CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1916, Page 3

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting ef the Clifton Ceunty Council was held at the county office, Waitara, yesterday, when there were present: Crs. A. M. Bower (chairman), R. T. Hicks, H. M. Purdie. W. Old, S. J. Kennington, R. H. Pigett and H. Sander. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) repored as follows: Wailii riding—The dry weather has necessitated constant attention te the new metal, and there yet remains much to be done in this connection. On the Inland North road the contractor has already commenced his formation work. The bulk of the heavy traffic northwards is at present, and will be in the future, carried l»y motor lorry, and I would suggest that the Council authorise me to put down, say, five chains ef concrete roadway, in two strips, each 2ft wide, at an estimated cest of £l7 per chain, dsublc width. I submit an illustration O! a similar road laid down centuries age in Europe, and which is in use today. Tikerangi Riding.—The work an the Kertrand road has far the present Veen completed. The contractor for the stsne-cartinjj has also keen actively employed, and the surfaceman has keen engaged in much needed improvements en the Otarasa road. When suitable lakor can be attained, Sole's deviation will be proceeded with. Ngatimaru Riding.—On the Junction road the metalling contract has been proceeding towards completion. The work on the Matau-Kiore read received a check owing to the settle™ employed thereon keing otherwise engaged, but the work will again proceed satisfactorily. Timber has been ordered f«r bridge repairs; various set 3sf pipes have keen sent out, and general maintenance has keen fully maintained. Urenui Riding.— The metalling en the •Kaipikari read has keen oroceeding slowly; unfortunately tke main road has suffered considerably in metalling a byroad. On the Pike read the Pubiic Works Bepartment declined te carry out the formation work. I therefore gave this immediate attention, having already submitted plans and specifications for approval, and arranged for the late, contractor to carry eut the work at a j slightly increased cost per yard. The ! contractor . for the boulder contract i keeps in clc.:c touch for any evidence of stone available, but docs not report much success, owing to the prevailin* set of wind and current. The contractor far supplying gravel for the Main read is actively engaged in providing access to the Okeke road. Repairs to the Onaere bridge will ke effected next week. Mokau Riding.—The Uruti road formatioi is well .forward, to receive the metal. The Authorities hiring the engine are getting impatient, but everything i.-, eukject to the arrival of the new castings for the crusher. Communications so far have elicited no definite date of arrival of the requirements. The bridge on the Mangahia read is being reconstructed out of sennd timber from other bridges. The contractor for the Pnkearuhe metalling has commenced operations. In this district also the grader bar been engaged on the Pukearulie. Wai-iti and Rewe's roads. The timber for repairs to the coast road bridges left the mill some days ago, and it is evidently side-tracked! Repairs will be effected immediately it comes te hand. MIMI-MOKAU ROAB. The Minister ef Public Works (Hon. W. Eraser) acknowledged receipt of the Council's letter drawing attention te the condition of portions of the WaitaraMekau read. In reply, he stated that he had ektained reports npen the matter and was prepared to authorise to the Clifton County Council the sum of £SOO for metalling that portion known at the Mimi Flats. He was also issuing authority to the Resident Engineer for £4OO for metalling, cnlverting. bridg-, ing and re-grading where improvements' were required on the Government portion of the road between Mt. Messenger 1 and Mokan.

The Awakino County Council wrote thanking the Council for its action in the matter. They would quite realise that though the matter was of vital interest to many of the Awakino ratepayers, that Council could do very little without Clifton's support. Referring to the matter in his report, the engineer said that the boulder supply for the Main road liad been reduced from 400(1 yards to 2600 yards, in an endeavor to effect agreements in con-, neetion with Government grants. The result of an interview with the Resident Engineer and a lot of correspondence on the subject would he verbally explained. The papa at the 20-mile peg had been burnt after receiving a good deal of attention, and would be distributed as required. Owing to an accident to the grader machinist, the work was unavoidably postponed, but it was expected to start this week.

