EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1918, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING., The ordinary meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunakc yesterday, when there were present: Messrs W. 11. Wright (chairman), S. M. Cornish, T. Harvey. T. 11. H. Sinclair, A. ,T. Rove, M. O'Brien, A. H. Holder and R. W. J. McNeill. An apology was received from Cr, W. C Green. ENGINEERS REPORT.

The engineer (Mr. C. R. Pease) reported : Oeo Riding (Northern): The newlyappointed foreman (D. Sefton) took charge on April 22. The crashing plant lias been sent into the riding, and has already finished contract No. 318 on the Opunake-Stratford Road, near the Auroa Road, since the end of the month, !)S yards of metal and 10 yards screenings were crushed, of which SO yards of metal and the whole of the screenings were rolled in on the unmetalled portion, about live chains in length, and the remainder dumped for maintenance. The crusher is now set up at Awatuna on the Ultham Road, where there are about 000 yards to crush for contract No. 317. I have examined the upper portion of Iviri Road, from the gateway on Mr. J. Coupe's section about 40 chains further up, and find it to be in a very bad condition in many places. On account of the great number of logs and stumps on the track and the large stones cropping out on the surface, it would be impossible to use machinery for grading, etc., and the work of forming would all have to be done by manual labor. This would cost about £2 per chain (say £80) to make even a summer road without metal, and to form and metal it would probably cost £4OO. I have arranged with Mr. Muaro to extend his contract on the Eltham Road by 000 yards to enable us to carry on the improvements to a short distance cast of the Oeo Road. The whole of the boulder stone for the contracts in the riding has been paddoeked at the various crushing sites.

Oeo Riding (Southern). —Slight repairs liiive been (lone to the Ouri and Punehu bridges on the South Road. Contract No. 304 has been completed, the total amount of stone crushed being 1968 cubic yards, producing 252 yards screenings, in addition to which 28 yards of pit gravel was used for binding. All the boulder stone for contracts No. 320 and 323 have been paddocked ready for crushing. It is probable that the work on contracts No. 321 and 322 for about 650 yards of pit gravel, will have to stand over for some time, as the weather Bhould Ibe fairly settled when this material is

laid down, and again the Austin roller cannot be spared as long as the crusher is working on road metal. Opua Riding.—A new 12-inch concrete

pipe culvert lias been put under the Main South Road, just south of the Eltham Road end. Men have been engaged stripping metal and replacing it at the Wuiaua Hill excavations." Several new planks have been put in the decking of the Taungatara bridge on the South Road. Men have been employed making 12 inch concrete pipes. I would recommend that a set of moulds for 15in, and ISin. pipes be procured, a3 we have nothing between 12in. and 2ft. diameter at present. The greatef portion of the boulder stone for contract No. 326 has been paddocked, but nothing has yet been done towards the execution of contracts No. 325 and 328, the contractor having been busy on the Waiaua Hill cutting. I have examined the bridge over the lleimama river on the Main South Road, and find that the timbers seem to be in a fairly sound condition, but the ironwork is badly rusted, and the tension bolts of the trusses are fast corroding away, and becoming dangerous through weakness. The bridge is of a light construction, and built mostly of totara, which becomes very brittle with ago, and it is impossible to sell the exact poriod when it becomes useless for weig?it-carrv-ing. A weaker bridge than this at the present time is the one over the Onoiti river by the Oaonui factory. Opunake Riding.—The excavations at tho Waiaua Hill have b«-n completed, any batter that the banks of the cutting may require should be left to be done by the surface men as they require clay binding. This is good material, snd there is a scarcity of it from this point northwards.

