TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1916, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE .MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki County Council met yesterday. Present: Messrs J. Brown (chairman), J. Andrews, J. S. Connett. A. Morton, D. McAllum, C. Andrews, W. Binnie, J. Simpson and A. E. Laurence. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Crushing plant.—The plant has been engaged during the month as follows: At Wairau road, 8 days, 710 enbic yards; Wills road, Timaru, 4V4 days, 348" cubic yards; Lower Timaru road, at Linn's, s>/ 3 days, 540 cubic yards; total, 1704 cubic yards. The large roller has been engaged throughout with the plant and is now rolling on the Lower Timaru road. The small roller has also been with the plant for a portion of its time and is now rolling on the top end of the Koru road. Moa Riding.—Roads in this riding are in fair order, taking into consideration the dry spell, which hae necessitated continual blinding. The Junction road was bad, but has now been blinded, and assisted by the slight rain at the week-end ■ shows improvement. There has been a large number of sheep travelling to and from.-sheep farms, which has not improved matters. The Zig-Zag ia in very fair order, but I have found it necessary to order pipes for the renewal of several wooden culverts, which are past repair. The work on the hills north of Rugby road and at Dudley hill is proceeding satisfactorily. I regret to report a serious accident on the Rugby road work on Sunday, February 27, when a car capsized over the filling, breaking a lady's leg and causing other injuries. Mangorei Riding.—The main roads in this riding are in very fair order, and the side roads, which have required a lot of attention, are being fixed up. The Mangorei road at ,the lower end has broken up rather badly, but is being attended to, as also is this road throughout. The Carringtnn road has been blinded and is now in very good order, with the exception of the Eatanui Hill, which the foreman is now fixing up. Waitara Riding.—Roads are in very fair order, with the exception of the Henwood road, and upwards. This length has been without a. foreman for some time, but is now receiving attention. I commenced the work of laying the culvert under the Henwood road, but I find that owing to the level of the water in the existing culvert it is impossible to proceed until the Mangaone stream has been cleared of willows and the level of the water lowered. It is necessary to lay the new culvert at the same level as the sill of the existing culvert, and although I adopted a new line well clear of the old culvert, the water percolates into the tunnel I proposed to put through. Omata Riding.—Roads in this riding i are in good order, with the exception of the main road near the Omata factory, which requires metal badly. Okato Riding.—Roads are in fair order, with the exception of some of the side roads, notably the Upper and Lower Petonc roads and the Upper Puniho road, but owing to the foremen being engaged with the crushing plant it has been impossible for them to give it attention, but I hope to be able to remedy this very shortly. The Koru road is showing marked improvement after the rolling it is receiving. I have had the culvert on the Kiri road renewed and the filling over the pipes is proceeding rapidlv. This improvement will be a great benefit t,o the settlers using this road. The Aim Aim road has received a coating of metal as far as the quantity provided by the settlers concerned would permit. On the Lower Timaru road approximately 60 chains of road has been metalled, and an excellent job is being made of it. The Hoani road metalling contract is proceeding slowly, I have laid off the Government grant of £2OO on the Carrington road faccess to Mr. G. Richardson's property). In this connection the chairman, Councillor Morton and myself interviewed Mr. Sharpe, Resident Engineer, Public Works Department, Stratford, on February 21, and he has approved of the manner in which I proposed expending this grant, and the plants are now Being completed and will be submitted for formal approval, and I 'have also arranged with the Resident Engineer to accompany him to inspect this and other works at an '

early date. LOWER TARIKI ROAD. Cr. Simpson stated that lie had been approached by a number of settlers, who complained about the state of the Lower Tariki road, where no work was being done. He moved that the engineer should inspect the road and draw up a report. Mr. McAllum seconded pro forma. Cr. Laurence said that when the matter was previously before the Council it was suggested that the settlers should contribute towards the cost of putting the road in order, but they had not accepted the Council's proposals. The chairman agreed that the road required metalling, and 'he estimated it would cost £IOO to do so. The bridge would also have to be raised. Cr. Laurence moved an amendment that the settlers should be requested to raise a loan, as it was impossible to do the work out of revenue. Cr. Andrews seconded. The amendment was carried,

DEPUTATIONS. A deputation representing the settlers on tiie Upland road waited on the Council and asked that 20C yards o-f boulders, instead of IGO yards, should be provided for tlie road. The settlers were willing to help if the Council would give some assistance.—The matter was left in the hands of the chairman and the engineer to get the settlers to form the road before a tender for boulders was accepted. On behalf of the Barrett road settlers a deputation asked that metalling work should be done on the road. If the Council would provide the teams and the foreman the settlors would provide the labor, and would also contribute towards tlie cost.—lt was decided to go on with the work, provided the settlers supplied tlie labor as promised. It was estimated that the work would cost within £7.>. Mr. E. Bayly, of Omata, asked for flfl yards of metal for the Waireka road. He would pay half the cost of the work. —The request was acceded to. It was resolved to ask the Taranaki Motor Transport Co. and Messrs .Magon and Roebuck to affix a mirror observation glass to each of their vehicles. Mr. J. E. Hill was appointed the Council's representative on the Egtnont National Park Board. Six ratepayers forwarded the sum of £25 10s for metalling the long hill on the King road on condition that the Council spent pound for pound on the work. The Public tVorka Department notified that the amount appearing on trils .year's appropriations for the King road w»9 £5 on a £ for £ basis.— The engineer was authorised to put the work in 'vmd, and tenders will be ■Oft*'*