The engineer stated that he understood an authority of £1341 was available for expenditure, which would have provided -10(10 yards. Later lie was informed that only £BOO was available, which would reduce the quantity to 2000 yards, for which tenders were called. Since then he was informed that £441 expenditure of which had been arranged last year, and was now being proceeded with, which had to be deducted from the £SOO. This left £ £359 available or only sufficient for 1100 yards. The £4+ l now being expended would metal 20 chains. He stated also that the money could not be expended until authority was received from Wellington. In the course of discussion, "members remarked that they did not want to be m the position of the Waitemata County Council, who had over-spent their authority. The engineer was given authority to proceed with the expenditure of' the £441 and the question of the balance was held over until the opening of tenders. An amendment that the expenditure Do held over until authority was received was lost, as the majority of members considered that the letters received should be sufficient authority, and any further delav would mean tliat nothing would be done this summer. PAYMENT OF GRANTS. The Lands and Survey Office notified payment to the Council's account of -£328 13s 2d. being thirds accrued to September 30, 1915. The Public Works Department also notified payment of £IOO, prevention and restoration of flood damage on Moki road, and £SO, maintenance and' im.provement of roads, Tangitu and MatauTarawai. The Resident Roads Engineer (Mr. W W .Sharp) notified that the sum of £IOO was available for ex.rjen4i.ture or the I *- lko . wad, i

REGULATING MOTOR SPEED. The Levels County Council forward a resolution passed nt a conference of Suoth Canterbury local bodies expressing tlie opinion that a limit of speed for motor-cars and motor-cycles should be fixed throughout South Canterbury; that drivers of motor-cars and motorcycles should be licensed; that application be made to the Government for the necessary authority to pass such a by-law; and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to' all county councils, road boards and town boards throughout the Dominion for their opinion. The chairman considered that it would ..be difficult to check whether the speed was exceeded. ' Cr. Purdie considered that there should be a speed limit, especially at dangerous places. On the motion of Crs. Sander and Kcnnington the letter was received, THE CRUSHER. The delay in repairing the crusher formed the subject of considerable discussion. It wac pointed out that Messrs. Anderson had promised that the crusher would be ready a fortnight ago. It had been idle since January 13 and fien weather was being lost. Councillors expressed the opinion that it would be better to face the position and purchase a new crusher. This, however, would not be available for work this season. It was resolved to wire Anderson's, pointing out the urgency of completing repairs at auce. MANGAOPAPA ROAB, Nine ratepayers in the district drew attention to the state of the above road, for which they understood there was an allocation of'£soo, and they suggested the advisability of replacing the fillings with low-level bridges built with red pine stringers, which were on the site and could be obtained from Mr. Stewart free of cost. This would enable the whole road to be repaired with the money available, and should %e proor against flood, and the bridges would last ten years or more. GENERAL. Mr. Thos. Childs, of the Waihi tollgate, asked the Council to appoint an expert to inspect and report on a new design of road roller he has planned The Council decided that it was unable to accede to the request, Miss M. 0. Campbel, acting-secretary the Taranakl Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, intimated that the county's balance of levy to the new hospital'of £SBa was now. long •verdue and was urgently required, the building account being overdrawn. Other contributing local bodies had met their liabilities. R, W. Burnitt, surfaceman, was granted permission to fence a small portion of the river reserve at Okoke. There was some discussion with reference to the engineer's recommendation re concrete tracks, and councillors were divided in their opinions as to the advisability of carrying out the experiments. Kvcntually it was decided to' delete the clause of the report. With this exception, the engineer's report was adopted. Messrs Rateliffe, Jones and Lee's ten- ■ der for supplying boulders at Uruti at 6s 7d per yard was accepted. The tender of W. V. Bowman at £421 14s for tlie erection of a bridge on the Matau-Kiore road was accepted. It was decided to inform the Hospital Board that the amount would be paid at the next meeting of the Council. It was decided to communicate with the Department urging the necessity for removing the obstructions from the M«kau river. With reference to the letter -.e the Mangaopapa read, it was decided ta inform the petitioners that repairs would be effected when labor was available.