EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1918, Page 7

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. Tho ordinary meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake on Tuesday, when thers were present: Crs. W. R. Wright (chairman), T. Harvey, T. 11, IT. Sinclair, W. C. Creen, A. J. I'owe, A. W. Holder, M, O'Brien, and R. W. J. M'Neill. Cr. S. M. Cornish was granted leave of absence. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. Pease) reported:— Oeo Riding (Northern). —Whilst waiting for the crushing plant from the Punehu bridge contract and afterwards trhen too wet to crush, the men were engaged cleaning up the newly-metalled portion of tho Eltham Road at Te Kiri and taking out largo boulder stones from tlie surface of the Kiri Road on the rises. A line of 2ft diameter confute pipes has been put under the Kiri Road, .below Mr. Coupe's property, to replace the old wooden culvert. A new 3ft diameter concrete pipe culvert is required at the Mangapukeaka stream, on the Kiri Road. Several of the settlars at tho upper end of the Kiri Road are desirous of erecting a temporary traffic bridge over the Mangrewa stream, at tlie present ford and alongside it, replacing the present indifferent footbridge. This permission should be granted subject to there being no obstruction placed in the waterway, and [ would recommend that the riding foreman render them some assistance and see the work done properly. I met Mr. Mason on Weka Street re repairs to same. Tho road requires metalling for a distance of about 13 chains, and will cost about £32. Mr. - Mason is willing to subsidise this work to tho extent of £ls, in which case I should recommend the work to bo proceeded with as soon as ever the Eltham Road is dry enough to cart the metal over. The crushing plant returned to work on contract No. 812 on July 5, and was set up at old Awatuna, where it crushed 30,4 cubic yards of metal and 39 yards of screenings, which were used to reface a length of 2S chains of the Eltham Road, at the rate of 10.85 yards per chain. Tho plant was then moved to near the Ouri bridge, where it crashed 77G yards ol metal and 101 yards of screenings; 770 yards were used to reface a length of 70 chains at the rate of 11 yards per chain. Tlie plant completed the contract on August 3, after working 10 days under difficulties owing to the elevator pit being water-logged most of tho time, crushing an average of 07.50 yards oi metal per day. Oeo Riding (Southern). —Nothing has been done beyond ordinary maintenance work on the Main South, Patiki, Skcet, Nopera, and.Oeo Roads. It was intended to push on with the pit metal contract on the unmetalled portion of the Oeo Road as soon as the roller had finished on the Eltham Road, but, so far, the road has never become dry enough to work on. Opua Riding.—Water-tables have been cleaned out and patching work done at several places on the Main South Road, also on the Eltham Road. A new 12in pipe culvert has been put in on the Main South Road across the bottom of tho Arawhata Road. Tnree culverts on the Main South Roarl have bene lengthened to the extent of one pipe each—viz., one near Oaonui bridge with a 12in pipe, one near Mr. O. Cross' with a 3ft diameter pipe, and another further south with a 2ft pipe. A small quantity of timber, has been stolen from the Eltham Road at the western approach to the Taungatara bridge. The occupier of section 30, block XII., Opunake S.D., has planted a boxtborn fence alongside the Eltham Road, which when grown, will obstruct the view of that road from tlie Main South Road at the junction, as the land is already much higher than the road surface. The fence should be stopped short for a distance of a chain from the corner of the section, and this would necessitate tho council purchasing about half a square chain of land. I have had an interview with Mr. Sharp, the Public Works resident engineer, regarding the proposed ford across the Waiaua River, on the Wiremu R.oad. He hopes to inspect the site at an early data and, at the same time, view the same road between tho Ngariki and Kahui Roads, in, the Rahotu Riding. Opunake Riding.—lmprovements have been made to the cutting at the bottom of the Waiau Hill. The bottom end of tho bank on the west side has been cut to a batter and the water-table carried further into the side at the bfnd, and a bank on the east side has been entirely removed. Pipe-making in the engine-shed lias been proceeded with, and a stock of coal bagged and stacked up the shed side to mako room for the Austin crusher to undergo repairs. . Rahotu Riding.