Rahotu Riding.—On April 8 tbo foreman and his men took in hand the crushing of road metal for the Parihaka Road Board, the plant consisting of Messrs. Andrews Bros.' traction engine and the road hoard's Collett crusher. Ninety yards were crushed on the Burgess Road, 70 yards at the top end and 120 yards at the bottom end of Baily Road. The Garrett roller having been repaired, the plant was taken to Puniho oil contract No. 321), where 70S yards of metal was crushed, producing 110 yards screenings, in nine and a quarter days, an average of 83.02 yards of crushed metal per day. The material was laid on the South Road from the boundary at Puniho to the bend south of same. From Puniho the plant was moved to contract No. 331, between the Waitaha and the Rautini streamß. This work is about completed, but the returns are not in. Most of the boulder stone for the other contracts in this riding is paddocked, and the contractor is getting metal in the pit in Cape Road on contract 330.

Bridges.—The concrete work, on the Waitotoroa bridge has been completed, and the men have been engaged filling in the arch ring and at the abutments; also cutting through the bank on the north side of the bridge to form the new road line at the northern approach, and filling in both approaches to the new levels of the diverted roadway. The bed of the Otahi stream has been lowered about one foot. This weakened the south abutment, which had to be faced up with concrete. The old stonework of the north abutment was in such an unsound state that it had to bo completely removed, A new concrete abutment has been put in further back, making a wider and deeper waterway under the bridge. The sheeting is now being fixed ready for the reinforced concrete slab to carry the road. Work has been commenced at the Punehu bridge, Eltham Road. The foreman ■and a carpenter from Auckland have erected a cement shed, etc., and three laborers whom the foreman engaged in Auckland will arrive this morning and start on the work of excavating for the centre pier. Tools have been procured, cement is on order, and tenders are being called for the supply of sand, shingle and crushed metal for concrete. Tents

have been provided for the men, and I have procured a large special proofed, to roof in the whole of any pier or abutment, so that the men can work during rainy weather. I would suggest that a committee be appointed to deal with the tenders for shingle, etc., at noon on the 22nd. instant.

General.—2B occupiers have been served with notices to trim and lower fences that obstruct the view of various roads, some of these having been complied with. Tenders are submitted for 200 yards of crushed river bed boulder stone on the Road at tie railway reserve

Cr. Holden thought that something should be done to the Upper KM Road, as Mr. J. C. Crofsky had offered £2O. The chairman pointed out that this £2O had been offered conditionally on 40 chains of metal being completed, and the finances would not permit of this. — Referred to Cr. Holden, who will interview Mr. Crofsky.

BUNDHU BRIDGE. The Public Works Department forwarded tihe authority in connection with the pant of £BOO ( £ for £) in connection with the re-erection of the Puncliu bridge. • The resident engineer notified, that the question of allowing the council to pay laborers employed on the Punchu bridge at the rate of 19s per day had been submitted 'bo the Minister of Public Works, wftio had s ; tated thait under the special circumstances he had no objection, provided it was definitely understood tlhat the council woual have to find all the money which might be required in excess of £I6OO to complete the structure.

The chairman considered that this was very satisfactory.

WIREMU ROAD. The Public Works Engineer notified that tenders had been invited for the erection of the Heiraaima Stream bridge in Wiremu rood. Tenders were at present ibcing advertised for two formation contracts, and the action to be taken in regard to the bridge would have to wait until it was known what response there was to these. i

THE WAGES QUESTION. The secretary of the Taranaki Counties Conference forwarded copy of resolutions passed at the recent conference regarding surfacemen's wages. The chairman stated that he (had been told that the Egmont County jtouncil hiid broken the agreement. He accordingly attended the conference, when it was decided, by 5 to 2, Egmont and Stratford dissenting not to rescind the resolution passed at the preceding coaference.

After a little discussion, it was unanimously decided, on the motion of the chairman and Or. MSTeill, to withdraw from the conference as regards the wages question.

PLANT. Quotations were received from different firms regarding second-hand traction engines, and it was resolved to arrange a trial of one of tihem. On the motion of Messrs MUeill and Rowe, the question of purchasing another pump was left in the hands of the chairman and Cr. Green. The purchase of a travelling wihare was referred to the engineer, with power to act.

