TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1916, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Taranaki County Council was hekl yesterday. Present: ">s. J Brown (chairman), A. E. Laurence, J. B. Simpson, \V. Binnie, C. Andrews, A. Morton, J. S. Connett, and J. Andrews. SMART ROAD. The chairman reported that lie had interviewed the Survey Department on the question of the continuation of the Smart Road. The road had been surveyed, but the Government would not legalise it. The Council would have to do that at its own expense. Cr. Morton stated that there was a divergence of some four chains in one place between the surveyed road and the blind road now being used, and on which money had been spent. He did inot think it would he advisable to have the surveyed road legalised, and to legalise the other road would necessitate a survey The road could not be closest, as money bad been expended on it. •ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. R. \V. Fislu-r (county engineer) reported as follows: The crushing plant has been engaged at Kahihi for 3 1 /, days, crushing 27S clinic yards; Stony River, 13'/ 3 days. 1005 cubic yards; Katikara, 2 days, 170 cubic yards; total for month. IS) days, 1519 cubic yards. The plant is now set up at the Oakura depot ready for crushing as soon as the weather conditions are favorable. 1 have considered it necessary to omit the Puniho road from the itinerary of the plant, as it would be inadvisable lo take the machinery up that particular road on account of the swampy nature of the country, especially as the weather has broken. Furthermore, the foreman on that length has not had the time available to procure the pit metal by day labor (which 1 considered the most economical method), and also the metal on the road, which was originally put down very badly, would have to be scarified and band-napped before it would be ready to receieve new metal, and this would have entailed at least a month's labor, which was not available. The large roller has been engaged with the plant. The small roller has been rolling on the Hoani road and other side roads have also been fixed lip. Moa riding.—Tl;e roads are in fair order. The contractors, Rowan and Thoniason, have been engaged delivering metal on the Junction road (contract No. 310) to Foreman Bennett's length, and I have arranged for the small roller to proceed there to enable the foreman to put this metal on the road. In tjie meantime the contractors are dumping the metal and will lift it again at their own expense. The metalling of the hill north of Norfolk road, recently regraded, has been completed, I had to procure outside plni't to crush the additional metal required to complete this work, and with your, chairman's consent arranged to pay 3d acr cubic yard for use of crusher and sixteen shillings per day for hire of engine, including oil, plus tiie driver's and assistant's wages. Alangorei riding.—Roads are in fair order, The top end of the Mangorei road required attention, and the foreman is now engaged on this work. , Waitara Riding.—Roads are in good order generally. The contractor for contract No. 3">S (Willings' pit). 100 cubic yards, nave delivered the metal on the Egmont road. There was an excess on this contract of four cubic yards. The willows on the Maiiganne stream at the site of the new freezing works nave been removed satisfactorily, but further work has been interrupted owing to the break in the weather. The pipes for renewing the Egmont road culvert on this stream are ready for delivery, and I am in negotiation with a firm of contractors for a price to carry out repairs to the culvert at the foot of the Mangaone TTill. on the Devon road. Tn connection with this culvert, I found that, the fence line encroaches on the public highway, and I propose lengthening the culvert on the lip-stream end of the culvert and flattening the existing curve of the road This will effect an improvement which will not lie costly, and will be appreciated bv the travelling public. The metalling on Bishop's road has been commenced, but has been interrupted by bad weather.

Omata riding.—Side roads are in good order. I liave Foreman Seamark engaged hand-napping metal for the main South road through Omata township on piece-work, the boulders having been procured by contract by Mr. .T. Kendall, as sanctioned at your last meeting, at lis 8d per cubic yard. T have also been able to fix a contract for procuring metal from T-eighton's pit at 4s per cubic yard. This includes getting, napping and preparing metal ready for drays for the top end of the Barrett road. The price may appear high, but as the work was urgent, and T have experienced difficulty in procuring the labor, with the permission of the chairman and the member for the riding, I have put the work in hand.

