EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1916, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY.

THE PAST MONTH'S WORK. GENERAL ROAD WORK. Tho Egmont County Council met at Opunake yesterday. Present: f'r«. M. Fleming (in tho chair;, W. C. 3udiev, T. Harvey, J*s. Vcung, .M. -T Mcßeyn'oids, S. Forsyth, \V. It. V,'tight, S. Campbell, and R. J. N. McNeill. The foremen reported as follows: Oeo Riding (Northern division).—The staff had been employed at general surface work carting out maintenance metal, putting in pipes and cleaning outlets and gathering boulder stone for maintenance. The roads treated were the Eltham, Watino, Patiki, Oeo, Auroa, Opunake-Stratford and Wiremu. Mr. H. Lockley had finished the contract on Oeo Road of 300 yards boulder stone. The floods had washed out one of the approaches of the old wooden bridge on the Oeo Road, also a small wooden bridge about 12 feet of a span right away on the Wiremu Road. One of the approaches of a wooden bridge of the Kiri Road had also been washed away. The bridges had been repaired and were open for light traffic all except the 011 c on the Wiremu Road, where he recommended the Council to put a wooden bridge. Oeo Riding (Southern division). —The )iands had been engaged finishing off work in connection with contracts, clearing out water-tables and banking tip metal where required, and adding blinding where the continued dry weather had loosened up metal. * He was working short handed the whole of the time the contracts were in progress, not being able to use the water cart to very great advantage owing to scarcity of water &nd long carting.

Rahotu Riding (southern) andOpunake Riding. —The staff had been employed in grading, also pipe-making and metalling contracts. Up to the 3rd February, 332 cubic yards have been delivered, aiso 02 screenings, which I used as blinding. Owing to the sandy bottom on this piece of road, he had given it a heavier coating than estimated and asked for an extension of one hundred cubic yards. He had examined Taungatara Bridge, Main South Road and recommended a new Stringer for same. The Maungalmme approach fence on Eltham Road had been knocked out of shape by a motor lorry. He recommended that future contracts for this riding be called for in boulder stone, the Council crush it per day labor. Rahotu Riding (Northern division).— They had been employed on various works that required completing before they got engaged with, the crashing contracts. They were occupied for a week carting out boulder stone at the Waitotara River, south of Pungarehu, for maintenance after the crushing contracts were completed. They were also employed in removing stripping from cutting south of Rahotu, for blinding the crushed metal from the Okahu River contract. The latter part of the mouth they were employed completing A. E. Magon's contract on the Wiremu Road. Coffey and Leatherby had just about completed the hauling out of their specified quantity on the three contracts and recommended the payment of 2s per yard on 500 yards on contract No. 282 making ISOO yards delivered • n this contract, being the quantity required. Bridge Foreman's report.—The Oec bridge, Skeet Road, would be open for your inspection in a week's time. Having had to wait a fortnight for cement had delayed the completion of this structure. During the recent flood this bridge had to stand a ve-.-y severe test, which spoke very well for the material used, i All the logging from und.'r 'h<• arch ring has been stripped out by the flood but mostly all the timber in this construction was utilised from the old bridge. The flood having scoured out a fairly deep hole at the intake of the bridge he suggested filling in this with boulders and concrete, 'this bridge was a little higher than the structure which tenders were called for. The brows pf the hills each side badly want grading to cope with the bridge levels. The cost of this bridge when open for traffic would be £495 approximately. He had inspected the other bridges erected under the bridge loan, and they have t,tood the .flood remarkably well, every bridge was full to the crown. The culvert at the top of the Auroa Road had scoured a little at the corner of one of the foundations. WAIWERANUI BRIDGE. The chairman reported that with Crs, Harvey and Wright he had inspected the Waiweranni Bridge. They recommended that the old bridge should be shifted up stream and the new bridge erected where the old one now stands. The bridge was in a very bad state and hardly fit for traffic. They hau instructed the elerk to advertise it unsafe for heavy traffic. Cr. Wright estimated that it would cost £lllO to shift the bridge and provide til?.,necessary approach. The chairman considered that there would be no paving if they erected the new bridge on a different site as previously suggested. In addition they would lose the advantage derived from the stone walls. A temporary bridge must be provided, as though the ford was a good one it would not permit of motor lorrv traffic.

COLLECTION OF NATIVE KATES. The tlerk to the Waimate West County Couneil asked for information as to the obtaining of rates on West Coast Settlement Reserves. The District Manager of the Public Trust Office informed him that owing to recent amendments to the Acts, lie was unable to pay. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., stated that it -was clearly understood that local authorities would" have no difficulty in collecting their rates from native areas under the new legislation. Cr. Dudley understood that a County Council had sued, and the Public Trustee had paid up. The clerk said that he had made a demand on the Public Trustee who acknowledged it. Subsequently he had written to Mr. Barns at Hawera on the matter, but so far had not received a reply. The matter was held over till a reply is received. TENDERS. Tenders were accepted as follows: Srpply •.? 120 yards gravel, W.iiweranui bridge, W. H. ..'uVan. 0s -'d: 'ilKl yards pit metal, Main South Road, between eastern boundary and Oeo, J. Munro, 4s (id; 150 yards Puketapu Koad, J. Munro, Ca ; 150 yards boulder stone, Main South Road (Oeo), J. Munro 5s fid. GENERAL. A. J. Harrison complained that the I foreman had given the contract for [breaking stone on the Skeet Road, Oeo, to another man, after the applicant had done the work for three years. The matter is to be referred to tlie foreman for explanation. 11l the course of discussion it was stated that the man now breaking stones had three sons at tfce front nod another anxious to enlist.

The Waimate West County Council wrote stating that the original consent in connection with the Oeo Road joint loan had been signed some time ago and tho valuations appearing therein were correct at tho time. The amount of rate struck would be sufficient to pay charges on amount of loan, no matter what the valuation might be. Increase in value at any time meant reduction of rate. He trusted the consent would be found in order as portion of the work had been done and it was hoped to have I the rest under way as soon as it was heard that the money was available.

The chairman, Crs. Dudley and Campbell were appointed a committee to inspect Town Board sections in Opunake with a view to providing additional accommodation for the county plant. A resolution by Crs. Young and McReynolds that the Council should purchase the necessary ground, was lost Mr, W. C. Clements asked for payment of £l2 lis for material used in repairing Ta Kiri Road bridge. He pointed out that his agreement with the Council and the Opunake Sawinillinji Co., was to maintain the metalled portion. He had put on three men for a day with the Council's three miles.