TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1917, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. .'(Continued from yesterday)'. The chairman reported that he had arranged to let the metal contract on the mutton track. Eight hundred yards had been placed on the Dorset road, ,200 yards on the Egmont road, and 270 yards on the factory road. There was fifld yards yet to finish the Mutton Track. Afterwards the crusher would remove to the Smart road, where 500 yards of metal were already carted out. The chairman considered that there would be considerable difficulty in getling all their contract? tarried out, and he doubted whether all would be carried out this season. The chairman's action in letting a contract to Messrs Gryils, Julian and Marsh, also four or five chains on Mutton Track, L. Marsh giving £ for £, was confirmed. It was resolved that the Council tike steps to acquire portion of the land at Clark's pit, the matter to be left in the hands of the .chairman to deal with. The chairman reported that the driver of the roller had got his hand burnt by gas from the firebox, and was at present in the hospital. Various other matters dealt with by the chairman were confirmed, PUNIHO ROAD. P. J. Greenway, Pimiho, asked that the balance of the £2O voted two years ago for the Upper Puniho roa?l, "the expenditure of whiclv was prevented by wet weather, should be expended now, as the road was in a very had state. As he had done before, he was agreeable to supply two teams free.—Authority was given the foreman to expend up to £2O, including the previous unexpended portion of the previous vote. THE COUNCIL'S MOTOR-CAR. In connection with the cost of the motor-car purchased by the Council for the engineer and utilised by the chairman by resolution of the Council in connection with the Council's business, Messrs Govett and Qnilliain advised that the cost of running the car when used by the chairman, v together with the cost of ordinary repairs, should be .Inducted from the amount paid for travelling expenses. The Council had no right to remove the garage to the chairman's property, and the cost of so doing should not be paid by the Council. With rcAgard to the repairs to the car rendered /necessary by the accident with the late chairman, he advised that the motorcar, "being the property of the Council, it was its duty to have it repaired. They were of opinion that the Council cannot recover the cost of repair from the late chairman, but even if it could they thought that the councillors would be 'quite justified in voting to have the car repaired. It was pointed out that the late chairman used the ear very little prior Lo the accident. It was stated that Mr. .1. Brown was willing to buy the motor-shed at a valuation, and it was resolved to otter the shed for £25. . GENERAL. The Council, at a special meeting, passed a special order in connection with the loan of £l'ooo for forming and metalling Lower Petone road. The matter of erosion of the Aim Aim stream was left in the hands of the chairman and riding members, with power to act. Mr. C. D. Grant, county inspector, applied for an increase in salary owing to the increased cost of living.—lt was resolved to grant an increase of £2O per annum. The Patua Dairy Co. 'wrote giving the Council permission to erect a new crusher site on a portion of their property at Timaru, subject to a payment of £1 per annum, The Council resolved to take out a third-party accident risk for £OOO with the National Insurance Co. The Petone Borough Council asked support to a resolution that the pay oi men with the forces should be increased to 10s; that steps be taken to conscript wealth and pass measures to prevent the public being exploited; tliat the wealth and profit so conscripted be utilised for the benefit of the men serving with the forces.—No action was taken, (■r. O. Andrews speaking strongly in favor of paying soldiers 10s per day. -It'was resolved to procure a set of platform scales for use at the crusher for weighing the coal. Cr. A. E. Laurence reported that he had visited the Tavata Zig-Zag with Mr. C. 1). Grant, and recommended that a concrete wall be erected, at a cost of £3O (is ild.—To be undertaken as soon as possible. The State Advances Office notified that a loan of £7OO bail been granted for forming and metalling Komone road. It was stated that the Rcstar Company would lay down the half mile of tar-sealing at Omata early in March. A. J. Wadsworth (Okato) was appointed surfaceman in the Okato rid-' ing, and W. Jury foreman in the Wai- ] tara riding. All outstanding rates are to bo sued for at once. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr. J. R. 3iill for acting as secretary in the early portion of the inc-t.'iig. Accounts were passed for payment as follows: —General expense', .£42-t lis "d; Moa riding, £lO5 U 10:1; Mangcirei riding, £221 7s lid; Waitava riding, £167 7s 9d; Omata riding, £OO 7s; j Okato riding, £2l-2 Is; total, £I2SI 0s li