EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1918, Page 2

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MD-NTHLY WEETJNU. The -ordinary meeting of the .Egmont 'County j Council was lield .at Opunake un Toisday, when; there were present: Cra. W. 11. "Wright j chair-\ man);, JS. M. Cornish, T. Harvey, T. JE£. E. Sin-; cln.iT, V>L .C. Green, A. J. J'owe, A. J£. Holder, 11 -O'Brinn ;and -U. W. J. McNeill. 1 ENdNEEBTS JiEPOET. The engineer (Ale. C. Pease) reported sls; follows: Oeo Biding (Northern). —With the exception j of two -days' wateriabllng on the Patikl lioad aad two days on tho Oco Road, Ihe men have' been engaged -on the work of reinstalling the > Elibam iioad with atouo from contracts No. 317' and 312. Contract ls T o. 311 wis commenced or, Ihe 13th of the month, iind yieldod iilO yards crushed metal and 5(3 yards screenings, the -whole of which "was put ou the EJihani Road from the boundary at Awatuna westwards ill a rate varying from 10 to 12 yards per chain. Thrta length of road should have at least 15 yards per chain put on, hut as there ira 3 such a considerable length of the road ia very had repair It was deemed advisable to repair the Imgest Tnn«rtfi possible with the amount of stone available. The wcalher was exceedingly bad during Ihe execution of tills contract, the crusher during one week only being able to work one day. The plant was moved from Awatuna to Te KM at the end of the month, and set up for contract No. 312, starting crushing at noon on June 1, since when she has been doing profriiKnf: work, averaging an output of 104 yards of crushed metal and 13 yards of screenings per day. A considerable amount of banking has been required alongside the newly motailed portion of the Bltham Road, and more will have to be done after the contracts are finished, when more time can be devoted to the work. A wash-out has occurred at a culvert near the top end of Kirl Road, letting in a portion of the roadway. Concrete pipes have been sent out to the site, and will be put in position as early as possible. Oeo Biding (Southern). —Contract No. 304 was completed early in the month. Repairs have been done to several of the bridge approaches, and light patching to the Puketapu and Oeo Roads. Wooden culverts have been replaced with 12 in. diameter concrete pipes near Mr. A. Good's property on the Oeo Road and near Mr. Cane's property on the South Road. Opua Riding.—A largo wooden culvert, the timber of which had rotted, has been replaced with 3ft. diameter concrete pipes across the South Road, south of Arawhata Road. Small bridges ou the Eifhara Road west of llanugahumo have been repaired, and some repairs have been done to the Taungatara bridge on the Main South Road, and the surfaces of the bridges on the Main South Road have been top-dressed with tar and shingle. Opunake Riding-—Old metal has been replaced on the Waiaua Hill new cutting. The surfacemen have been engaged during the wet weather in the engine shed making concrete pipes, bagging coal, etc. There is very little convenience at the yard for making pipps on rainy days, and there will bo none whatever if the shed becomes occupied by any of the engines, so I would suggest that the council ' consider Ae question of providing a pipe-making shed, and at the same time better accommodation for storing benzine. Rahotu Biding.—The whole of the increased ' gang of men have been fully engaged all the month on metal contracts for tho county, and ' crushing and metalling for the Parihaka Road Board. Contract No. 329 at Puiiiho was finished on the Ist of the month, and the plant was moved to south of the Waltaka stream for cou- ' tsact No. 331, where crushing was commenced on the 6th, and 472 cubic yards of crushed metal and 72 yards of screenings wero put through the machine and laid on tho Main ■ South Road between the Rautini and "Waltahi ■ streams, the work being completed on the 13th. Whilst the Garrett roller was finishing off work on the last contract, the traction engine with the Austin scarifier belonging to the Parihaka ! Road- Board tore up all the road metal of tho approaches to the old wooden bridge over the Waitotoroa river for use on the diverted road. On the 10th of the month a start was made on contract No. 332, south of the Pungaereero river where 242 cubic yards of crushed metal and*3S yards of screenings were put through by the 20th, and put on the South Road, covering about 30 chains of. the road south of the river. From hero tho plant was taken to tho Kaliui Road east of the South Road, where 192 cubic yards of metal was crushed and used for refacing about 25 chains of tho road after being scarified all the largo boulders turned up by the scarifier being put through the crusher and rolled *n again. On tho plant being removed to the Cape Road pit for contract No. 330 the opportunity was taken whilst passing the Waitotoroa bridge to use the winding drum or tho i traction engine to pull out all the old large k timbers of tho dismantled, bridge from tho ' river The crushing plant has been set up on ' • the Cape Road pit, and started work there for . contract No. 33a on the 3rd of the month, but the pit has ceased to yield stono good enough ' for the main road, and is now working for the Parihaka Road Board, awaiting permission te shift into another pit at Pungarehu to complete tho contract. ' Bridges.