ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1918, Page 3

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

IWXTHLY MEETING. Ehe, Eltham County Council mot on ■Saturday. Present: Crs. C. .1. Relcher (chairman), W. Hard wick Smith, E. J. fiilTord, C 15. Mc<,";ihincss, A. (.'. Feast, A. McYVilliam, \V. M. Barker. A. V. Mosswia, and A. L. Campbell.

CORUESPOiVDEXCE. The Egmoiit Comity Council forwarded cheque for £14510 in connection willi the Aiiroa Road special loan.—Received. Auckland Borough Council forwarded request for support of a resolution that, in .view of the great public interest. New Zealand ahould strenuously advocate the retention of that portion of Samoa taken from the Cermans. —Received. The Waimate West County Council expressed willingness to contribute £!>; i towards effecting certain repairs on the (Xeill Road, provided the Elthara County would provide a similar amount to carry out the -work.—Dealt with in engineer's report. 11. (.'. Duckeit requested permission to remove a few dray loads of earth from the roadside to allow of the erection of a small bridge on the ' SUatfordOpunake road—Granted. The health inspector notified one case of diphtheria in the county.—Received. KEEP TO THE LEFT. Mr. McGarry, Eltham, wrote complaining that the driver of Parkes' motor lorry never pulled off the centre of the road and took no notice of ears after the latter had sounded horns. The engineer .stated that in driving the White lurry the driver sat to the left, and it was hard to see. A reilector might assist matters. Regarding sounding horns, it was quite possible that these were never heard owing to the noise made by the lorry. Cr. fiiil'oni said they were entitled to half the road and he thought the drivers observed the ruu. The engineer remarked that in leading up they might monopolise the road for a time. Cr. YicVvilliam moved that a letter be forwarded to the lorry owners drawing attention to the complaint, and requesting that the rules of tiie road be observed.—Carried. DAMAGE TO ROAD. ' \Tlie Mangutoki Dairy Company suggested that the chairman of the conned should meet the company and discus., the matter of alleged damage to t: Eltham Read, for which the council wa.; claiming £oo. The chairman said that Mr. Mar.v, chairman of the company, had had a conversation with him. and thourrht t' best way out of the difficulty regard:'., the claim was to have a conference; hence the letter before the council. Cr. Pease said t l '" ■n""'es'tinn was a good one, and aji indication that company was anxious :j ; ; co;,.e the matter. Cr. Clifford said there would he • harm in Hie c;u.r;;iaii going over the road and seeing for himself what damage had been done. The chairman, Cr. McGuiur.ess, and the engineer were appointed to meet the company On the matter. RANGER'S REPORT. J. Smith, county ranger, reported that the roads generally .were c!ear. Several ratepayers were lined for not having lights. Two men had declined to register their dogs. He also referred to the necessity for having some hedges clipped. —Received. Regarding high hedges, notices are to be served on owners to keep these dowft\ 1 Cr. Pease staWl tint ; n coming to these roads which were bordered by ' hedge many moturioL; i.u.uu to reduce ' speed at all, and this made it dangerous, ; as there was a good deal of traffic- ' At Mangatoki the school hedge needed attention, and the committee and others ' will be notified to trim hedges. I ENGINEER'S REPORT. R D. Tosswlll, engineer, reported as under: » South Riding —Ueneral maintenance work lias [ been carried out on Rotokare, Campbell, Mountain and Sluart Roads Part of the Mountain i Road—a length of ahout 70 chains between ) Boylan and Sluart Roads, has been tarred, and [ tarring lias been commenced at the southern end of Boylan Road. Extra culverts have been I put In, and ditches have been cleaned on Manga--1 wlioru Road, and a start has been made with the dollvory of metal for rehiring. This work will be pushed ahead as soon as the roller, now ■ at Auroa Road, 's available. With regard to . rawest for metalling at Te Roll, the district engineer, In reply to my letter, stated that he hoped to be able to meet the riding repressnta- | tive and myself at Te Roti this week. Mangatoki Riding.—The Duthie Road has been tarred from the northern boundary of county to meet the present tar, a distance df 80 chains, and from this point to Eltham Road, a length of 110 chains, lias been tar-sprayed The junction at Eltham and Hunter Roads has ! been Improved, and tile culvert has been lengthl eued, and water tables have been cleaned on i Eltham Road. An Inspection was made of the Lower Duthie lfoad, on which 30 chains of - metalling lias beon authorised; the parts most urgently in need of refa'cing are the railway crossing and a length of about 15 chains north--1 wards, also the grades approaching the two ! creek crossings, mid the alst three-quarters of j a mile approaching Eltham Road. I would recommend that the work bo carried out in the - order names up to the amount authorised t Omona Riding.—Maintenance work done dur- , ing the mouth consisted of removing slips, re- ' forming road and repairing metal and laying ' culverts on Rawhitiroa and Miitalwhetu Roads. The erection in hardwood of an 80ft. spun, Howe truss bridge over Mangatoromiro stream ' on Matalmaroke Road has been completed, and , is now open for trafric. The necessary materials for repairs to foundations and erection of retaining wall at concrete bridge over the same . stream, on Rawhitiroa Road, have been delivered . at site, and work thereon commenced.

