EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 258, 10 April 1915, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. T.h ordinary meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake yesterday, when there were present:— Councillors M. Fleming (chairman), W. C. Dudley, M. J. McHovnolds, J. Young, W. R. Wright, McNeill, Rawcliffe and T. Harvey. Councillor Campbell was granted two months' leave of absence.

SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting was first held, when a resolution was passed raising a loan of £1475, being the county's proportion of the joint loan with the Waimate West County Council for the Oeo Road boundary road. The expenditure will be undertaken by the Waimate West County Council. Some discussion took place as to the position assuming the amount raised would not do the work, but the matter dropped. A special order wa3 made in connection with the Oeo Road special loan, No. 3. The audited balance-sheet for the year ended March 31,1914, was submitted and adopted. i ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. A'Court Opie) reported on work done during the month ag follows: Oeo Riding, Northern.—The hands had been mostly employed on works under - the bridge loan account. Repairs had . been effected to the Eltham and Oeo Roads. The men were now engaged put- ' ting in a laige pipe culvert on the top * end of the Patiki Road. j

In the Oeo Riding. Southern, repairs had been effected to the main south and ,Patiki roads. Large concrete culverts on the Skeet Road had been completed. Good progress had been made with stone breaking on' the Skeet Road, and the county men were now busy putting it out on the road pending the commencing of metalling. Rahotu South and Opunake.—Repairs to the Main South and Eltham Roads, and also to the decking of several bridges, had kept the hands busy. Pipe making had ,boen gope on with during broken weather.

Tn the Rahotu Northern Riding, the contractors had made slow progress owing to broken weather, the last contract only being completed this week. The total output was 2180 cubic yards. General.—The crushing and rolling j plants were being overhauled before 1 commencing the next lot of contracts J in Oeo Riding, probably on Wednesday, j The bridge work was "proceeding satis-1 factorily. A timber culvert at the top' end of the Wktino Road was in sin ex-> ceedingly shaky condition, and require! renewing with concrete speedily. THE WIREMU ROAD. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., wrote that he had made inquiries into the expenditure of the £IOOO grant for the Wircmu Road between Kiri and Ngariki, and had been advised that the' same had been offered to the Egmont. County Council. As the settlers interested were anxious for the work to proceed, he asked to be advised if the council had accented the vote and when the work would proceed.

The chairman stated that the work should have been gone on with some time ago. Instructions had been given for the plans to be prepared months ago. Even if the money was available, he thought that it was too late now to do the work before the winter set in. The matter was held over until tha engineer was present.

The engineer in his report stated that he had been extra busy in nnd about the office, and had not completed the land plans for Wiremu Road, but another week would see duplicate plans finished off.

In discussion, the engineer stated that the work could 'be done in the winter as cheaply as in summer, because the settlers would have time to undertake it. It was resolved to inform Mr. Wilkinson that the plans fpr the work would be sent forward in the course of a week.

CLAIM FOR ROYALTY. Mr. A. O'Brien, secretary to the Opu' nake Harbor Board, wrote claiming fid per yard royalty for all gravel from section 31, Opunake, and 4d per cubic yard for the cost of the material required to fill in a pit made on tliat section. The board also notified that it intended to claim royalty for all shingle, sand and boulders removed from the Waiau River within the area to which the board was entitled. The chairman said that in Opunake one local body appeared to be kicking against another. The clerk stated that he was at present unable to give any intimation as to whether the right of entry was reserved to local bodies when the reserve was gazetted. Councillor Mcßcynolds was of opinion that only one local body—the Opunake Town Board—had the right of entry. The opinion was expressed by Councillor Dudley that any royalty on gravel or sand from the river was due. to the owner on the other side, as they liad never taken any material from the Harbor Board's side. It admitted that damage had been done to the paddock. It was decided to hold the matter over until next meeting, when further information will be obtained on the subject. WATINO ROAD. Messrs. J. McHardy and J. Tosltind, representing Bevcn settlers on the Watino Road, waited on the council relative to the state of the lower portion of the road, and asked that the accrued rates should be expended on providing maintenance metal so as to keep the road passable in the winter. Messrs. D. McGregor and Hurst also addressed the council on the state or tho upper portion of the road. The latter also referred in strong terms to the action, of dairy companies in having wood carted during the bad weather, thereby considerably damaging the road. The clerk stated that all the riding books had been burnt in the fire, and he would have some difficulty in arriving at the financial state of cacll road. Councillor Young sympathised with the deputation, particulary as it was one of the few roads in the southern end that had gone, in for a special loan. Councillor Dudley said that the road would have been attended to had the work of the county progressed as it should. The plant was supposed to have been down that end in January, but had only just now gone down. The engineer stated that as near as

lie could remember £IOO whs available for the top end and £l5O for the lower end. After further discussion, it was re solved that the clerk ascertain the amount at credit to the road, and that such amount be expended.

