MOA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1918, Page 7

MOA ROAD BOARD.

HOSTELY MKJSTING. The ordinary meeting of the Moa Road Board was held at the board's oiiiee Inglewood, on Saturday, there being present; Messrs A- Corkill (chairman), A. E. Laurence, J. iB. Simpson. J. Hunter, J. M. Hair, H, Trimble,' X. Bowler, J. \V. Henwood. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported that he had arranged with Mr. H. J. Meston to erect a fence at the Ngatoro deviation for the sua of £2, tie board supplying the material Mr. J. Bowler, engine-driver, at the conclusion of his fourteen days' < leave had proceeded to camp on February 13, which left them without a driver. He had arranged with Mr. A. Gail to take charge of the plant at 10s per day, and £4 4s per week when appointed I permanently. The report was approved and the action of the chairman confirmed. OVEBSEEK'S REI'ORT. Mr. K. L. nog!; (orerseer) reported as follows : Surrey Boad.—Fifty-three chains of this road has been recoated, and approximately- twenty chains scarified, banked and strengthened, 356 cubic yards of boulders having been crushed and laid, the balance recoated with 87 cubic yards of hand-lmapped metal, which was on the roadaido. Eighty cubic yards of sand has also been carted for blinding purposed. The work was somewhat retarded by shertage of labor, which condition makes it difficult U> arrange the work to the best advantage. The cost of the work was £lB3 6s 10c! —cost per chain, £3 5s sd. Koss and Ngara Roads.—The metalling works 0 nth;s road are well under way. Approximately ten chains has been recoated. I ha?e experienced difficulty in procuring labor. 1 have made inquiries all round the district, hut so far have been unable to get sufficient ram. It will probably be- necessary to defer crunhin;; the boulders for Mr. Mahon until Mr. Douch has nnished with the plant, all depending on whether he is ready to crush before we make a start v.f.h this work. It will be necessary to re-set the crusher, in any ca3o, to do the private crushing; therefore, it will not make very much diflerenec if we have to move (0 the Mangaotea works before we finish. Mansaotea Loan Works.—This work was commenced en she Oth instant, both river and formation works being under progress, good progress being made with same. Kana Koad.--The grader has been at work, and the road has been graded to Mr. Morrison's gateway, Mr. Mwrlsou coming out with his team gratis. Another good shell rock deposit has been discovered -a Mr. Young's property, a face of about ten feet in thickness showing, and running for some dlaf-iuce. The deposit Is a';uut 13 chains troni tba road, nni r.uld be easi!v Eft out to tho road vrlth little expense, there' being only one creek to cross, bml the track practically level. j ttlmutautaku lload.—Messrs. Crylls and Jul-' iau are delivering their -joniracl metal, which was held over from last season. About nine chains aer beiug recoated, and the balance duniTK'J for maintenance. Boss Koad Loan Works.—' have had the alpcs daliveicd '" tills woik, which is under wai The boulders tor metalling hive been cjrio'l to the crusher s; ; e, to be in rcadbwas to crush wuca fMicrtuahs' ifcVrs slou>-ivia KoaJ—Kie principal portions of !!> : ri void have been worked with the grader. Tie .aelalUi.g wor; I expect to be abie to put in" hand when'Toi Tei Head is competed. Toi Toi lload—l propose rcovlng some of the teams and r;on to do the uie'.ailins work on Monuay next, if the contracts are not let before that date. Kcie'e 'lord—T;ia grad-r litis teen wer;!:.;: this 1 :>::d, cirrytn;: ru.te :.s f;.r rs Mr. Mortons gate-way Kaireata Koi.d has also been ruu:"led up Kinan itoad wul be commeu.-ed on AU-ti- '<:.> nci!. Fro-n -•■*:* 1 propose going to Norfolk Road Lust, thence to I-iverett, «o*.!ej-, Ilichp-.tmd, York adn Itimiitautaiia Koads, if tile weather lwrmits. Norfolk Itoa-J West.—The metalling work will be put in hand as soon as we finish wifb Mr Doueh, if the sottler3 are able to come out then. From there I propose going to Ilosa Road to complste tha loan worko. Work of a general nature hos been done on Bristol, Katmaln, and Lincoln roads, and a broken culvert repaired on Richmond Koad. General—l base completed the levels of r«gr.uiint work to Everett Ro.:-.i, also the bridge i'erelß. plans of whid; are under preparation. I have ate) taken fresh levels for the second deviation Ngatoro bridge the plan of which lias bean handed In. This work could be put in land at once, and with jour approval, I propose to have this work done without deiay. There !b a considerable quantity of Umber at the bridge 'Site, which I would susu'est the board lake oi-er. If not disposed of, it will be required for bridge-building purposes. The cratbing for the Kugby Hoad Dairy Company has been completed.

