STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent). [All communications, letters, etc., left w;th Mr. H. J. Ilppkins, booUsc'ior, will icceivo prompt attention.] COUNTY COUNCIL. MONTHLY MEETING. Stratford, May -22. The Stratford County Council met on Wednesday. Present: Crs. J. Hathaway (chairman), T. Coleman, J. Christoll'cl, T. ■Vnderson, J. Smith, W. H. Were, E. Walter, H. Worthington and L. Baskin, ENGINEER'S KEPORT.

The engineer, W. J. Lopdell, submitted the following report:— North Riding.—Tiie metalling on the Mountain road north is now completed to within a few chains of the toll-gate, find is receiving the second coat of tar. The season is too far advanced to attempt to complete this portion of the road this year. The crusher is engaged crushing about BO cubic yards of patch .'not.nl to r*o between Stratford and the Waipuku Hill. Radnor road metal will be started this week, and the road gen■rally attended to. I would l'eiJoinmend removing the 12-inch pipes now at the school to a position about five chains east, and replacing same with 18-inch pipes. Derby road.—The bridge over the Waipuku stream has been strengthened, and made safe for traffic at a cost of .£l6 19s Bd. (Stanley road.—The contractors have made a start quarrying shell rock. The crusher will proceed to this road when finished on the Radnor road. Foreman Brown has tendered his resignation after about 17 years' faithful service.

South Riding.—Mountain road, Nga* pre—a portion of this road has received a second coat of tar, the remainder will he attended to when the plant has finished the north. The roller is at present scarifying and rolling from (fie town boundary towards Ngaere/ I will report on the Wingrove road creek at the next meeting.

East Riding.—The contractor Ims started quarrying shell rock on the Waiwiri road; a good track has been made to the pit, where there is plenty of metal to last the county for many years. Beaconsfield road: The regrading of the hills on this road has been completed, but owing to the soft formation it will require attention for some time/ till the metal sets. Ohura road: The corner on the Strnthmore Saddle Ms been removed. A large box culvert near Mr. Eos. !iinger's collapsed during the month, and has been replaced with 4-foot pipes. The culvert by the Douglas store has been extended by thirteen feet. Foreman Richard? has tendered his resignation as from .June 20. I would recommend transferring Foreman Atkins to the position. West Riding.—The crushing plant is engaged on the Finnerty road contract, having metalled about half a mile; also 0G cubic yards to the Lowgarth factory. The metal on th 4 Opunake and Poto roads will be crushed on the return of the plant.

Huiroa Riding.—l have- inspected the collapsed bridge on the Makuri road, and would recommend a ferro concrete Lridgo of thirty feet sjmn, built on sills. Mangaehu Riding.—The bridge gang has completed Mr. Hodder's and Mr. CW'si suspension bridges, and is now engagefyon the retaining wall %,t Taura--I'awi. I jß'ill be making a tour of inspection, compiling the estimates for the year. If unyfcouncillor wishes to accompany me rould his riding I shall be pleased. I wilfjbe starting about the beginning ol nejp week. It was resolved that Mr. Atkins assume control of the East riding vice Foreman Richards. Regarding''the Mangaehu bridge, Cr. Walter said the river was very liable to floods, and the work should be gone on with —Engineer's recommendation agreed to. The remainder of the report was adopted. The resignations of Foremen Brown and Richards were accepted with regret, a iid they are to receive testimonials for faithful service. ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE.

The chairman submitted the following approximate statements regarding the work to be done till the end of the financial year:— i The limit of overdraft was £17,008, and the estimated overdraft was £12,000, leaving a balance of £SOOO. To the balance must be added the Govemmfent' subsidy of £ISOO, bringing the total to £6500. Against this was the su,m of £2700 interest to Government due in A igust, thus reducing the amount available to £3BOO. The estimate of expenditure for the remaining five, months was: Permanent surfacemen wages, £1500; office expenses, £325; hospital contributions, £420; ranger, £SO; repairs to roadsFinnerty £27'5, Opunakc £2OO, Radnor £7O, Stanley £SO, tar £250. Total £3140. The chairman said this left only. £6BO available for other work. Perhaps they might find it necessary to cut out some of the work on the roads mentioned above.

In reply to Cr. Smith the chairma* said it was absolutely necessary that they should c-xercise the strictest economy to tide over the remaining months, »o representatives of the various ridings must understand the position.

Or. Were said it was the Same old cry "shortage of funds." Settlers were always in need of culverts, and whenever funds were necessary these were attended to, and wooden culverts replaced by concrete. Cr. Walter said that in one instance a concrete culvert had been put in cost'n<; €35. A wooden one would probably have cost £lO, but the concrete' was a permanent one, and these were the sort of improvements necessary.

SANGER'S REPORT. The comity ranger reported that, roads penerallyiwere found to bo free of cattle. A mob of 200 cattle were observed grazing on road whilst waiting for railway ("ticks. —Received. On the motion of the chairman it was decided that the offending dealer be notified that if the offence was repeated a prosecution would follow. MIDHIRST HALL. Pr. Buskin drew attention to the stale rf the Midhirst hall. He moved that the council should paint the building. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. DEPUTATION. Mr. Falder, Beaconsficld road, waited on the council, and requested that some filling on the road adjoining his property should be attended to. Cr. Were stated that the road required n lot of filling, and this should be done as much in the interests of the council as Mr. I a 14*r. ..

Cr. Ander-nn moved: "'That flic council lid not hold itself responsible for the fgradiiig of roads to tlio original lev-i-h."—Carried. CORRESPONDENCE.

