TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 256, 8 April 1915, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

.MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of.the Taranaki County Council was hold yesterday, when tliero were present, Councillors Brown (chairman), Hill, J. Andrews, Morton, MeAllum, C. Andrews, Binnie, ami Bridgeman. Leave' of absence was granted to Cr. Laurence, who was unable to attend through illness.

LOAX FOR ROADVTORK

It was decided that the .Government Advances Department be applied to for a loan of £7OO for metalling tile Lower (Pitone Road.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. Tlie chairman reported that 75 per cent, had been paid on Sole and Oliver's contract, at os 8d per yard, original contract price, but they had agreed to complete the contact of 11!) yards at 4s, and the balance of tlie original boulders of 121 yards at 3s 10il per yard. Tenders could not he called for Iloani road as loan papers were nc' ;■■ ' passed by the Department.

'Meredith and Grcv's tender of 8s fid per yard for metalling on Upper Plymouth road liad been accepted. Other tenders accepted were: —Upper Plymouth Road, Government grant, Meredith and Gtcv, £7 per chain; Baker road, Government grant, Rowan and Thomason, £5 7s (id per chain, the Council to do the crushing and the work to. be finished this month. Mr Blanchett's tender of £8 per chain was accepted for the Upper Carrington road.

INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Moa Riding—Focman Jones' length: The new metal on the Tariki road has been rolled. A good deal of general maintenance work has been carried out during the month. It will be necessary to allow more nicfal from the Tariki Hotel to the county boundary. It was decided to secure the extra metal required, and that tenders be called. Foreman Mallon: The roads In tills length are. in very fair condition excepting the portions that have to be metalled this year. Banking, ditching, and water tabling have been carried out on this length. Foreman Bennett: This length is in very fair order. The new metal on the Ziz-Zag has set down, and is now in good order. In about eight days' time I will be able to send the small roller through and get the 794 yards from Clark's pit put out. Mangorci Riding.—The foremen in this riding are all engaged in banking up, cleaning water tables and repairing all the by-roads which are more or less in a fairly bad way, the metal in most places being very thin. I expect to get the Hill Road tunnel started at the end of this week.

Waitara Riding.—l have arranged with Foreman Jno. Holmes, jun., to take over this length. Portions of the Richmond, Junction and Manutahi West Roads require immediate repairs in maintenance metal, cleaning water tables, etc. The plant is now on the length crushing at the Waiwakaiho depot. I expect to finish by 'Thursday night crushing 1430 yards for Devon, Egmont, Pariti and Smart Roads. The plant will then go to Smart Road depot, if possible, then to Mutton Track and, King Road depots. The main/oads in the riding are in good condition, the by-roads fair. I have the timber under order for redecking the Lepperton and Snake bridges. I make the cost of covering the decking of these bridges with soltar and gravel at Od per square yard. —lt was decided that it be an instnus tion to the inspector to cover with soltar any bridges redecked. Omata Riding.—The roads are in fair condition. I have now arranged to have the small tunnel on the Tukapa Road completed. The small roller is now in Foreman Eva's length doing good work on the Veale, Cowling, Hurworth Roads. I interviewed Sole and Oliver regarding the delivery of 110 yards of boulders on the Main South Road, and they are going on with this work in about a fortnight's time. On the moton of O. McAllum, it was decided to instruct the inspector to report on the cost of laying down 100 yards of soltar on the Main South Road as an experiment, it being considered that the motor traffic was now so heavy on the road that something better than ordinary metalling was necessary. Okata Riding.—The cutting has been put through on the Puniho Road, which lias made a good job. A quantity of good stone has been taken out of this cutting, and arrangements have heen made to fill in the swamp on the Upper Puniho Road for Mr. Grecnway. Mr. Oreenway is giving two bullock teams and the work. Will be done Tiy Foreman Hayes. The water course a* the Okato School is receiving attention. The Upper Timaru Road has been attended to, as asked for by Mr. Eot't. I have let the breaking of the boulders that are carted out on the Pitorie Road. A deal of work is required on this road. The upper portion of it is unfenccd, some of it is unmetalled, gates are across the road, and the road is now used for grazing purposes as a portion of the frfrm. it is tlierelore useless trying to do anything to this road, which is being ruined until such inme as it i s fenced and the stock kept off.

The heavy 'buses are telling on the Main South Road. They in my opinion are travelling too fast for tbeir weight. Meredith and Grey are still working at their contract, on the Koru Road, the broken weather is keeping this work hack. The 200 yards extra have been rolled down, but the new formation would not carry the roller. The extra .-Cl5O Government subsidy has been let to Meredith and Grey. I will have to extend the formation to a given distance before this extra metal is put out.

Owing to being laid up with influenza for a week, it Jias held my work back.

The inspector was ordered to report on the offer of Mr. IToneyfield to deliver 'SOO yards of metal on the Greenwood Road. Tt was decided to communicate with tlie owners of 'buses travelling at excessive speeds, drawing their attention to til is matter.

In the matter of the cattle "razing on the Upper I'itone Road, it was decided to call the owner's attention thereto.

For the charing and forming of ffi'll Road, the. tender of Mr. James at &-i per chain was accepted. Ernest -Tordon, of 'W'uitara, was appointed to a vacant position of road foreman.