—Owing to the very I rough weather, it has not been possible to complete the repairs to the bottom end of the Cape Road for the Parihaka 'Road Board, but this we hope to do when the Garrett roller returns to that lend of the district on completion of contract No. 333, near the Kina Road. The crushing plant was moved from the Cape Road pit at the beginning of the month to tlie Main Road opposite Wo Kupe's pit at Pungarehu, when it was hoped wo would bo able to get sufficient stone to complete contract No. 330, but, after crushing 44S cubic yards of metal and 58 yards of screenings, the mclal in the pit gave out and the work liad to be .stopped, leaving a length, of about 53 chains of road still nnnicta'lled, lor .Which another contract will Imvc to be let for a different class of metal this •coming season. The crushed metal ,vas ■used to rcfitcc a. length of ;>/ chains of the Main South Road at the average rate of 7.85 yards per chain. The crusher

I .orkctl 011 !>'/ t days, crushing an avcr- | age of 48.43 yards of metal per day. On 4} days, when the weather was too rough for the stone-crusher to be worked, the Garrett roller was taken north of the Waitekauro stream, where a length of about 32 chains of the road was scarified, re-formed, and roiled in again without any new metal. There is a considerable length of road in this riding that requires similar treatment, and opportunity is bei-rnr lak»m to 3>ave it done before the roUir is 'brought in for repairs, as, wJten the new crushes commences work, it may possnuy lie found necessary to have both rotters in attention on her on larg* contracts. The jplant has been moved to the cwshing isite far contntetvNa.-033: where slie -is at present working. I rfiave made -ait in--speotion of the grasvel reserve st ! t Puni]lo, and I 'find it-to«be.njracticaHy useless to the. council as a crushing site,, owing to its aneven cwfigriratem size. I have again examined, the position- of' the weir beibw the TOuweriuiui bridge, at Warea, and cannot find that any.'portion-of-iMa-- on- theroadline.

Bridges.—Tlie Otahi bridge at Pungarehu has been completed with the exception 'of striking the timbers under the slab. These were left in until required elsewhere, so that they could be found when wanted. The road surface over the temporary bridge at the Puhina stream has been coated with pit metal. The old bridge 'has been dismantled and the southern abutment built on the face of the old stono abutment. The northern abutment fell into the stream on the shoring timbers being struck, and this abutment will bo partly re-faced with a reinforced one similar to the southern one. This decreases the width of the waterway somewhat, but we have lowered the bed of the stream, and, when finished, the bridge will have a waterway of 24J superficial feet, ana the highest known flood there only, required a waterway of 20% superficial feet. The old bi'idgo timbers are gradually being sold to local settlers for fencing, and the remainder will be required by the riding foreman for the samep urpose. Work at the Punehu bridge, on the Elt'ham Road, is proceeding satisfactorily, in spite of adverso weather conditions. We were fortunate enough to get the centre pier concreted up to about water-line without being damaged by flood water, as was difficult and dangerous enough. The sides of the trench could not be shored up, nor the water stopped, owing to the nature of the ground, which i 3 an old river-bed for most of the depth l , and we had to make full use of the powerpump and two hand-pumps to cope with the water. Mr. Sharp, the resident engineer, inspected the foundation on August 2, and expressed satisfaction, so concrete work was started immediately and continued after dark, making secure the bank, which was ready to collapse, and so saved the situation. The western abutment is now finished up to the springing line, the eastern abutment to w it'll in 3ft Gin of the springing line, and the centre pier up to water level. We liavo had some difficulty in obtaining timber for the centreing, as the timber mills in the bush have been snowed up, but it has now begun to arrive. I have not yet been able to prepare the plans for the three bridges which it is proposed to let by contract, as the weather was too boisterous to get the necessary data/ when I had time. I hopo to bo able to present them at the next meeting. Work on Weka Street, Te Kiri, will be carried out if the settler pays £ls. It was resolved to leave the gravel reserve at .Puniho for five years. Some discussion took place over the bridge construction, and it was resolved