CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1915, Page 7

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

'mvnn.Y MEJCTLXC. The usual monthly meeting ~J the Cliltun County Council was I„. ; ',| a t v.'ailara ycterday, when there «,.,.. nro.eut —Councillors ,A. M. Uouer ichm'iiuan) M. Sander, R. 11. 7-i-ntt. 1!. T. IlkV. 11 -\i. I'tmlie. anil W. Did. TiXXKL. T.ic Awakiuo County Council notilied tile Clifton Council Unit it inul decided to vote, tin; sum of £lifi towards the cost of making improvements of a, jjitnianciit nature to Hie Whileciill's tunnel providing that the. Clifton County was prepared to spend a similar sum, and that the i.dvd-nuient would grant a .€1 for CI sulisidy on the total amount of MM. Tlioy suggested that tlie two councils' engineers should confer as to the work necessary to lie done and report to their respective councils, 'hut that the Clifton County approach the Minister and also undertake tlie spending of tliu money.

In answer to Councillor Sander, the engineer (Mr. Dire-sett) .stated that there was any amount of work required on the coast road.

Councillor l'igott considered that it was of no use laying out the work until thi! Government sulisidy was assured. The chairman said that lie did not think they would get 2d from the Government, hut fifey could tout try. Councillor Sander moved that* Air. Dowsett be empowered to propound a scheme for the improvement of the coast road, and confer with the Awakino engineer, and that the Government be applied to for a sulisidy. The engineer .said that (he Aw-akino engineer, apparently, proposed to concrete the whole tunnel, and £2OO would he nowhere.

Councillor Tlicks said it should noti cost more than £2O a chain.

Councillor I'urdie seconded the motion.

Councillor Pigott considered that they were putting the cart before the horse. It was of no use going to the expense of preparing a scheme until the money was assured.

Councillor Sander agreed to make it a proviso that the Government grant the subsidy before his motion -was .put into effect.

The engineer pointed out that in these circumstances the present contract with Mr. Davis should be suspended. Tin- chairman said that Mr. Davis had not attempted to start his contract for a period of two months. This was agreed to, nnd the motion was then carried. Councillor Sander then moved that the Minister of Public 'Works he requested to grant a subsidy of £l3O for this work, and that Mr. W. T. Jennings. M.P., be asked to support the amplication. Councillor Old seconded, and it was carried. OTORAOA ROAD. The Prime Minister wrote as follows: Referring to the representations made to me recently by a deputation from the Clifton County Council, regarding Otoraoa Road, when it was stated that a promise had been made by the Minister of Public Works to the effect that a grant of £230 would he provided for the rcgrading of this road, I have to inform yon that It have been in communication with the -Minister of Public Works ou the subject, and he advises me that upon reference to the report of what was said at the deputation which waited on him that he finds no record of any promise having been made beyond that the request would receive consideration when the estimates were being prepared. The Minister, in explanation of the fact that no provision was made last year, pointed out that, nwiii" to the large amount of money allocated for various works in the Taumarunui electorate, as compared to that provided for other districts, he found it impossible to make provision for this work. He adds, however, that the application will again have consideration when the next estimates arc in course of preparation.

The chairman said that if the Minister of Public Works came to the Clifton County he would take him through the mud, and would also remind !ifm of the .promises he made after the meeting that was held. The letter was received. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows: Waihi Riding.—The metalling on the Wuiau Road has been satisfactorily completed, and all available broken metal is being used on the main road for urgent repairs. A number of men lave been engaged to break stone at Onaero. Arrangements have been made for additions to the surfacemen's cottage. Tikorangi Riding. Authority is sought for breaking seventy-live yards of stone in Freeling's pit for the western end of the. Ngatimaru Road. I have authorised sufficient metal to repair the inland north road beyond the cemetery.

Ngatimaru Riding. A plan hag been prepared in connection with substituting a tunnel for the bridge on the Mangamaire Road. The necessary gravel for Webb's enh-ert has been carted to the site. The work on the MatauKiorc Road has been proceeding by day labor, and also improvements have been effected on the .Mangaopo Road. Mr. Tlownrth offers the council the section adjoining its property at Tarata at a reasonable figure. Ureimi Riding.—The metalling in the tnwnship has been completed for half its length, and at that it will remain until the roads are sufficiently dry to eart over. Arrangements have been made for additions to the county cottage. The. formation on the l'iko Road has been pushed forward, and a wc-k should see its termination. T request authority to again call tenders for boulders for the main roac! in place of contracts recently camelled. Owing to hick of metal, the council will be hard pressed this winter to keep its main road passable for trullic. The truss bridge over the Uronui. on the Okoke Road, has been repaired. Mokan Riding.—Sever. l scour has presented itself "at the 'I law era and .lones's culverts, and precauf.iona.rv measures have had to be adopted to prevent trouble. On the 'Uruti Road the contractors are busy quarrying the balance of their metal.' The truti bridge is having the remaining chords renewed. The bridge party will then he. transferred to the -M'angahia Road. The crushing contractors were instructed to remove the. crusher immediately after the last meeting, and M, up at Onaero. On the Wth they resigned their contract, and on the. lfitli they r.-moved their engine from Uruti without undue trouble and left the crusher at the depot, thereby .seriously inconveniencing the council and altering their pre-ar-ranged plans. My subsequent actions, etc.. T prefer reporting verbally.