! WAREA DAIRY COMPANY'S DAM. In connection with the Warea Dairy Company's dam at the Waiweraaui River, which it was alleged was causing the river to overflow the road, Mr. Jas. Burgess, chairman of the company, stated that Uhe dam had Ibeen erected ever 30 years ago for working a flaxmill. The site was let to the Crown Dairy Company, and in 1896 was transferred to the Warea Company. Not a single complaint had been made about any damage caused by it, and the company had erected their new cheese factory on the present site in the full confidence that after rucU a length of time no complaints would ever he made. The damage done to the road by scour at the Waiweranui had probably not amoiinted to £2O, and very likely not £lO, during the past 20 years, and even that amount of damage had, ho felt certain, not been due to the existence of the dam, but to the erratic course of the stream well aibove its influence. The Warea Dairy Company was composed of about 40 ratepayers in the Egmont County, and they did not wish to injure the roads they pa/id for, nor did they think they had done so; but thev certainly felt that they had every right to expect that no objections would be raised at so late a dWe to the level at. which the water is kept arid upon which level the plans for their property were drawn.

The engineer considered that straightening the course of the river would overcome the difficulty.

Tn reply to Cr- Sinclair, the engineer said that he wag not satisfied the dam was responsible for liho encroachment. There were signs tlhiat the "onrso of the river had altered during past years.

The chairman suggested that the "Dairy Company should too asked to give in indemnity against damage, and it was resolved to oJjtain legal advice on the position.

A COMPLAINT. The bridge foreman (*Mr. A. E. White) wrote regretting that there should be any complaints in regard to tihe workmen at the Wiaifcotoroa bridge. The individuals who had made l3ie complaints were under a misapprehension. He had endeavored to obtain a dray from several peoiple, but could not do so. Every man's time was fully employed on the works, and there was no occasion for such complaints when they inspected the work.

Tho chairman accepted the responsibility for the complaints. Ratepayers had complained to him, and he was satisfied their complaints were justified. The filling which should have eost 2s per yard must have cost !>s to 10s, five men being engaged }n filling a light spring-dray holding aJl»out a quarter of a vard- He had told the foreman to let another dray so as to keep the men sroing. Tt hod'cost £2B 8s i)d to shift aibout 50yds of earth, which the riding foreman had told him his gang could shift in three daysCr. O'Brien thought that the engineer should inquire into this at once. Tho engineer stated that there was 249 yds of filling which had Co3t 2s Sy 2 d per yard to shift. This included the quarrying of stone, and would reduce the shifting of tJlie earth to about 2s 2d per yard. GENERAL.

A special resolution was parsed, enaiding the interest on eleven loans in tho Oeo Riding, totalling £3B8 1 1b 7d per annum, to be paid out of general Vevenue, instead of out of separate accounts.

Mr. A. H. Johnstone, on behalf of Momono, Tamih&na, aipplied for a license in respect to the billiard saloon at Rahotu, The improvements required tiy the council had been attended to. Constable O'Neill reported that the | improvements were not quite completed, and suggested tuie of a ten:

porary license.—Held over till next meet injr.

The engineer wrote asking the council to provide a motor ear, so as to enable him the more efficiently to supervise the various works throughut tho county. He was prepared to pay £25 per year towards its upkeep.—Held over' till next meeting to enaJble a full council ta deal with it.

The State Advances Department notified payment to the council's account of £IOOO on account of }Jo, 2 bridge loan. Mr. T. T. Martin, solicitor to the Counties' Association, forwarded particulars of the procedure necessary when compelling occupiers to clear their frontpages of noxious weeds. The chairman stated that after that' day's accounts had been paid there would only be a credit of £220 in the bridge loan account.

The tender of E. R. Madgwjck at 7sjld per yard was accepted for the supply of stone on the iPatiki road.

The chairman and engineer were authorised to report the dram through Taurua's propert- ' Riahotu. Accounts anKm-il ; n-r to £1863 3a 2d general and £3ll 6s 3d bridge loan W6re Mated for paymei '