Okato riding.—Side roads in this riding, with the exception of the Hoani and Timaru roads, have by necessity j b:en somewhat neglected, as the foremen have been engaged with the crushing plant, but these men will now have a better opportunity of giving attention to these matters. The main roads show marked improvement since the plant has been in this district. The contractor for Timaru, owing to the paucity of stone, bad a shortage of 30ft cubic yards at this depot, which is to be regretted, as I could have done with it in places, more particularly at the top end of Lower Timaru road. The contractor, however, is willing to leave a deposit on the contract and to complete it later at a reduced rate, and as it is no fault of the contractor. T would recommend that the completion of this contract should be left with hiin. The iHoani road contract, let to Magee and Co., has been completed, the Council having taken over the work. The metalling was finished on May 10. I have arranged with Mr. Newport, foreman for tiie Egmont county, to meet me at an early date with a view to arriving at some arrangement by which it may be possible to divert, surface water which is at present dealt with bv this Council. If we come to an arrangement. it will be possible to fill in the open drain at the bottom of the I'uniho road, which is dangerous to travelling stock.

Cr. Binnie strotigly protested against the engineer's action in not sending the | crusher to the 'Punilio Road. This rnad had been metalled out of loan by the Road Boards at a cost of about £35(10, and the Carrington Road portion cost £450. .When this district merged, the Road Board handed over to the Conw ,: ' £2OO in cash, of which £IIS was to ' credit. In addition £32G Mis 1M Im-l' been collected in rates without ni:.v ; cost to the county. Xot one penny i t.! i been spent, despite a definite asjuviiee the money would be expeirJod. i

One thousand yards of metal had been granted for tiie road, and some of this liad been got out, but the engineer in his report said that the road was in an unfit state to send the crusher up. He was quite prepared to take members of the Council over the road and let them see for themselves whether the road was able to take the crusher or not. He considered that the plant could reasonably have been sent, lie pointed out that there were u number of metal pits, from which metal could be obtained at a cost of about 2s (id per yard. As far as he could understand there would be no difficulty in obtaining the necessary labor. This was'a by-road, and he wanted the ratepayers to see that there was at least one member of the Council who was doing what he could for the by-roads. In the Okato Road district, on 'a halfpenny rate, tliey were able to have good roads, whereas in the county they could not apparenilv do anything on a rate of three-farthings. The chairman said that he couhj liot give any information. The Council, when the engineer was appointed, placed the plant in his charge, and lie (the chairman) had not interfered with the arrangement. He would like an explanation from Cr. Binnie as to why he liad made statements about the chairman which had no truth in them. If Cr. Binnie bad anything to say about the chairman, then the Council table was the place to bring it forward. Cr. Binnie asked what the statement was.

The chairman: That in order to got the Moa Riding out of its financial difficulty money was taken from other ridings. Cr. Binnie stated that that was absolutely untrue. Believing that the engineer would not pass by work authorised by the Council, and that the chairman was responsible, he had said that the sooner they got away from a one-man-show the better.

The engineer stated that he had liad various difficulties to contend with. It was decided to get the metal out of the pits by day labor, as this was the most economical method, but the foreman had been busy on other contracts and labor was difficult to secure. A considerable portion of the road would have to be scarified before it would be ready to receive any new metal. The road in parts was through swampy country, and to break up the metal already down so late in the season was not advisable. Some contractors who had bullock drays were unwilling to go up it, whilst others were wauling as much as 3s per day increase for the use of their teams. It would he necessary to take the crushing plant into the paddocks, and he was quite satisfied that if the plant hail gone in there it would not have gone anywhere else ill the eountv this winter. The itinerary of the plant would bring it back into the district early in the summer. Cr. C. Andrews said that as the bullock teams declined to go up the road it was no use the crusher going there.

Cr. Binnie said that horse teams could lie got to keep the crusher going. Cr. Morton thought the engineer was quite justified in acting as be had done, but it would probably have been better had he first approached Cr. Binnie. While anxious to see the bv-roads receive proper attention he was not prepared to run the risk of locking up the plant for the winter. The chairman agreed with the action of the engineer, fie considered that the road was a wet one; the drains on each side showed that. He was anxious that the by-roads should be kept in the same condition as the main road, and tlmt was the aim of the Council.