that tho engineer bo instructed to arrange to havo some small bridge built pending the preparation of the plans for tho bridges which contracts are to be called for. The bridge foreman (Mr. White)- was granted leave of absence. NATIVE REPRESENTATION. T'lio Waitoino County Council asked support to a resolution suggesting that the Counties Act should be amended so as to provide that where the Native ratepayers exceed a certain number they should bo allowed to elect ono or more exclusive representatives to the council, and that provision should be made for separate electoral rolls for European and Native electors. Cr. O'Brien considered the proposal a good one. The chairman stated that the payment of rates entitled anyone to representation. That was tho foundation of democracy. Cr. O'Brien agreed that Natives were eligible for election, but he questioned if one would be elected under tile present system. A large amount of .Native rates was being collected, and a Native representative on tho council, who would probably be a chief or a leading man, would be of great assistance in this connection. He moved that the council xpresses its sympathy with the resolution,. This was seconded by Cr. M'Neltl-aud carried. THE AUROA ROAD. E. Affleck, jun., drew attention to tlie deplorable state of tho northern end of the Auroa Eoad, where there were four broken culverts across tho road, the ditches being filled to overflowing, and it was absolutely dangerous for riders, let alone wheel traffic. If the extra 10 per cent, on the loan had not been raised and spent, he suggested that it should be. It was resolved to draw the attention of the Eltham County Council to the stato of the road, and to recommend that the Elt'ham. County Council take steps to raise the 10 per cent. loan. MOTOR-CAR FOR ENGINEER. In accordance with notice of motion, Cr. M'Neill again moved that a motorcar bo purchased for the engineer, who would pay £4O per year out of his salary for its upkeep. Ho said that had further evidence that day, when the engineer had been unable to prepare plans for three bridges owing to having to drive about in a gig. Cr. O'Brien seconded. Tho chairman stated that, the financial position of the council would not permit of tho expenditure. They had to upkeep two road-making plants and would shortly have a new crusher arriving. It would be necessary to economise, because the cost of everything was advancing, and tho.rates had not been raised save in the Oeo Riding, where they hud been levelled up. The ratepayers paid at present £1744 in costs of administration of the County Council and Road Board, and if they added the annual upkeep of a car, £2OO, this would be brought up to £1944, or nearly 'JO per cent. The motion was lost on tho casting vote of the chairman. Or. O'Brien considered that tho engineer bad proved himself a good man, and me moved that the engineer tie voted £~>o additional, provided ae obtains a ear. . In reply to a question, the engineer stated that he was not prepared to run a car for £SO per annum in the face of the statement that it would cost £2OO. He further stated that he had not asked ■for a car, and was willing to go on as at present. Cr. O'Brien: Would not an increase ol £SO enable you to do better work. The engineer: Certainly. (Laughter.) Cr. Green suggested that the engineer should be allowed up to £4O per annum ; for special motor hire. Cr. Harvey considered no alteration Bliould be made until the engineer had completed a year, with the council. It was finaly decided, on the motion ioWGi's. Green and M'Neill, to allow £3 10s per month for special hire. GENERAL. The Agricultural Department, forwarded" renewal slaughter-house licenses <

[for A. Stewart, Raliotu; S. Campbell, Opunake; A. Thornley, Pihama. Geqrgo Vickery applied to transfer billiard room license at Opunake to his brother, Walter Dudley. Vickery.—No objection will be made to the application for a new license. The State Advances Department forwarded voucher for £IOOO on account of £4OOO bridge loan. —It was resolved to take the necessary steps to cbtain another £IOOO of this loan. .The engineer was instructed to have the Main Road between Warea and Puniho scarified and rolled, Tho estimates for the ensuing year were submitted, and discussion was held over until considered by riding councillors. It was resolved to grant ICO yards of' metal on the Kiri Road, settlors having promised to subsidise it. It was also resolved to obtain an additional 100 yards for the Stratford-Opunake Road. Accounts were passed as follcws:Gonsia! £1407 3s 2d, badge loans £3C!'.