Koticc boards have been erecteij; at the two bridges on Bedford' Itoad south of Norfolk, and I expect to complete the new bridge on Miinguitaa Eor.d early licit week. The drain on die board's newiy-a«jmred property hao beea cleared. With regard to the hire of horses for the grader, there la no need to do anything in the matter at prosenl, us the settlers are lending their horses for tie purpose.

NGATQRO BRIDGE. ■ The chairman reported that as he had always held that the deviation, at the 'sgatoro bridge wag a mistake, he had met the ratepayers and asked them to carefully consider the matter. A meeting was held at tfie Dudley Road school, scceral mcin'bert. of the board being present, when it / was carried unanimouEly jtoJ tog the hoard to make a new devia; .' from the new "bridge direct to the T 'tdl<rv Road, and when the balance <_ ,nc loan was expended they would luiu' sufficient free labor to complete the work. The factory directors were allowing them to take the l?nd on tile conditions previously arranged. The overseer had taken the permanent levels and made the plane, and Mr- Robinson had !bean authorised to make the survey, and he hoped to see the whole work complete at an early date.

Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, notified Mr. H. Okey, M.P., that he had inquired into the request of t he board that the vote of £2OO ( £ for £) for the erection of Ngatoio stream bridge should be devoted towards the eoet of purchasing land and forming and metalling a Toad deviation, owing to the board having decided to alter the site of the bridge. The position -was that the hoard desired to divert the road and build a ferro-concrete arch on the narrowest part of the river. The plans as submitted by the board were insuffieijently strong and therefore dangerous, in some parts particularly so, and the board was therefore requested to increase the strength where necessary. The board considered this would be too expensive, and the resident engineer discussed the matter with the board's engineer, both agreeing that an iron bark timber bridge could be erected on the original line of road more economically than the amended concrete arch could be constructed on the new site. The cost of forming, metalling and fencing the deviation and paying compensation for the land would amount to about £2OO, with the result that there would be a worsa road than formerly existed, He regretted, therefore, that he was unable to see his \va to allow any portion of the item of £2OO to be expended on the deviation j or for subsidising the erection of the bridge, which, owing to insullicient strength, would be dangerous to IrafiieIt would be establishing a dangerous precedent, and would mean that the local body could erect any class of structure it desired, irrespective of whether the : Department approved of the plans or m,t, and then utilise the Government I subsidy in forming and metalling apI preaches. He was prepared, however, to give the council the opportunity of suggesting the transfer of the vote to some other totally distinct work which both the board stnd the resident engineer imieht consider to be urgently required Mr. H. H. Sharp (resident engineer.

wrote to similar effect, and asked the council to submit any proposals in regard to the expenditure of the £2OO so that he could consider them at onceMr UnifiKo that the m-.us-y might be utilised 10 creel, a hrid»o on the P.edford Road over the '.Vgatoroiti Kiid Waitcpuki Ktreani--. provided the settlers were prepared to raise a little money. He i:;ou\l that the malttr lie left in the beards ol tbt chairman and Mr. Loivler.—Carried. SURREY ROAD. In accordance with resolution, the Stratford County Council arkc-d whether the Moa liuad Boaxd was prepared to contribute £ for' C towards the cost up to a total of £B3. Mr. Laurence moved thai the council be in'onned the board had no money to expend on the road. It would lie reru-eiu-btred, lie said, that enure years ago it was agreed the Stratford County Coureil should keep the Surrey Koad in repair above the Derby Road, and that the council be paid the rates off two sections. If any rales had accumulated from these sections the amount should be for' warded. The chairman seconded the motion which, was carried. MOTGKAWA BOAD. Mr. F. M. Standish wrote complaining that the repairing of the Motukawa Road had not beeu continued beyond Mr. Officer's gate.' The road needed repairing just a*> much above as anywhere, and he requested that sufficient of his rates be set aside for doing that portion at an early date. There were two dangerous places for travelling stock, at one of which he had had a beast injured. He also wished to know who was responsible for the fencing of these places, und in the event of the board being responsible would the necessary instructions be given to fence thein? The chairman stated he was under the impression that the road was to be done from end to endThe overseer stated that the foreman had told him that he road beyond that point was used only occasionally, and as it was an expensive piece he did not think it was necessary to do the work. It was resolved to inform Mr. Standish that if the weather keeps favorable the plant will be sent back to the road la tpr. Regarding fencing dangerous bank:), the chairman stated that there were just as many on the county roads, it would take a year's rate.' to fence them all. It was resolved to inform Mr. Standish that tiie board accepts no liability. Later Mr. Standish waited on the board and complimented them on the investment of the grader, which did good work. A COMPLAINT.

