TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1917, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. _____ \ Or. J. S. Connctt presided at ycsts-r----day's meeting of the l.'aranaki County Council. Others present were: C'rs. A. R Laurence. J. B, Simpson, W. Biunie, .C Andrews, D. MeAllum, A. Morton and J. Andrews. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Crushing plant.—During the month the crusher worked as follows: Mutton track, Kii/„ days, crushing I'ilfl yards; Smart road. 2 1 ,/, days, crushing 178 varda, a total of 1004 yards. Moa Riding.—Two woodo drains have been replaced with concrete pipes. A dram and pipes Have been laid at the junction of Kchete and Tariki roads. Or. Laurence authorised labor to cart earth on Tariki road. Foreman Bennett's time lias' been employed at blinding and dealing with the loose metal. The bridge by Mr. Weston's requires rejecting immediately. W. Thomason has delivered I t yards of metal near the Farmers' Co-op. saleyards, making 04 yards in all. Foreman Heal has been employed in blinding and raking in on the Upland, Egmont, Kaipi and Junction roads and assisting the inspector on the Chain bridge. Mangorei Riding.—The roads are fair, with the exception of Alfred road. Foreman Keast lias been employed in blinding Korito, Kent and Albert roads and assisting the inspector. All the roads under the care of Foreman Spencer are ''n good order. He has had the small roller and has scarified and rolled five miles on the Carrington road and one mile on the Mangorei road, and has made a remarkable improvement on the roads. Waitara Riding.—During the whole of the month Forenjan J. Holmes has been assisting with the metaling on the Dorset, Egmont and Smart roads. As the crusher will be unable to crush at 11aiioetahi pit, provisioin -will 'have to be made for 100 vards of maintenance metal between Bell Block and the Waitara borough. During the month Foreman Holmes received 1 ISO yards of metal. : orem'tn Proud repors that during tlie Mf.n'h lie h:'- been assisting on the Doret.. ' nt and Smart roads. Ar- : i,; wii! have to be made for de- »• W i-mis of pit metal to revj. Honwood and Hursthouse it Ls imperative that they !<"u!.l repaired it they are to be held (.hi- winter. , Tiie metal required was granted. Omata Riding.—l'oveman Seamark has liv.-ered and straightened the tunnel on old Tukapa md. Okato Ridinsr.—Foreman McGratli requires six Oin pipes to go in near Mr. -nod's, on the Lower Plymouth road, foreman Sefton has started grad'ngand metalling on the Lower Timaru road, foreman Meredith reported that during he month he has been mostly employed •n the Upper Pitone road." He has eked up. broken and blinded about nine ■hains of this road and formed and ,'raded about -2* chains ready for metalling. Owing to shortage of labor and e large stone brought out bv Messrs "slier Bros., it would be advisable to ave the stone spgwled before the rusher arrives. He sought instructions . cor '-let tlie crusher site on the I PP°r Pitone road. Foreman Hayes , ates that Hoani road broke up badlv uring the dry we-.'her. It has beei. inded .inrl is quite satisfactory. Mr. A. J. Wadsworth str -ted as foreman n February 19. and a considerable; imount of time has been done on the :te Okato Road Board's roads. On Cr. C. Andrews' motion, the pipes iked for by Foreman McGratli were ranted. **. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Te inspector, Mr. C. D. Grant, reported that during the month of Ferbruary ' e repaired the wing wall of the Lepper--arrington road_ bridge. He under-pin-ed and put a concrete apron piece on lie Hill road bridge. He was at preent working .on the Chain bridge, itrengthenirig it so as to allow the •rusher to go over it. ( Mr. W. Good will be requested to lower the water-course to allow the water to flow freely through the county culvert on Rugby road. The chairman and riding members will view the r' in on Messrs Quinton and Havlock's o:d farm and make arrangements with regard to repairs. The growth obstructing the view on the Zig-Zag will receive the attention of the Council. It was, decided to lay a mile of road from the town boundard to Omata in tar-seal. The work will be commenced on March 12. Attention was drawn to the rousrh state of the road on Burton's Hill.—The road foreman was instructed to repair the road. The reports were adopted. CROYDON ROAD. Messrs W. B. Card and W. Barnett waited on the Council and asked that the hills on Crowdon road be re-graded and that concrete pipes be put in the culvert. The members of the deputation each promised a week's work without charge. It was resolved to put in the culvert, estimated to cost £l3, and to grant ■£'2o for the grade of the hills. The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board asked the Council to forward "its January, February and March levies as early as possible.—Received. Advice -was received that the price of coal had been increased. —Received. Messrs Standish and Anderson wrote stating that the Council had passed a resolution to forfeit a deposit made by Messrs J. H. Magee and Charles Oliver in connection with She Hoani road contract. The writers pointed out that there was no breach of contract in respect of which a deposit could be forfeited. By mutual arrangement the work was completed by the Council, who lost nothing. The hope was expressed that the Council would give authority for the amount to be handed over.—Deferred for a month. Mr. R. C. S. Gibson asked the Council to put down six or eight chains of metal in front of his place on Carrington road, and offered to give a week's free labor to help with the work.—Referred to the riding member. The Borough Council nsked permission to use the old metal pit at. Big Jim's Hill as a rubbish depot for the borough. No abjection was made to the request by the county foreman concerni ed. The Health' Inspector advised the ' Council to withhold its consent until the ■ District Health Officer had visited the ■ site.—The_Council decided to defer 1 the i matter. ~ The Mackenzie, County Council invited

the Council to co-operate in asking the Government to impose a Customs duty of not less than ten per cent, ad cniorem on motor tyres, the money so collected to be refunded to local bodies for tire upkeep of roads.—Received. Mr. Fred. Burgess, Puniho, wrote stating that he had cut the timber at the bridge as desired.—Received. -Mr. T. V. Simons asked permission to stack thnber 011 the side of the Carrington roau for one month only. A contractor of the Moa Road Board, Sir. J. X. Neilson, mailed on the Council and asked it to moderate its demand for a deposit in connection with possible damage done to Junction road over which he was carting 1410 yards of metal. At the chairman's instance he had deposited £ls.—The Council resolved that Mr. Xeilson should pay 3d per cubic yard or reinstate the road to the satisfaction of the chairman and foreman. A special rate of one and nine-six-teenths of a penny in the pound was struck to meet the loan for the Lower i'itone road.