The contractor for the Pari-.ihihi funnel reports having k> he out of the district for a time, consequently the work has been delaved. but T am assured that progress will soon he made. The weather broke on the P2th June, and has been continuously had ever since, seriousl-.- impeding all bridge and road work, and al-o emphasising V'c. ever-increasing demand for more nirtnh

Thirds proposals, amounting to CofVS have, been scheduled and forwarded for approval. 1 inspected the flood or.pnim's during the recent heavy rains, and am of

the opinion that three can be cut out tlms suvwg about ;CIHIO. ' I HttouHMl the Toil ;;ate Commission at Mrattord <„i the 10th, tile, assemblage being dv,\y representative. Two returns were put in of tallies kept; one by the j übm-. AVorks Department and one by the Stratford County. The departmental one was taken during a race week and therefore its returns were .unduly augmented. This showed eleven ears whose origin was Clifton, hut it appears that six of these cars originated from Waitara Borough, which was not cited. The Stratford County's retm-ii taken during a normal week showed one car from this district, with no proof as to whether its origin was Waitara or Clifton. These points 1 fully explained to the Commissioner, mwl submitted a lot of other data and information bearing on the council's objection to being cited. The. majority of the opinion was in favor of toil pates and against rates, mid as being the most equitable method of taxing those who use the highways. If I might hazard an opinion, I should say it would be toll-gate or nothing. TOE RATE. Councillor Pigott moved that at the next meeting of the council a rate of V/oA in the £1 should be levied over the wiiole county for the ensuing year. That amount should prove sufficient, but they certainly could not do with less. Councillor Purdie seconded. Councillor Hicks declared that they would have to make a special rate next year. The motion was carried. TANGITU DEVIATION. Messrs. T-arsen and Henry, of the Uruti Road, Tangitu, waited on the council, asking for information regarding the progress of the council's application for ii £1 fur .CI subsidy on the deviation and tunnel work at Tangitu. The clerk said that they would see the amount included in flic* estimates if it-was granted. Tto answer to question, Mr. Larsen said the compensation would amount to £ ISO, and would 'be paid out of the loan. The chairman said the council would have to do some of the work, and he thought that this should be paid out of revenue. lie did not know if the council would agree to this. Mr. Henry said that they wished the work to be pushed on. The chairman said that tho council would push the matter as far as possible, but the Government's procedure was somewhat slow. i The matter then dropped. j GENERAL. The council notified Mr. T. W. Jennings that application had been madt to tile Public Works Department for the following:—Mimi-Mokau metalling £2OOO, Otoraoa grading, Kaipikari widening and Mangamaeho widening £-250 each, Piko formation £2OO, Uruti metal. ' ling £4OO, and Tangitu deviation and tunnel £1250, or a total of £4600. j Councillor Pigott moved that thfc I council pay the grazing fees from tiic L'l'enui pound paddock amounting to £5 ,">s 3d to the Urenui Cemetery lioarc:.— The chairman pointed out that they had agreed to do tiiis.—The motion was scs. onded and carried.

Messrs. Johnston Bros, wrote, stating that there was not sufficient work being done liy t'lie crusher to keep their engine employed, and asking to be relieved of their employment.—This was agreed to.

It was again decided to insure the council's employees with the New Zealand Insurance Olliee.

The matter of Mr. Johnston's claim for carting was left in the engineer's hands.

Messrs, J. H. Gaudy and S. Moody wrote, requesting the council to transfer to W. Heron and George 'Baker their portion of the. Uruti Road metalling contract, as they had joined the expeditionary force. Messrs. ileron and Baker notified their willingness to take over the interests of the other parties. The matter was left in the hands of the engineer.

Tin- YVaitootne Dairy Company applied I'm- twentv yunls of 'boulders from Okoko pit. lint' the council decided that it i-c(|iiiri'<l nil tluit were available for its own use.

It was decided to purchase ii section of one acre adjoining the section occupied by tlio surfaceman at Tarata at a price of £ls. It was agreed that at the conclusion of the meeting the council inspect the Ifawera and .Jones' culverts on the MimilUokau Road in the >Mokiui Riding, the chairman pointing out that it was in a very had condition.

The tender of MY. F. Brabant for the erection of a surfaceman's cottage, at I'niti at .-C2-I0 4s fid was accepted. Accounts amounting to .C'H'ft fl.s 10d were naswert for payment.