TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1917, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETIMj. T iic Taranaki County Council met yesterday. Present: Councillors d S. Conneft (chairman), J. B. Simpson W. Binnie, C, Andrews, D. MeAlhim, 'A. E. l«rjunct, and J. Andrews. An apology was received from C'r. A. Morton. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. T he chairman reported that he had inspected the Zig Zag, N'gatoronui, Jl'ilutawa roads and Gamliu's gate. He said fhe small roller had been broken. Ihe damage Had been repaired, but trouble had been experienced in getting a man to drive the machine. Cr. Binnie mentioned a suitable man, and it was decided to secure iiis services Gratification was expressed that Waitara had been 'included c.he list of wool valuing ports. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The Council's inspector (Mr. C. ,'D C.ant) reported that he ha 1 Tepai'vd the Hillsborough culvert by (ixnig the cr ncretc slabs in position. ITe had'also made 22 more for the culvert, at Sarnps<.:r's Pit. Tho inspector had made out an estimate for the concrete wall required at the Zig Zag, and had examined the K'l road bridge and the Stony Eiv'y bridge. The danger sign posts were ready to be fixed in their places. Nine persons were prosecuted for breaches of the County by-laws, and three licenses'-to drivers of vv'nioles on the to'ur.ty roads were issued.

REPORTS OP WORKMEN". I' ngine-driver Mackic.—Daring the t'onfh the following crushing \v<is done: Mnketawa, one day, 4(3 yards; Mang.> maw.hete, five. days. 452 yards; Tariki load, three (lavs, 2.'IG yards; Bacon Factory 5} days, 352 yardfc; total 1080 vaids. MOA RIDIX( Foreman Laurence.—Most of the time was taken up in blinding A man was employed on five days for this purpose It required 1G nine-inch p'pei for Tariki read. Lore-man Bennett.—During t'lie month he had been metalling and blinding and had put in two sets of 'pipes on the X ; g ?ag and repaired decking of Manganni hrirge. Foreman Mailon reported Hint lie had '•MR assi.-ting in Fon-'nan Laurence's Iciifith with the metalline. Tv.-o eui••uts on Junction road nut near the Co-operative sale yards :• kjii>red lengihn.ing. It would take IS 12-inch pipes in ali. A drain was required putting thiough the swamp in front of tho culvert which was backing *he, water in Mrs. Curtis' property. The Xgatoro-nni I'lidge pier was down lft. S!:i below the pre-fiit level. ! l''oreman Heal.—During the monthMY. Tlnnason delivered 3.V2 y-n.ls of metnl on (lie road. The men had scarified and roiled 02} chains on the Egmont, Upland and Junction roads. .

MAXGOREI RTDlxr:. Foreman Batten.—Tiie excessive motor tratlie had shaken the road. He said lie 1 ad been employed blinding and assisting Foreman Heal and Foreman 7\east. Foreman Spencer wrote s'a:ing that he had been engage:! on the Turner Rarirtt road, metalling. A new d'el: plant \>\l> required for the Te Kiri I,'idg?. lie intimated the damage to t'srrinslon nad by T. V Simon- to be '.'l 15s for tli' month of December. WAITARA RIDING. Foreman J. Holmes.—The ponlinual dry weather had necessitated a lot of blinding to hold tho road. ' He employed a man with a horse and cort ;'i r 2} days, and had completed the drains of the Mahootahi pit at a cost of UIO 10s. Foreman F. Holmes' time bad been taken lip blinding and assisting at the drainage .of Mahoetahi pit. Ho required the roller to roll metal on Bishop road. Foreman Proud had been doing cnrihv.'.irk on Dorset road and assisting draining Mahoetahi pit.' OMATA RIDIXt-:. Foreman Seamark reported that he had had great difficulty ill holding the rc ad owing to excessive motor traffic and tiie continual dry weather. Tie had been raking the loose stones and blinding the whole of the month. Foreman Eva had been engaged with t'u: metalling on (lie Upper l!;i, :v( t ro.ul, ! There were two chains of gravelling to | bo done to complete the work. OKATO RTDTXa The hill on the Ahu Aim road had been regraded ami metalled about three chains,' reported Foreman ek'fton. Mr. K. 1.. Suisted did all the ploughing required, none of the other settlers living oil the road assisting with free labor. The approach at the north end of the old Timnru bridge on the beach had washed away. The bridge at present was impassable for any traffic. Foremen MeCrnth and Meredith had been engaged in blinding the io:ids and removing loose stones.