Or. Tiiiinio, whilst admitting that there wore 20 chains of drain along- the road, stated tliat that portion was metalled with H inches of motal and would carry the crusher. They received rates from the Parihaka T!oad Hoard, to'whom they had to account for their expenditure, and not an ounce of metal had been pnt 011 any road liar the Hoani 'Road. He was fighting for the by-roads tint day. because, if not, the matter would again be overlooked. Tie moved thai, a rommittee be appointed,''comprising Crs. •I. Connett, A. K. Laurence, .1. !i. Simpson, A. Morton, and the mover, to visit the road and with power to act. ' This was seconded bv Or. Simpson, and lost on the casting vote of the chairman, the division being:—Ayes: Crs. Laurence, Simpson. Binnie and Connett: noes: Cr«. 0. Andrews, A. Morton, J. Andrews and the chairman. Cr. Binnie said he would take another opportunity of bringing the matter forward. WAIYVAKATHO WEIR. The Public Works Department notified receipt of the Council's concurrence in the acceptance of the tender of £■2044. The Engineer-in-Cbief was of opinion that the proposed method was the best that could he designed. Every contingency possible had been provided for, but he could not guarantee that there would be no extras, MAXfiAOXE STREAM. The Railway Department notified that as it was occupying portion of Mr. C Addcnbrooke's land, abutting on the Mangaone stream, it would be obliged if the Council would advise as to what width it was proposed to clear the stream, and also how much it was proposed to lower the existing water level of the stream. The Railway Department was cutting a stream diversion on the deviation of line at Smart Road, and it would be necessary to cut the bottom low enough to suit the water level when lowered.—The engineer is to supply the information. STRIKING THE RATE. The chairman reported that lie had gone very carefully into the matter o£

rates for the current year, and would not recommend a reduction in any of the the ridings, for the following reasons:—

Moa Riding: There is considerable expenditure in connection with the regrading works on Mountain Road, which are being paid in the present year. Mangorei Riding: This Riding is overdrawn a year;' nett revenue and cannot stand a reduced rate.

rt'aitara Riding: The extraordinary expenditure required in this riding in connection with the Waiwakaiho bridge and concrete culverts will compel a continuance of the present rate. On last year's figures, with only £'22o paid towards Waiwakaiho bridge, tliev only reduced their debit balance bv .CSS.

Omata Riding: This was the only riding that made any financial progress last year. However, as its debit balance is still a considerable item, and there is a proposal to tar at least half a mile of the Main South Road, the Riding's requirements will be fairly heavy. Okato Riding: The large debit balance of this Ridihg'svfnnds necessitated a continuance of the present rate. Further, the increase ill the hospital maintenance levy means a twenty-four per cent, increase on each riding. The chairman, in moving that the old rates should he struck, referred to the need for making provision for tar sealing, which, if successful, would undoubtedly save the rates. Provision should be made for this at once, because he thought that after the war there would be straitened times.—The resolution was seconded by Cr. Morton and carried.

general Foreman E. Bennett reported that about 100 feet of bridge decking had been taken from the Maketawa bridge. —To be placed in the hands of the Inglewood police. R. Warburton's resignation as enginedriver was accepted. Tt was resolved to allow the Maketawa Dairy Company the use of the Council's oil engine for as per week. Mr. A. W. Cowling's offer to complete Timaru contract was left to the chairman to arrange. The question of purchasing stone at Okato was left to the engineer to arrange. Mr. Card waited on the Council and asked that the Croydon Road should be j re-graded. It was resolved that work I as already authorised should be proceeded with at the first favorable opI portunity. The engineer was authorised to renew culvert cin the Kaipi Road, with pipes 4 feet in diameter. Messrs Whittle and Linklater's request for increased price for the use of their horses was declined. The chairman, Crs. Morton and Simpson were appofiited a committee to adjust accounts with the Moa Road Board. Mr. W. F. Massey, Minister of Lands, notified that the clause authorising the g'ant of a right to lay and maintain a drain through land to the Taranaki Farmers' Meat Company, Ltd., would be included in the Reserves, Etc., Disposal Bill, to be introduced this session. A native named Tapiki wrote agreeing to sell the County Council two acres at Okato, for a quari'y, at £25 per acre. Miss M. Berry, who has been appointed clerk to the Ohura County Council, wrote resigning her position as assistant in the county clerk's office. The action of the chairman in promoting Miss Okev and appointing 'Miss Lye as junior was confirmed. The inspector was given authority to prosecute in cases of breaches of the by-laws, and the chairman was authorised to si,<in the warrants. The following accounts were passed for payment: General, £531 lfis 8d; Moa, £217 Os 4d: Mangorei, £OO lfis (id; Waitara, £153 7s 4d; Omata, £72 17s sd: Okato, £7IS 4s 8d; Hoani Road loan, £llO la' 3d—total, £IBO3 Is 2d.