lIOSPITAL CONTRIBUTION. Tin' ecretarv of the Taranaki Hos pital :■ ?id Charitable Aid Board notified that the chairman had given notice to move at next meeting that a rate of one shilling in the £IOO he struck on the local , contributory authorities to make up the estimated deficiency for hospital and charitable aid purposes for | the year 1015-1916. The estimated ex- • peniliture was £13,3i)0, and the estimated income £5083 8s 7d. Of the deficiency the contributory bodies would have to find £3700 9s, and the Government subsidy of 19s 9d in the £ would provide the balance. In discussion, it was pointed out that though this was the same rate as rast year, it would mean a considerably increased contribution on the new valuation. THE AUROA ROAD. The report of the conference Wween members of the Egu.ont and Eltham County Council*, held at Awatuna on March 26 relative to the upkeep of the j Auroa Road and the half cost of the I concrete bridges recently erected on the road by the Egmont County' was submitted. It showed that after considerable discussion it was resolved on tha motion of Councillor Pease (chairman Eltham County Council), seconiTea iry Councillor Fleming (chairman Egmont County Council), that the only solution of the question was that all accrued rates available on the road be expended as Boon as possible in improving the road. j

Regarding the payment of half cost of the bridges, Councillor 'Pease, wlio I presided, stated that the Eltham County, was raising a bridge loan which includ-1 ed the work done by the Egmont Coun- j ty, and as soon as the money wis raised half the cost would be refunded to the Egmont County. The* Eltham County Council forwarded cheque ; for £BS 16s, being subsidy from the rates towards the upkeep of the Auroa boundary road. The clerk snhmitted a • statement' which showed that there was a debit on the road of £B4 17s Bd, but that £BO had still to be received from the Eltham County Council for rates accrued in 1913-14 and 1914-15.

\ OPUNAKE MAIN ROAD. The eost of the new work on the main road through the Opunake township wag shown to be £290 13s 7d. The cost of the soltar and cartage was £lB5 10s 6d. . Councillor Wright said that this worked out at £2690 per mile. t«L—r- " lU * llll * ' The secretary of the Department of Agriculture, r referring to a resolution passed by the council relative to the operation of the Noxious Weeds Act in the Egmont County ( wrote to the effect that on inquiry it was found that the inspection of noxious weed? in the district had been decidedly effective except in the area controlled by the Pauhaka Road Board, which body did not declare any weeds as conning within the meaning of the Act until March 11. As soon as the usual formalities had been put through the control of weeds in that particular district would receive every possible attention. Councillor Wright said that he had asked for a return of properties fronting on the main road with noxious weeds on their frontages. ; THE GENERAL REVENUE. The clerk submitted a return showing) that loans over the whole county amounted to £12,487 17s, and separate loans over various portions to £3037 8s Bd. The annual interest in the former was £672 19s 4d, and on the latter £143 13s 7d.

Councillor Dudley stated that his object in calling for the return was to show how much of the general revenue was utilised in paying interest on loans.

The chairman stated that another £6OO in hospital rate also was paid out of the general revenue, which left very little for expenditure on the road maintenance.

Councillor Wright said that the interest on bank overdraft also further depleted the amount. He moved that a return of the interest paid be submitted by next meeting. THE COUNTY ENGINEER. Mr. C. A'Court Opie, courfty engineer, 'forwarded his resignation, which was accepted. Messrs. Climie and Christophers, civil engineers, Hawera, wrote offering to undertake the council's engineering work either on commission or on salary. GENERAL. Billiard room licenses were granted to L. W. Butterworth and George Dobbie' (Opunake), A. K. McLean (Rahotu), and Wi Kupe Nazer (Purigarehu). The Public Works Department notified payment to the council's account of £lO2, being final payment on account of the Carrington (Saunders-Newall) Road £ for £.

The Public Works Department forwarded list of unexpended grants as follow:—Carrington (Saunders to Newall Road) £ for £, and Okahu (Ngarilii to Newall Roads) £97. Mr. A. T. Shaw, Eltham Road, complained of thee nuisance caused, by wandering stock. The ranger is to be instructed to pound all cattle. Accounts were passed for payment as follows: —£919 0s 4d general, £134 4s 8d bridge loan, and 14s hospital building.