TARANAKI COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1916, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY.

tteAIBMAN'S REVIEW, ROAD TRAFFIC INCREASING. "As this will be the last ordinan meeting 0 f the County Council previoui to the election of chairman, on Novembei 22, I would like to make a few remark in connection with the Council » statec Mr, ,T. Brown, chairman, in tl.i «nurs< of an annual statement read'a 'V mee t ing of the Taranaki County Council yea terday, "The roads throughout the Co-ntvarc being maintained up to the same stand ard, although the traffic is increasing rapidly. As you are aware arrange menta have been entered into with tin Restar Co.. Ltd., to put down about hal< a mile of tar-grouted road" on the Mair South Road at Spotswood. This shoulc prove a good test owing to the e«ep tional heavy traffic on this highway." " DISTRIBUTION OP METAL. "There was deposited on the road' during the past year 13,884 yards o: metal, distributed as fallows :—M'oa Rid ing, 1817 yards, average cost 8s (Id per yard, last year (is Sd per yard; Man gorei Riding 1021 yards, average cost 7s Id per yard, last year 6s 7d per yard: Waitara Riding, 1202 yards, averagetcosl 5s 2d per yard, last year fis per yard. Omata Riding, 470 yards, average cos! (is 5d per yard, last year 7s 2d pci yard; Okato Riding 8714 yards, average cost 5s 4d per yard, last year 5s ftd per yard. The highest price for metal, lis Od per yard, was paid in the Moa Riding and the lowest price, 4s 3d per yard, was paid in the Waitara Riding. Of the 8714 yards supplied in the Okato Riding 3022 yards was placed on the Greenwood mid Timaru roads. HAULAGE OF METAL. "A 'difficulty confronting the Counci for the coming year will be haulage ol metal from the crusher. It seems thai the time is not far distant when wo will have to seriously consider the questioi; of motor haulage for metal. This h necessitated through the high cost and shortage of animal haulage. .A numbei of country councils have gone in foi motor lorries and find them highly sue eessful. The Masterton County Council have decided to order a second machine The Featherston County have a machine and there are a number in the Gisborne district doing loeai body work satisfactorily. Closer home, the Eltham County have a lorry which I understand' is very satisfactory. MERGERS OF ROAD DISTRICTS. "During the year we have had ,on< merger, namely, Okato Road District leaving two road districts within the County. I would not have touched or this niatter but the discussion at las( meeting on the loss of this Council in subsidy through having road districts makeß it imperative that the question should be brought under the notice o1 the ratepayers of the districts concerned "*"' LOSS IN RETEXUE. "The Moa Road Board and this counci' receive subsidy amounting to £SOO or rates collected by the Moa Road Board If there were no road district and thi Council collected the same amount ol rates, the Council would have received £OOB ss. an increase of revenue to the Moa Riding of £IOB if the road district ivere abolished. In the Waitara Riding the county arid road board subsidy amounts to £384. If there were no road district the subsidy on the same rates collected would have been £432, a loss to the riding of ,£.lB through there being a road district in the Riding. Over the whole of the coivnty the loss is more pronounced. For instance, the subsidy paid this Council for the present financial year is £875 and the road istrict £375. i total of £1250, where as if there were no road district the county would have received £IO6O in subsidy,"a loss to the whole of the county ratepayers of nearly £8 per week. This is quite apart from many other economies that ;ould be effected if the road districts were merged." The question of metal haulage discussed; and it was deculed to mak" enquiries concerning the cost of motor liaulage.