BAKER ROAD. A deputation from Upper Mangnrei, including Messrs. lirown, Oldham and Worm, waited on the council with reference, to the metalling of Baker Road. Mr. Tirown said lie had heard that the road would not he gone on with, as the council had previously stated it would be. ITe understood that this was because the crusher could not get in and out, but he. did not think there would be, any such difficulty. Mr. Oldham said lie lived on the load and could assure the council it was in bettor condition now than it ever was

before, and they could not understand why there should be any question as to whether the crusher could go in. The road was at present in particularly good condition, and the contractor would have the, boulders ready for crushing m a very few days. The chairman said he could not understand how the idea had arisen that the council would not do tiie work. They had promised that as soon as the work on the Smart Road was completed the other work would be commenced, 'if the weather and condition of the road pennited. The work on the Smart Road would be done in three days, when that on the Baker Road would he started.

The deputation expressed itself fully satisfied with this answer.

DAIRY COMPANY'S DIFFICULTY

Messrs. Honeyfield, Adlam and Garner, of the Oakura Dairy Company, waited on the council in reference to the boulders taken out of the stream there by the council's contractors at Timaru. Mr. Honeyfield explained that the stone taken from the river had lowered the bed of it so as to seriously affect the flow of water into the company's waterrace at the creamery. The taking out of the metal from that river had saved the council hundreds of pounds, and they thought it was up to the council to assist them.

Messrs Adlam and Garner gave further details, both definitely' stating that the removal of the boulders had undoubtedly caused the trouble. 'The latter stated that it would cost from £75 to £IOO to put in a dam to again raise the river to the required height. In answer to a question, Mr. Adlam said that the company had received royalties on some of the stone taken out. After a brief discussion, Councillor MeAllum moved that the chairman consult the council's solicitor, and, if it was found to be legal, to contribute £SO towards the cost of the erection of a dam, the council to get metal from river without paying any royalty until tliis £SO was recouped.

Councillor C. Andrews seconded the motion, and it was carried.

OFFER OF BOULDERS FOR METALLING.

Mr. Honeyfield offered to deliver a quantity of boulders on the Timaru Road, which required attention, if the council would crusli and place it.

The chairman said he saw no reason why this should not be accepted, anu the inspector was instructed to report on the matter.

DISGRACEFUL PIECE OF ROAD. Sir. Martin waited on the council as to the condition of a portion of Smart Road. It was, lie said, disgraceful, and in twenty years only £8 had been spent upon it. In bad weather he was unable to get his milk cart along the road except with two. horses. He was prepared to give £5 towards the work, and Mr. Skelton would provide some free labor. He did not think it would cost more than £5 to form the road. It was about 15 chains in length, mid would require about ten yards of metal per ciiain. He did not expect the work to be done this year. The'chairman said the work could not be done this year, but the inspector could report on the road, and they would no doubt do it next season.

CORRESPONDENCE. The Minister of Public Works wired stating that the matter of the Waiivakaiho bridge was receiving careful attention, but was a much mere diffi.ult and complicated question than the council seemed to imagine. Plans and specifications for the eonsti-.-.ction of a barrage below the bridge were being prepared.—Received.

The Western Taranaki Railway League wrote that the Minister of Public Works had been requested to have regulations gazetted, and as soon as this was done the necessary steps would be taken to have the necessary petition signed.—Received.

Mr. 11. Thomson, of Inglewood, wrote on behalf of Messrs. A. Eggers and V. Darkness, stating that the former would accept £1 10s in settlement of Ms account for royalty and cartage of metal. With regard to the crusher site, a considerable quantity of boulder and metal was left on the site.—Received. Messrs. W. Barnett and G. Carrick wrote, requesting the council to do something to the Croydon Road before the- winter set in. They would like metal put down and some grades cased. —Left in the hands of the inspector to report.

Mr. F. J. Cowling, Okato, wrote that it was of no use endeavoring to get sufficient signatures for the merging of a portion of the Okato Road district. The Okato Road Board was approaching the Government for £ for ,£ subsidy to complete the metalling of the Saunders' Road, with a view" to handing a portion of it over to the council, from Stony River , bridge to 'Greenway's store.—lt was decided thai the Road Board be requested to contribute towards the cost of effecting repairs and improvements to the Stony River and Carrington bridges. Mr. G. Murray, resident engineer, wrote staging that the Saunders' Road had been handed over to the local authorities.—Received.

The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote notifying its intention to move to strike a rate of Is in the £IOO to make up the estimated deficiency for hospital and charitable aid purposes. The estimated deficiency was £7300 lis sd.—Received.

The Public Trust Office, Haivera, wrote that in the matter of the obstructions in the Mangaonc stream it was not yet certain if the Public Trustee was liable, and the matter was being ■placed before him. In the meantime, occupiers were being notified to eleur the stream.—Received.

THE WAIWAKAIITO BRIDGE. The Borough Council wrote stating that the attention of the Minister of Public Works had been called to the condition of the Waiwakaiho bridge, and warning him that the council would not accept lability in the event of the bridge being damaged.

The chairman declared that it was wholly the fault of the Borough Council. They had been warned long since and should, have dealt with the matter then. Messrs. Sladden and Palmer wrote stating that they did not think that the plans could be altered to reduce the cost of erection, but thought that it might be possible to get the work carried out for the 'money available.— Received. *

TO SECURE METAL. Councillor Andrews proposed that the council secure a strip of land on the bank of Stony River, in order to facilitate- the getting out of stone, anil thus save the royalty that they would otherwise have to pay. This was s*.a-Midcd and carried.

FINANCE. The chairman reported that the bank overdraft at the end of the- financial year was £4;>2(l, as compared with £3OOO the previous year. Councillor McAllum expressed the opinion that the council had done ver,v well.