Kaponga Hiding.—Steady progress Ims been made with the metalling contract on Auroa Road, lis chains having been completed during the month, the delivery of crushed metal under this contract being now practically finished Approaches to the Mangawhero bridge on 151tham Road have been repaired, and new decking lias been ordered for Mangawheroltt bridge on Opunako Road, the present decking being beyond repairing The Neil lload was visited, in company witli the riding members. The portion of the road from the end of the present motal to Mr. Humphries' gate, which it Is desired to metal, is about 31 chains in length. It Is estimated that a light coat of river gravel about 12 yards to the chain, Including spreading and backing up, could be put on the road for £3 4s per chain This should be sufficient to carry the very light truffle-on this road. Estimated total cost, £11)0. Tho chairman of the Awatuna Dairy Company was also interviewed in reference to the request from that company that'the metal on Auroa Road fronting tho factory should be laid 10ft wide, but no workable arrangement could be arrived at Work on this part of the void Is now under way, the metal being laid 12t't wido. The company has bean asked to remove all stone belonging to the company and deposited on the Auroa Uoad, froatins the factory, to allow work as above to be proceeded with. An- inspection was made of the roads under the control of the Kaponga Town Board. The Klthara Road Is In good condition, and only requires some slight pat'-hiug The Manala Road should be tar-sprayed and sanded, requiring about 1000 gallons of tar and 90 cubic yards of «and to complete the work. I understand the materials mentioned are being procured by the Town Board, which desired that (lie work bo carried out liv this council's staff, as in the past There will shortly be a convenient opportunity for doing this work. Ullhain Riding—Water tabling, metal pitch- , Ine and general repairs havo been earned out ' on Mangawhero, Mata and Inwhitiron Homs. : rnd slips havo been removed on Mangamlngi : Road. Two hundred yards of sh»» vet has i-een carted from quarry to it-.r-ittroa Boad,

.'ind !U y.",r;!3 has been broken. The work of rofaclng Clifford Road, adjoining this riding, is now lining carried out by the Eltham Borou"h Council. (ii'neral.—Mr. J. Ponnv. Tj:thain R-wtl. applies for a crossing at Ills gale Another horse and dray hr s heenrce necessary in order that the ivnrlc of the counly csn lid economically carried out. and I recommend that anrii bo Tjrclinsed aa noon as possible In connection with the >7;dil Read metalling the Waimate Council is ;o he asked to increase the subsidy from £3O to £.-f>. Mr. Sharp, Public Works Department, is to be interviewed regarding gradmg and rc.-fadng lower Duthie Road near the railway crossing. In connection with the Awatuna Dairv Company the engineer scato.d that the I company had 00 yards of boulders ar.d stone, which it offered to the county to metal approach to the factory. It was intended to put down a ■:trip of metal along; the crown of the road, but the chairman now wanted the metal the full width. Work was now proccedin;.; with a 12ft. metalled And. Cr. McVVilliam expressed himself as well pleased with the quality of the shell-rock metal now being placed on the roads in the Eltham riding. Some dismission earned on the request for a horse and dray. The engineer stated that they required four drays to keep up with the work withe tar-sprayer was in work, and to d; this meant that some of the ridings wcr minus drays. Cr. Pease thought it would be a difficult thing to get a horse and dray just now. The engineer stated it Was necessary at times t° hire both.-—Sanction given.