ( . providing for j a 30ft. arch, erected 23ft. from the ■ bottom, with retaining walls run up to the height of th e road, a distance of 20ft., filling in the cpntre with, earth, j This would cost £320. An alternative! scheme was for a concrete bridge, with | a 35ft. span, and two spans of 20ft., at ] a height of 43ft. from the bed of the I stream. This would cost £7OO. Members "decided to visit the site, and accordingly Crs. ChristofTel. Coleman, Anderson, Walter and Worthington. I with the engineer and clerk, went; out after the luncheon adjournment. On returning, Cr. ChristofTel stated that he was of opinion that the cheaper proposal outlined by the engineer would .ie suitable, but if they could get the other bridge for £SOO, and obtain the. Government subsidy, and at. the same time satisfy the district roads engineer, it might be advisable to erect this. It would be an everlasting job. Cr. Walter was of opinion tiiat, whether they obtained a subsidy or not, they should put up the cheapest structure possible, consistent with permanency. They were not there to "kow-tow" to anyone, but to study the interests of the ratepayers, and if they could get a bridge for £3">o, and could not get a £ for £ subsidy, thev should endeavor to get a straight-out grant. Cr. Anderson said it certainly was not policy to expend £7OO where half the money would lie sufficient.

Tlio engineer stated that, the arch bridge could bo safely built for .-C'iSl). whilst the three-span would cost at, least £525. If they got a straiplit out grant, the former would 1> ( . clieaper. but if they lost the subsidy there would lie no paving. The chairman -warned members that they had to face the difficulty of finance. He did not see how they'were fining to find £3OO for a. bridge on a ron'c! which -was practically worn out. It would be difficult to'find even half the cost of the cheaper structure. It was decided that tfie chairman and engineer wait on Mr. Murray, ami place the financial position of the' Council before him, and in the event of not helm; able to arrive at an agreement, that the chairman call a special meeting of the Council to discuss (lie matter. ° LOAX MATTERS. The Stale Advances Departim-nt notified that the Hoard had ain.-v,] to want the loan of £fioo for renewing thv Tututawa road bridge over the Man-rao-tuku river, and also £2lO loan for Began street west. The chairman and clerk were authorised to sign and seal the debentures. COLLKCTJOX Of.' KATKS. The Council decided to support file proposal of (he Whahitai!"' County Council, that the Prime Minister should be asked to have the Act amended as to enc.ble local bodies to allow :• rebate for payment of rates within ;l I certain time, as was done in connection ! with the payment of rents of Crown j lands. TATiIUKO BRmflhX I Cr. Smith objected to the tarrin" of I the in el nl on concv'.. brio-'-, whi.. 1 . lie : considered a suimrfluiiy. if., that the Cavdiir road bridge s;:ou',i lie exempted.

The chairman stated that tiie engineer had been able to secure tar sufficient to treat seven bridges wcry cheaply, and the action of tile engineer j \v:u confirmed. j

GRAVEb ROYALTY. Mr. T. C. Fookcs, on behalf of Mrs. chumaeker, asked the Council to lur">h a statement of the. quantity of 'one taken from the bed of the "fc ,'opo river, between her property and that ■of Mrs. Baker, and also for a cheque for the amount on a basis 'of j 3d. per yard. | Mrs. Baker and Mr. James Phillips, a' Ngaere, wrote in the same strain. j To be informed that the Council has reserved sufficient to pay for the royalty, and as soon as the quantities have, been ascertained the money will bepaid.

TENDERS. The successful tenderers for various works were as follows:—2so yards of boulders, Cardiff road, H. Cray; 250 yards of boulders, Stanley road, das. iSharrock; 250 yards of boulders, York road, H. Gray; forming and metalling Regan street, Green and Chard; 100 yards shell rock, Ahuroa road, left to tbe'Riding members and engineer to arrange; 250 yards shell rock, Tututawa, left for Cr. "Worthington and the engineer to deal with.

EXPENDITURE OF THIRDS. Mr. S. 11. .Tames wrote the Council, and asked that the first work to be done with the expenditure of thirds accruing to the TCaitieke road should be the felling of all the bush on the road, and the subsequent" burning and grassing of the same. He. also asked that before next session " application should be made to the Government for a subsidy of ,■£ for £ up to an amount sufficient to make a cart road to section 13, Block VII., Omona, and that future thirds be applied in this -way.—Held over until the next half-year's thirds have accrued.

A QUESTION OF COMPENSATION. Cr. Smith proposed that the Council should offer Mr. Mason £7 for land taken for the purpose of straightening a dangerous corner on the Opunake road. Cr. Anderson urged that in all cases land should bo taken under the Public Works Act, and the Council should pay compensation at per acre. A resolution to this effect was carried.

GENERAL. The engineer was authorised, to attend to a dangerous open drain at the entrance to the Midhirst Cemetery. The necessary repairs to the. side-, walk at Midhirst are to bo attended to. Cr. Baskin drew attention to a bad hole near a culvert on the main road, close to Stratford. He suggested that a fence should be put up for protection. The chairman stated that if the Council erected a fence, they would be liable for any accident; if they did not, they would not be liable. It was divided that the engineer report'on the matter. Tlic engineer was authorised to put' a culvert in the Hcao track. The Tluiroa foreman was authorised i to engage a man, to do work on the Mohakau road. The Kaponga Dairy Company's re-1 quest for ten yards of metal for the Rowan creamery was referred to the engineer to supply when the crusher is next in the district. The Moa Road "oard wrote, asaking if the Council had any money available for expenditure on the Mangaotea road. —None available at present. Dr. J. P. Frengley, Assistant Inspec-tor-General of Hospitals, notified that the Governor had appointed Crs. Jan. Christ'offel and J. Smith the Council's representatives on the Stratford Hos-' pital Board. The Mangatoki Dairy Company was granted permission to convey water over the County Council's propertyi at Mahoe, opposite the company's Mahoe factory and through the County road tunnel, subject to the engineer's approval. j Eight residents of Flint road asked i the Council to repair portion of Flint road, which is dangerous to vehicular , traffic.

Cr. Smith expressed himself as dissatisfied with the state of the roads In the West Riding. They were self-con-tained in the matter of materinl, and he thought they should have been blinded more to save the metal. John Lewer asked the Council to take steps to raise a loan of £IOO for the purpose of raising and metalling Pembroke road, west of Barclay road. Accounts amounting to £1267 2s Od were passed for payment.