—'The old wooden truss bridge over the Waitotoroa river near Pungarehu has been . dismantled, and all the timbers removed from the river. A portion of the timber has been soldi to the Parihaka Road Board, and a number of joiste sold 'elsewhere at a reasonable rate whilst some have again been reserved for ' fencing oS the approaches to the new bridge, which Is being erected alongside the present Puhhm bridge in readiness for dismantling same to make room for the new reinforced structure. The now approaches and road diversion at the Waitotoroa bridge have been , completed. Tho reinforced concrete slab top , of the Otahi bridge has been put in, and the parapet and walls are being erected. The exi cavatfons for the western abutment otthe Punehu bridge on the Eltham Road are down to about the proper depth, and the bottom tn be very good. There seems to be some doubt as to tho proper flood water level which governs the height of the springing of tho arches to the new structure, and I .have . isked the district engineer to inspect the work at J the earliest possible date. In the meantime* we are proceeding with the excavation for the eastern abutment. I find that the level of the roadway over the new bridge will be at least 2ft dins above the leorol of the decking of the oresent bridge. This, in addition to die f:ic„ that with placing the new bridge , oa . on ® of the old one, and thereby losing beneßt of the present embankment on tho eastern end of It will necessitate considerably more filling than • was anticipated or estimated for, and a por- . tion of the hill on tho western end of: the bridgo will have to be cut down to provide filling. This will greatly improve the approaches on that side The plans do not clearly indicate the difference in the levels. In connection with the No 3 bridge loan, a new London concrete mixer the type, with a capacity of 10 cub c feet with side loading attachment and petroldriven engine, has been purchased by the chairand myself, and has been deliveredattfto Punehu bridge. The contractors bave dumped a considerable quantity of boulder stone for crushed metal for concrete at the bridge site, and crushing will be commenced in a few *T'was resolved that the engineer be Instructed to prepare plans of tho buildings he Siders for the storage of the plant S benzine, *iso tho mannfactura of .pipes. GRAVEL- ROYALTY. Mr. Barns notified that the Public Trustee advfeed that tho Office Boaffl had approved of compromising with the local bodies on the basis of 2d per cubic yards royany Jot »» gravel removed, the local bodies also paying to the lessee. , . , , The clerk stated that no metal had been taken from such land for the past eighteen months, when payment was made on^ hc basis Rovatty on Native land owned by the Natives themselves was paid direct to the owners, but if taken from land under the W.t.b.tfc Acts of 1888 or 1892, contractors had to pay "Cd2SS Xd*&oa to the methods adopted by some contractors m hl E°" pertv and removing stono without first obtain in? the owner's permission, and in ordCT press this on contractors he ms proceeding against a contractor. Cr. Green thought that the council should protect, settlers either by paying the by obtaining some guaranty that the royalty would bo paid. CORRESPONDENCE. The Ohinemurl Council Council asked the council's support of a resolution urging the Government to take over tho main arterial roads and maintain same out of consolidated revenue. —No action was talsen. Wanganui County Council asltod support to resolutions requesting tho Government to fix county elections on same date aa municipal elections. Tho council decided to allow the letter to He on tho table. T'TTNTUTTT BRIDGE GRANT. The Public Works Department forwarded authority fo r.i second crant of £BOO towards tho erection of the Punehn bridgo on tho Eltham Road. It was unanimously resolved to forward a 1 vote of thanks to Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, JLP., I for his action in the matter. j EtfoiNfiivs MOTOR cati, ; Thd OTRi'riAsMsffeM , motor ear tflf ills two", sr!(l n? SKirm M Ply £2T pef aiiiiiiiii towdrdS Hs (jpK#®.-,, _ . - 6r ' d'BiieS m<fce& tHit ! '■ W wks eterff flototetf tiat. #f| - wet rtpen-Mi V fftg foWifif* trt for tHre; that for two months of tha preSM® JW hail been so espemfei .. f Cr SteNeHl moved that tha eoimcfl pwtfMSe n ear to t» araflaWe -for tfm nsa m W# otf irfireer, or tte council. Ef .-ecrtttal . s »iniinim.ni'im.'»j». l Witf "I* *

