EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1917, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Egmont County Council is.,r.* Opunake yesterday. Present: Cn. M. Fleming (chairman), W. ('■ J.wile;,', T. Harvey, J. Younot, M. .T. UacPcyiioM?, C. E. S. Forsyth, Vt. E. Wright, S. Campbell and R. J. McNeill. TAX ON MOTOR T/F.ES. The Mackenzie County Council fought the council's support to a proposal that the Government be asked to impose a customs duty of not less than 10 per cent, ad valorem on motor tyres. The chairman remarked that liis experience was that motor traffic was not so bad oil the roads as many people thought. The road between Oaonui and New Plymouth had never been better than at present. He considered the idea was a good one. Cr Macßeynolds observed that all counties should have toll gates, or there should be no toll gates. How would the Government apportion the proceeds of the tax? asked a councillor. The chairman could give no information on the point and councillors generally could not see how the money could bo fairly allocated. "It wouldn't work out," was the consensus of opinion. The letter was received.

HOSPITAL BATE. The secretary of the Toranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board .wrote stating that at the next meeting of the board the following motion would be moved: "That a rate of 1/0 in the £IOO be struck on the local contributory authorities to make up the estimated deficiency for hospital and charitable aid purposes for the year 1917-18. Councillors referred to the increasing rate. The clerk stated that in 19'12-l:i the rate was lOd, and the county'.monthly contribution was £47 4s. The rate was now 1/0 and the contribution was £135 14s. It was stated that the Hcwera and Stratford Boards' rates were much easier than the Taranaki Board's rates. The chairman said the New Plymouth hospital was a splendid institution, and he would never raise any objection to supplying the board which governed it with ample funds,. ACCEPTANCE OP TENDERS. Cr; Campbell and M. J. Macßeynolds, tenders committee, recommended that the following tenders be accepted: Contract 307, D. J. Keliely, at 4/0 per cubic yard; contract 308, D. J. Keliely, at 4/6 per cubic yard; contract 30!), G. Keliely, at 4/6 per cubic yard; contract 310, J. Hickev, at S/3 per cubic yard.— Adopted. The council accepted D. J. Kehely's tender of 10/- per cubic vard for contract 311. payment ox grants. 'We are spending no grants," remarkc' the chairman when a letter was received .from the Public Works Departstating that it would not make payments or grants on a greater wages ba:is than 11/- per day. The letter was lcU'ivcd. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. Oro RUilr.g (Northern Division).—During the past month the staff in this divi sion have beet! employed at general surface work, carting out maintenance metal, cleaning water tables, and putting in pipes, etc. The roads treated were the Eltham, Opunake-Stratford, Wcka, Watino, Patilci, Wiremu and Kiri. I have had the notices put u| on the Puniho bridge, and the.Puniho ford has been rreparei' 'or heavy traffic. I have put in ilr.o of 3-:oot pipes on the Eltham road,

.""if also z line of 2-foot: at the front cf the Av.-atuna store, 011 the Eltham toad. I have also formed a portion of Wcka '■.treet, and will have this work finished as soon as the teams are available. Mr D. .J. Kehelv has made a start on contract No. 307 on the KM road, of pit metal. Contract. 292, Eltham road, of boulder stone for maintenance, has not yet been 'completed by H. Munro. A' couple of days would finish this contract. The timber for the P'uniho bridge has come to hand.

Oeo Riding (Southern Division). — During the past month the hands in this riding have been engaged solely on contracts in progress, spreading counterFinking, and trimming in new metals. Mr (i. Kehelv has completed contract No,.SCO, Hone, Titahi and 'Fuketapu roads, having delivered 3SO yards, and also started contract No. 309," Oeo road. Mr It. Munro has commenced contract Xo. 803, Watir.o road, and is making good progress.