The Moa Road Board notified ill<council that the sum of £0 wap nowavailable fcr expenditure 011 the Derby mid Si* voy roads.—Received.

I''. Toms, Toko, stated that lie had ».nh r been paid royalty at the rate of 4d per yard instead of Cd on stone carted through his property. He claimed the balance, and also two weeks' prosing for the council's horse, and enquired when the council intended removing screenings i' cm Ills property and repairing fence.— ft was resolved: "That until tiie council wr-s satisfied no claim would be made .by Mr. Forsyth, 110 action be taken, the rmsincer to attend to the screenings, 2s p=v week to be paid for grazing. The district engineer of railways stat- • d that he understood tliat from five to six chains of dra-.ns required cleaning nut on Mr. Seeds' property. Hr. Seed is to be requested to attend to the drain.

The district engineer of Taihvaya also wrote stating that the county drains lower down the Douglas valley had not been cleaned, and it was useless the rail•uiy attending to drains higher up until this was done.—Ratepayers interested ,-ire to be requested to attend to the matt.r within certain date; otherwise the 'ouneil would do the work at their expense.

Resident engineer, Public Works .Department, requested the council to pass 1 resolution confirming the deviation of (he Ivaitieke road. —To be complied with. A. Pennington's request for payment of balance of royalty on cartage of stone through his property was referred to the engineer. E. J. Green, Aliuroa road, Toko, re. ouested the council to release water of! |iis section at to the engineer and riding members to report. R. C. Gardiner, Bulls, requested t.ho council's permission to erect two gates, on the Makuri Road, where the. road lias not been used. —Granted, under usual conditions. The Rangahua School Committed ask•d for repairs at the corner of the school grounds.—Left to engineer, POTO ROAD. T --- Mr. E. Hancock waited on tie Council and drew attention to tlio bad state of the Poto Road. The road was a mass of ruts and badly required attention. He also tliapght it decidedly unfair and unjust to ratepayers that a supply of stones on the road had been removeti to another locality. ! Cr. Anderson stated that the metal 1 complained of being carted away had not all been placed on the Opunake Road.

Cr. Smith said sortie of the metal had been used on the Ojunake Road. From figures he had there was only 400 yards placed there, so there could not have been much\taken.

Tlie engineer stated that/ there was 3(10 yards for the Poto Road and other metal for the Opunake Road. This year lie had called for metal to be placed at the corner of Opunake Road for the Poto Road. He had assured Mr. Hancock that the metal would be used as directed. The engineer's explanation to Mr. Hancock was considered a sufficient answer; to the request, and the Council proceeded to th<j next business. THE ENGINEER'S CAR. The chairman reported that the next .business was a notice of motion by Cr. Baslcin: "That the engineers car be not made use of between sunset and sunrise." Cr. Smith said he had had a few minutes' conversation With Cr. Raskin, and as a result lie had persuaded the latter not to put the .motion before the meeting. At the same timn lie (Cr. Smith) desired to say something about tho car. and it .was this, that tlicv bad 110 details'of the cost s of the car or repairs. Each county 'balance-sheet gave every other detail of county expenditure, jnd he desired that in future the car and'its upkeep' should be recorded. ■ The chairman: I take it, Cr. Smith' you desire an item on the balance-sheet concerning the car? Cr. Smith: Yes, I wish the Council to possess all information regarding the car, fuel, and repairs. I will move in that direction. ,

Cr. Walter said he would move that the car he used solely for county work They all knew his views on the matter. Cr. Briefly seconded. The chairman said lie had hoard statements ihai. the car had been used as a means of getting to the races. 'He had been informed that only on one occasion had the car gone to New Plymouth. Naturally, lie objected.to statements being made about "joy rides," but the trouble was he could not find any definite instance. Recently he bad been in the Waimate oountyr'anil bad referred to the chairman of that county regarding the engineer, and the chairman had replied giving the engineer a high testimonial as to character. Cr. Anderson said tliey lmd bought the car for the purpose of allowing the engineer to get over the county roads. Certain remarks had been made regardins the use of the <ga\ but that 'was nil. Other councillors refrained from speak-' ing, artd Cr. Walter's amendment was carried. FOREMEN 1 ". It was resolved: ' ; That tlie foreman of tho north riding be called on to resign and that applications be called for a foreman for the whole of the north riding" The Council were paying £91)0 for surface work in the riding, and it was considered the expense was too heavy. Mr. -Hope is to be informed that the position as foreman at Toko has beea filled.

1 OE^ERAL. The local Belgian Emid now stands at £2574 Is fid, the latest contributions being Pohokuva Ladies' (luild .C 3, Ishmael £3, .lew £l, Miss Middleton 10s Anonymous 10s. The Pohokiira Ladies' Guild' also forwarded one case of clothing. A man named Harry Brinsdcn was fined 15s this niorniiur for disorderly conduct whilst drunk. Defendant agreed to a prohibition order. Inspector Hendry, of tlie Wanganui police district, .was a visitor to Stratford yesterday and returned to Wanganui this morning. \

Mr. A. Spillman, late of the abattoirs, who has accepted an appointment at Palmerstoir North, left for his new duties by the mail train cliis morning. Mr. R. Masters returned from Wellington by the mail train to-night.

Those on the look-out for' jewellery of the highest hall-mark should make a point of inspecting the very line and varied stock now offering by Mr. C. C. James. If you are in search of wedding Hid birthday gifts lose, .w time in visiting this shop, where you will secure your requirements at a price that will compare with lowest city figures.