HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1917, Page 3

HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The Hawcra County Council met on Saturday. Present: Crg. T. Winks R. J. Linn, J. <B. Murdoch, (.'. ('. Tarrant, C. J. Hawken, and J. Dunlop. SPECIAL LOAN. The resolution regarding raising a special loan (.£800) for metalling Arthur and Albert Streets, Ararata riding, was carried. CORRESPONDENCE. The Lands and Survey Department, New Plymouth, requested information as to what steps were being taken to complete the titles of sub-section 2, section i, block VI, Hawera SjD. (Ngatitianewai),—To be informed that plans had been approved and forwarded to the authorities. The Hawera Dairy Factory was granted permission to lay pipe's for water supply in connection with the new Tawhiti factory, the work to be completed to the satisfaction of the council's foreman.

The officer in charge of war expenses, Wellington, notified the council that financial assistance had been granted to pay the county rate's of a Hawera soldier.—Received. EfeANITARYi SCHOOLS. The medical superintendent notified four cases of scarlet fever and one of diphtheria at Normanby, and two cases of diphtheria at Ararata and Lake Road. —Received.

The chairman, in touching on the above matter, said there were two schools in the county—Normanby and Okaiawa —that required attention, being old and probably insanitary. He thought the attention of the Education Board shoiild be drawn to these buildings. It might be urged that they should wait till tile end of the war before securing new premises, but this might mean another five years before anything could be done, and in the meantime the health of the children wag to suffer. He moved that the attention of the Taranaki Education Board be directed to the condition of these schools. by Cr. Linn and carried. Certain recommendations made by the medical officer are to be forwarded to the owners of the premises named. ASPHALT ROADS. Hobart Gas Company stated they were prepared to supply up to 100,000 gallons of tar immediately, if freight and containers could be arranged, and would contract for 30,000 gallons annually at 3£d per gallon f.o.b. Hobart, containers extra. The tar was of the besf) quality. The chairman said 'he was going to Wellington shortly, and would make inquiries' as to the cost of shipping, etc. He estimated that if they closed with the offer they would probably save Id a gallon. Thirty thousand gallons was a very small quantity, and he thought the council should go in for as long a period as possible. They had the tar roads, and these were here to stay. He drew the council's attention to a new method or patent they were experimenting with, whereby the council obtained full value for every gallon of tar used. This required two men to manufacture the raw material. The trial had been a very severe one, and he had found it very satisfactory. In reply to Or. Tarrant, the chairman stated the patch in question had to carry the same amount of traffic as the other portions. Hinder the old method he estimated they lost 14 per cent, of each gallon, and this would now be saved. In reply to a further query the chairman said the experiment of mixing rough metal with tar would prove satisfactory. Concerning the different roads, he had noticed that one portion of the Main South Road was soft, but this was attributable to too much tar. The letter was received, the chairman to report on the result of his investigations in Wellington. HAWERA'S NEW HOSPITAL. . Hawera Hospital and Charitable Aid Board stated that a conference would be held at the borough council chambers on Thursday, October ;18, at 10 a.m., between the local bodies of the hospital district and the 'board, to discuss the position of finance for erection of new buildings, and requesting appointment of delegates. The chairman said it was not a meeting to raise money. understood the suggested buildings would cost £35,000.

Cr. Murdoch said the board had been asked to submit a comprehensive scheme, and had directed their architect to draw up plans, which had been approved by the Health Department. The intention was to erect isolation wards, nurses' apartments, etc. This would cost about £II,OOO, and half of the amount would have to be raised by the contributing bodies. He thought there was no occasion for a conference. It was a doublebanked scheme. This was only an approximate estimate. It should be understood that they were only doing part of the scheme. The big scheme was too heavy and they tried to work the small one first, but the whole scheme would materialise in time.

The chairman said the council ruled a third of the rating district, and he wished to know if the board had any idea how they intended to raise the money. Cr. Murdoch: It will come out of rates. The board, he stated, could go on until March 30 without any bother. They intended to have the buildings and appointments thoroughly up to the moment.

It was resolved that the chairman and Messrs Tarrant and Dunlop be the council's de^legates.-^Carried. 'UEMOVIXG BOULDERS. A. G. (Bennett, Manaia, on behalf of C. P. Raine, complained of the council's men removing boulders and stones from the beach at his land, section 29, block 8, Waimate S.D. By removing stones ft slip had occurred. The Council's engineer had promised to cease removing stones, but more had been taken away. He requested the council to instruct that no more stones be taken beyond high water mark, and he also reserved the right he has against the council for any damage already done to the land. The matter was referred to the engineer to report on. FOREMAN'S REPORT. A. Muggeridge, county foreman, reported that Fraser Road bad been graded from end of metal to school. The redecking of the Kapuni bridge would be commenced next week. Scarifying of Ahipaipa Road has been completed from Skeet Road to Inaha bridge, and Tempsky Road had also been scarified. The 6team lorry had started carrying shingle, and he found it a powerful machine. It , would eo up any grade in th» district

/ with four yards of shingle, equal to six tons. They would require to have the lorry fitted with rubber tyres, as the steel tyres were too severe on the roads. Metal for Olwngai Kond had come from the pit on the Main South Road. There Was not gravel in the vicinity, consequently the cost was about 12s fid a yard delivered on the road. Re Duckworth Road, he found it would be very expensive to obtain metal from Mr. Alexander's pit. The crushing of the metal for George Street and Princes Street would commence next week. The chairman said there was every reason to be well satisfied with the work of the Steam lorry. It would, however, be neecssary to have the rubber tyres, as some of the roads could not stand the steel tyres. He quoted from a catalogue i tile cost of rubber tyres, and a statement that the lorry would be able to do more work at a lesser cost.—The report was adopted and rubber tyres are to be procured. ""