Rahotu (Southern) and Opunake Riding—During ,the. past month the staff i - u:i? riding have been engaged at rcvaping, chipping and painting Waiaua fl'id Waiieika bridges, also water tab--1 '.13, pipe-ni" king and bridge repairs on tli r Main South Road. A double line of 3 pipes has been put in on Main •Soi-.V '. md filling in and widening cutline i progressing and nearing eomplet ''l'. J. 11 iclccy is making good progress v, ii.ii contract Ko. 310, and I recommend, ji progress payment on 400 yards. On March 1 a motor lorry collided with the side of bridge No. 23, smashing it to pieces. With regard to contract 311, the price quoted by the coiitKcto:- is rcasonablejjfor boulder stone and 1 crush ; «>r P p r .van!. As regards fork- <" . ii.iisl, J abso'utelv condemn, unless i car ;ealed. Re the contractor's estimate r.gaiiist mine on the contract No. f u boulder stone and crushed metal, my estimate was on putting a road in for the contractor, on the authority of C: \ oimir. The cost of putting a good road to the boulder stone would be £4O, therefore the contractors' prices should be 1,/- per yard under mine. Depositories.—l recommend that*your council have their own depositories,' one at the corner of Arnwhata road, and one opposite Mr Middleton's, where there are thousands of yards of good hand? stone, and a road to each would polish it off. the estimated cost to beareh at Arawhata being £4O and to the beach at Middleton's £l2O. Once the road is there, the stone could be dumped at very little, cost at Middleton's, jnd would supply your council for years to come. far Boiler.-—Relative to my recommendation to the last meeting of your council of expending £2S 011 tar boiler, which is In real good order, we should' then have a first-class tar sprayer, and save time and labor in future work in tar-sealing bridges and top-dressing Main street when required. ° Rahotu Riding (Northern Division).— Puring the past month the staff have been constantly employed attending to contracts that are in progress in this division, spreading, scarifying, countersinking and blinding with screenings, and all the necessary work in laying down a new rcadvv'Ub cr;:sUe<j met* 1 . M. Coffey 1

has cc;np:e';?d contract No. 2JG, lavipf delivered the balance of crushed meta I "nd cerecaibgs on this work. He crash jed a delivero" r. 10 yards of metal am Iff! yards of si; The same con ; tractor hr r -ipMed contract No. 288 I having deli :d yards crushed meI tal and 08 yards ywenings. I rc:o"> j mend final p.iyn l " , 't en these two con- ; tracts. We have curled crushing on ;contract No. 23!», for W, 11. Julian, on March 1, and arc to-('ay (12th March), shifting to contract 231 at Waiweramvi river. P.Mg'e wo:V.~T.nmgatara l l "' ' o e, M. 'n South Road: This bri'uo has been st» -ngtlicncd. The work on br' ';,'e No. 21, Main South road, is progressing satisfactorily. The foundations are completed, and piers are under erection. One of the transport motor lorries collided with bridge No. 23, at an early hour on Friday morning, March 2, causing damage to the bridge to the amount of £7. This bridge has a 10-'t roadway.

Machinery Department.—During the month the plant has been engaged crushing contracts No. 296 and 298 in the Rahotu (Northern) riding. Total for the month, 855 yards metal, 126 screenings; average per working, 70 yards. We had a very bad run on contract No. 296, the contractor being short-handed. I would recommend getting a long cab built uhder the traction, as when we get a head wind, it blows all the grit into the works; a long cover and side curtains would stop all that. The roller has been engaged in the Rahotu (Northern) along with the contracts, rolling and scarifying. ' , The reports were adopted.

GENERAL. Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., forwarded a letter from the Minister of Defence, stating that aS the single men who enrolled in the motor boat patrol service did so voluntarily, and with full knowledge of the conditions as regards pay, etc., the Minister could not recommend to the Government that they should be ■?ert upon the same oasis as men of New Zealand Reinforcements,—Received. With reference to the Eltham-Opunake Railway Reserve, the Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote stating that the council's aplication for a five years' lease, with right of renewal for the term of five years* was refused bv the Lancl Board. jto<John Green's application for a yearly Tenancy was granted. Gazette notice was received, stating that Wednesday had been fixed as the Statutory half-holiday for Egmont.' The Eltham County Council offered a 12-ton Aveling and Porter steam road roller for sale.—Received. The secretary of the Opunake library asked for a subsidy on the rates paid, say £1 Is towards the upkeep of the free library.—A grant of £1 1 5 was made.