I'oreman Hayes had repaired the ford on the Saunders road. The shingle and i-r.i.luers were ready to pu; the con<r"to wing on to the ,Stony River bridge. The Stony River bridge on the Main read required re-decking. Two of the jo sis were broken and required immediate attention.

The inspector was mst'iv.t'tpfl to repair the piers nf the Xgaioro- Ngatoromsi, and Maketawa badges, Mrs. Caroline Curtis, Inglcwocd will be n queued to remove the obstructions from the watercourse running through her property.

It was resolved to effect repairs to the Okato bridge.

The foreman was authorised to opc-fl up Ilurford road on Higgiris' property. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Sirsted for ploughing on the Aim Aim road.

Foreman Sefton was requested to effectively block the Timaru road on the leach in order to prevent further trafiie tiu.reon.

MAXGAOTIU STREAM. A number of ratepayers of the Mangaotea Valley, Tariki—llrs. L. lv. Prujean, Messrs G. 0. Simons, Putt Eros., •J. W. Hooper and T. H Bredin—wrote pointing out that their properties had been inundated owing to the Mangaotea stieam overflowing its banks aitcr heavy rain. 'l'he Hooding was apparently caused owing in tiie span of the Mangaotea bridge not being wide enough to admit of the free passage of the water. The petitioners suggested that the eclaning out of the stream lower down, where there was a considerable fall might help to improve tiie position. C'r. Laurence said in past years a considerable amount had been spent en the stream, but it had been spent ii> the wrong place. ' The trouble lay below the waterfall, a mile from the bridge. Cr. Binnie said the stream was blocked with logs. A, bigger drop in the

stream should be provided, and. this could only be done by blowing away tho waterfall. There was 110 faiilt with tin? bridge. It was resolved to inform the petitioners that owing to the state of the ridings finances, the Council was unable to do anything. A DEFECTIVE MAIN. Correspondence was received from Messrs. dailies Muir and Henry Old, of fhe AYaitara riding, who called the Council's attention to the necessity and desirability ot lowering the drain crossing the main road at tlie boundary of their properties. The increased drainage had taxed the capacity of the drain, with tlie result that the outlet was being choked. A large concrete pipe drain was required. The matter was left in the hands of the riding members to deal with.

MANGOP.EI COMPLAINTS. Mr. E. White, Lower Mangorei, wrote asking what the Council's attitude was regarding the mud track on the Mangorei (Old Hospital) road. Mr. White drew attention to the fact that boulders were being taken from Otis side of the Waiwakaiho river. He said there was an abundance of stone in the jentre of the stream. The chairman said no harm was being done to the writer's property. . The letter was received. " DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. Mr. J. C. Bell, Oakura, reported that the protection work carried out bv the Council at the stream passing through the culvert under the Main South road opposite the Oakura factory had been scoured away. Damage bad been clone by floods to the writer's property, and be asked the Council to give the matter its consideration. The matter was left with the riding members to confer with Mr. Bell, and to submit a report. TENDERS. Julian and Gryll's tenders of His t'd per yard for crushed boulders from Kaimata to Swansou's flat, and 10s (id for crushed metal at Clarke's pit, were accepted. T. Collins' tender to supply GO yards of boulders between Dnggun's and Smillie's, on the Pitone road, at 7s per yard, was accepted. . MISCELLANEOUS. Permission was granted to the Taranaki Farmers' Meat Co. to lay a pipe across Devon road, near Smart road. 1\ Gable, toll collector, Okato, reported that lie bad had repairs done to a water tank stand that had been damaged. Advice was received that the Waitara West Road Board had agreed to allow Messrs. Hoby, Bennett, I'eteridge and Langman to merge into the Moa Road Board's district. Accounts amounting to £KIOI 3s Id were passed for payment.