ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1916, Page 3

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

«• ■»■ IIOXTIILY MKEI'IXG. Tin- monthly meeting of the Kllliam County Council was lii'lil at Eltham on | .Saturday. lYi'sent: Cr,. Vease (chairniiiii), ('. McGuinness, 10. •!. Gilford, J. Granville, ('. J. I!ck-hcr, A. JlcWilliiyns, A. V. 'fait, J. Black, and A. Campbell. CORRESPONDENCE The Recruiting Board, Wellington, forWartleil a circular 'letter sent to various bodies re recruiting.—Resolved that the Council .live all possible assistance. From Eltham Drainage Hoard requesting usual subsidy for drain-cleaning, Oriiand Ma at a. Roads, SO chains at Is (id. £ti.—Amount to be paid. From the Eltham Borough Council submitting schedule re Hawera County Partly merged loans, as follows:—Eltham County Council, £7SSO 12s 2d: Eltham Borough Council. .012 I.ls lid; Stratford County Council, £lO4l •!-, fid; Wainiate West County Council, Palmer Road, .U3lO l:js fld—Received.

ALL ABOUT A GATE. Mr. Humphrey flower, Mangximrng!, requested the Council to remove a. gate, erected by Mr. A. Boddie, from the Mangimingi Road. The chairman remarked that previously Messrs Gib=on & Son, Pukongahu, had made a similar request, ind now did not want to have it removed. He moved tlfiit the request be not granted. Cr. Campbell believed it was merely a party squabble. Cr. Granville moved that the request be attended to. Cr. MeWilliams wanted to know how the Council stood on the matter. They had ordered the pates to be removed, and the order had not been carried out. He moved that Messrs Gibson & Son be informed that if they wished to withdraw their application re removal of pate they should do so in writing.—Carried

MAXGAMINTiI AGAIN. Cr». f ease, BeWier, ami Granville. tTio sub-committee, submittal report on Dlieir inspection of the culvert ami creek, to clear which notice? hail been served on Messrs Boddio. Forrester and Hickey. They stated it would be unjust to call on the three parties mentioned to do the work, ami that the notice 5 , served dn them should he withdrawn. They thought it more equitable that the Council should require all the settlers in the locality to s'haf? the cost of carrying out such fresh improvements as may be considered necessary, in the event of settlers not arranging among themselves. —The report was adopted. Cr. Belcher thought a differential rating system should be introduced. It was unfair to ask tflie three settlers to do it. Cr. Granville said that as an interested party he took no part in the committee's deliberations, but he was dissatisfied with the report, which was not just to settlers further up the locality than him. The engineer remarked that t'he creek wanted straightening. A good flood would Mien seour it and the trouble would be removed. As matters were, the creek would be constantly requiring attention. ENGINEER'S REPORT The County Engineer (Mr. T. Baslhim) submitted t'he following report:— Ba.fcrick'3 Road and Bridge.—l have inspected the route of proposed deviation and bridge site, and beg to report as follows: The deviation would commence at a point about 20 chains from t'he Rawhitiroa Road and would he approximately 40 oh a ins in length to the crossing of the Mangatoromiro stream, where a bridge of 130 feet span would bo reqpired. The road foi about threefourths of the distance would be in sidelong country, of comparatively easy nature, but would be on the dark side ol the hill, and would therefore require metalling. There is no possibility of erecting an lmdcrstrut bridge, therefore a thorough design, either suspension or truss, would have to be adopted. I estimate the cost of deviation and bridge at £1320. The cost of renewing present bridge in Australian hard wood would be shout .CCOO. The average annual expenditure on thf road since the formation of this county was £3O.

Patea bridge.—The bridge will be lifted and packed on Monday next. Kaponga'Town Board.—[n the matter of upkeep of the EltSiam and Manaia Roads within the Town Board area he recommended:— Elthcim Road: The road where fit to receive a coat of restar and coarse grit, at the rate of one-third gallon of Testa* per square, yard; any odd ■holes and depressions to he filled with fine stone and restar previous to the coat being applied. This work can be effectively done by brooms and cans, and should be carried out without delay. The portion of the road between the county boundary and the Catholic Church should be scarified and rolled and, when thoroughly sot, receive a coat at the rate of one half gallon restnr per squu'ie yard and heavy coarse grit. Jlanaia Road: The Wihole.of the upper portion should be treated in a similar manner to the last named. The lower portion of the road is in fair order to receive a second coat of restar and grit. The surface is rough but this could be remedied with careful patching before applying the coat. The coat should be at the rate of one-third gallon per square yard. I can lot the. Board have the use of a roller and scarifier with driver, also a tar sprayer when convenient. The men from the Kaponga Riding could also be spared, but I could not guarantee any further assistance. The total amount of restar would be 220 barrels. Omona Riding —Work had been confined to general maintenance and widening points on main road. Kitten Riding.—EwMier lengths of the Rawhithoa Road, in the Mangamingi Valley bad been re-faced. South Riding.—General maintenance and repairs had been done. Kajionga Riding.—Roads generally were in good order. It would be necessary to patch the Eltham Road with tar and sand between the town boundary and the Rowan Road, so as to make good the 'amage from wet. Several chains of the Eltham Road had been widened and side tracks formed. Mangatoki Riding—Between Matnpu and the eresmery on tile Hastings Road had been re-faced. The filling at the junction of the Xoill and Palmer Roads had been re-graded. General.—The new. tar boiler .Had arrived and would shortly be built in. Two of the portable whar&s had been daced under offer to the Parihaka Road Board at £45. Tine report was adopted, Mr. Hatrick to be informed of position of 'road and bridge as per above report, and that a new bridge is the solutiou of the position, and to suggest a conference to conaider the matter on the 20th inst,