salary of £450, ha to provide his owij car. • This was seconded by Cr. McNeill Cr. Green considered tiiat if the council owned its own car it would onable the chairman-to go over the roads much raoro frequently than was the present c9.se, and this would be beneficial to the council. Cr. O'Brien considered if the council obtained a car the engineer should contribute £4O towards its maintenance, the car to be first at the disposal of the county chairman and secondly at the disposal of the engineer. Ho therefore moved in this direction. This was seconded by Cr. Itowe. The chairman considered that it would be manifestly unfair to the other applicants if thoy gave the engineer a car after a lapse of seven months, during which conditions had not changed. Later if the Parihaka Rond Board merged it might be advisable to provide a car. The amendment was lost. Cr. Green favored a committee being set up to discuss the matter, and- he moved in this direction. This was seconded by Cr. Holder, and lost, as was also tho original motion.. Cr. McNeill gave notice to move that tho matter be re-opened at next meeting. STRIKING THE RATS. Tho chairman, in giving notice to strike th(s rate, moved that the same rate as last year be struck. The clerk stated that, at the end of March the overdraft stood at £IGBB, whereas after paying that month's accounts It would total £7OOO, Cr. Cornish questioned 'whether the same rate would be sufficient. The engineer stated that If It was intended to go in for tar-sealing at ft later date, It might not bo necessary to utilise so much new metal for a year or two. Tho clerk stated that the whole county was liable to practically *4d rate for the hospital levy and interest on special loans. Cr. Green considered that an additional should be struck in tho Oeo Riding; for the upkeep of the by-roads. He pointed out that in 1 tho Parlhaka Road district tho by-roads were paying 13-16 d, as against %d in the Oeo riding.; Cr. o*Brlon pointed out that owing to its higher valuation the rates in the Oeo riding wero about four times as much per acre as in Opua. The chairman considered that ratepayers would prefer, to pay tho extra %d and have a good Toad. Out of a uniform rate of l%d there was not a penny going on to the roads. He proposed this year to divide the rate, so as to let the ratepayers see where the money was going to. It was finally resolved to strike a uniform rate of I%'d throughout the county, with an additional for the by-roads irt the Oeo riding,, and notice was given accordingly. GENERAL. The secretary to the Opunake Athenaeum applied for' a renewal of the grant to The institution..—lt was resolved to make a grant of £2 2s, Cr.. Green protesting. . Cr. Holden reported that he had.interviewed Mr. Croftfky regarding work required on the Kir! Road, and he suggested that a contract should be let for work to the vajue of £2O Mr. Crofsky was donating a sum of money to the work and other settlers wero giving labor < —Left In the hands of Cr. .Holden, with power to act. The council agreed to the transfer of contracts No. 319 and 323 from R. S. Campbell to W. Lockley. It was resolved to pay cost of repairing the Parihaka Road Board's whares. A Stewart, Rahotu, and S. Campbell, Opunake,. were granted renewal of their slaughter-house licenses. Tho chairman was authorised to arrange for a crusher site at Puugareliu. Cr. Holder reported that Mr. R. Watson had promised a donation of £5 towards the erection of a concrete bridge on the Kipi Road.—Offer accepted, -with thanks. The chairman, Crs. Green, McNeill, Sinclair, and the engineer were appointed to Inspect th» traction engine offered T>y Messrs Andrews Bros., Willi a view to purchase. The chairman and Crs. T.. H. It Sinclair and. M. O'P.rien, a committee set Up to deal with various matters, reported that tenders for the' supply of metal for concrete work at the Punehu bridge liad hcen received from Ave contractors, and tho tonder of E. It. Madgwicl: accepted as follows: Crushed stone 7s M, sand Gs. The superintendent of the Advances Department notified in. regaTd to the bridge loan of £4OOO that the department would obtain tn® consent of tho Minister of Finance under tlw War regulations. Tho application would DO submitted to the Advances Department for final consideration at tho earliest possible moment.. The chairman stated that he "understood trie Tlon Myers was giving permission to local bodies to complete worlt that had already beon started, but would not glvo permission for new worK. This work could be regarded as having been 8t Noho Te TOilt.l was granted permission to eroet a temporary fence within the road line at Pungarchu. the fence to bo removed at the pleasure of the council. , h Mr. P. TClrk was appointed ranger over t!»e whole of tho county. On tho motion of Cr. O'Brien It was resolved to apply to tho fiovevnmont for ft grant or EZO or £39 to ninltn a ford at the \Ulan river crossing on tho Wlromu Road. It was also reaolvod that tho engineer, Crs. McNeHi. and «»• mover visit and report on (ho site at next meette On the summation nf the chairman It was resolved to subsMlso any amount £ for S3. ' It was resolved to order a diaphragm pump to^fr T, MunrToffered tho council the nse of bin "ptt in the hands of the riding members ana t*io engineer to arrange, If , h In . Cr. Holder stronglr comrentcd on the n ft f Tilflrinz metal on tbi TOfln, nw? snis»ss«< w en