Mr. Laurence complained regarding .die organisation of the work on the Surrey Road. He considered that it was absolutely essential that the overseer ;-!icu!d recognise that it was<most necessary there should be no delay in the working of the plant, for it wan here that ratepayers could he put u> considerable loss. The working of the plant should be the most important part of the overseer's duty. The overseer recognised that there hud been some delay at Suirey Road, but he pointed out that times were not. normal and there was difficulty in obtaining efficient labor, lie also stated that he had numerous! other details to attend to, and it was thcrfore impossible for him to bo with the plant al-* ways. f GENERAL.

Stratford Borough Council asked for particulars as to wire roj.ie the board had for sale.—information to he forwarded. The Waitara West Road Board notified that at had given owners on the Everett Road notice to clear the gorse, and had notified the noxious weeds inspector. Mr. B. 0. Ellis, Taranald County Council, -wrote that the corned understood the hoard had a number of plans and documents aifecting the ami recently merged into the county, and as the papers will be of no further use to t?te hoard the council would he pleased to receive the same for filling purposes.

The LVku Steamship Company's New Plymouth (branch notilied that the freight charge of £l2 18s 9d on the road grader was in order. Mr. A. Orooke, S.M., notified that the objection of Mr. J. H. Lyon to his land being included in the area for the special loan of £9OO for constructing the Makara hridge arid £l5O for metalling the Rimut&uteka Road would he 'heard at the Inglewood courthouse on March 22. The clerk to the Eltham County Council notified that the council, had in liand the revision and extension of its bylaws, and asked the board to forward a copy of its by-laws together with a memo of any suggested amendments and additions. With the object of making by-laws in Taranald as uniform as possibly, more especially in regard to motor and vehicular traffic, it might be necessary to submit a draft to a conference of Taranaki county councils and road boards, and any assistance iu the meantime would be greatly appreciated .—A copy of the by-laws will be forwarded. The State Advances Department notified that an ordei-in-council validating the proceedings taken to raise the Mangaotca loan of £MS had been gazetted, also that the board had resolved to entertain the application for a loan of- £2300 for metalling Everett Road and building arch over Kurapete stream, also £350 for re-erecting Rugby Road bridge. Robert Stuart applied for pipes to make a 14ft, crossing on his land at a point where a drain had been cut across the road and 2ft- concrete pipes put in and the drain being continued through his fence line half a chain iuto a fairly deep creek. * The chairman stated that this was a trap to cattle. He doubted whether the board could object if Mr. Stewart blocked the drain. The simplest way out would be to give the pipes.—This was agreed to, Mr- Stewart to cart the pipes.

The chairman and Mr. Bowler were appointed a committee to report to the next meeting on the question of disposing of several pieces of deviated road.-. It was resolved to let the proposed work at the liaimata and .Junction Roads remain over un( ! ! next season, as it was inadvisable to commence work so late in the season. Messrs (irylls ami -Julian submitted tender- for metal for tile Motukawa and Ti Tui Ruads.—Declined; the worts to he i. ~ic by the board's own teams. It was resolved to notify the Stratford County Council that the work on the Mangaotwa Road had Lwen. let by contract ■

Tt was resolved to rhai'ge £■! per day f.•;• tin; board's crusher. ;uid to charge private people Ills per hour for crushillJT v,lUl!r. pr;>vijt'tlLLt tilr.. sloltC JS brought to the i-niMvr. The ( -l. :i :--:-::...i Mated -thut duriii;; the pa»t liniisih he !i;cl had considerable running ivMy.il 0:1 tiio hoard's business, 'lilt* h.iv 01 cars Vis- nr.-.v very c.\pe;j-ive, i:iki. thiiiisdi !;r '»...-, iiu{ complaining, he v;.-.;ked to p"iV or.t that in future, in; would lit-ve to <;>:«:•;,><! oar hire to the board, but would only use cars when absolutely i:c.:c.-.:u-y. Members considered lL:»t it iras not right thai the chairman .-kcwld be 0..-.t of pocket. Kerne merrier* expressed surprise that the law wouki not pemiVt of the chairman being .vs.-i.-J fii iumcraritiiii. :V.-s«-7:3.-, a-ruouuthi'.'- 10 £t2(i general and .-'did 15s kuui were passed for payment.