CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1918, Page 6

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

! , MONTHLY MEETING,! The Clifton County Council met at Wfiitara - on I'Yiday, Present: Ors. It. H. Piggott (chair, mini. l\ C. Jones, C. Musker, J. Sanders, Jf. Kcimlngtoii, ]?. Mackenzie. CORRESPONDENCE. A. S. Hicks, secretary of the Taranaki Nurserymen's Association, desired that the council support the resolution of the Wnllomata County Council for the settlement of returned soldiers in rural occupations. The resolution desired that the men should ho instructed by leaflets, lecture;:, etc., in Britain, convalescent homes, transports, etc., before they arrive in New Zealand, so that the particular class of land would l)e available on arrival. —Endorsed. The Mew Zealand Farmers' Union, Wellington, forwarded a circular letter, requesting the county councils to erect finger-posts at all junctions of iiinttt roads and by-roads with main roads, for the guidance of the travelllus public— Received. The Under-Secretary for Public Works enclosed a proclamation of intention to take land for a road through Block XII, tipper Waltara Survey District, Clifton County.—Received. The Postal Department, Wellington, forwarded a statement of revenue and expenditure of the Ngatamiro telephone line, euditui June 30, 1918. There was a deficiency of £l3 15a Bd, and tho council was required to forward £4 lis lid—the council's share—Received. The Minister of Public Works stated that local authorities were making payments to contractors, workmen and owners of teams for carrying out works under Government subsidies . at rates much in excess of what the Department j was paying for similar works. He now desired that before acceptance of tender by the local body the tender should be submitted to the Public Works engineer for his concurrence.— Reeelved.

TARATA SURFACEMAN. (!. A. Smith, late foreman, Tarata, wrote that when he resigned the position as surfaceman some time- back the chairman persuaded him to stay on. To do this he declined a much better position. Later on the engineer informed him that there were complaints being made, and he replied that under those circumstances lie preferred not to continue, but the engineer would not hear of this. He had also requested Cr. Kennincton to relieve him of the position, tinder these circumstances he thought it was unfair that he was not given a hearing. He hud served tho council eight years,. and felt the position very keenly. He did not want the position, and tho slightest hint would have seen him gladly resign, as he would have preferred to have left under happier circumstances; otherwise he had no regrets. Cr. Musker: Mr. Smith has been relieved and so has the council, so all's well. After some discussion the letter was received. HKO ROAD. Sidney Smith, on behalf of the Piko settlers. forwarded a petition praying that a loan bo raised to metal the road there, and hoped the council would be successful in raising £4001). | Metal was in close proximity to tile proposed ; metalling desired. Thirteen ratepayers signed i tiie petition.—Received; the necessary steps to raise a loan will be taken. Cr. Musker said the amount (£4000) was very small, but it was desirable that this should be done. There were thousands of roads in Taranaki that had been metalled in portions and then left. The chairman: The road junctioned with tlie Okoke Road, and required about T miles of metal. The engineer said the amount (£4000) was small owing to the material being in close proximity. MAORI RATEPAYERS.

Waitomo County Council solicited support in applying to the Government for alteration in "The Counties Act," providing for representation of natives on county councils. Tlie movement was to protect Ihe interests of European ratepayers in their county. Cr. KcnningtOH said that having natives on the council would unify the races. Cr. .tones said it looked as If the Te Kuiti body was afraid of being swamped by the natives. The chairman: Yes. If the rates were paid the predicament would be tho same. If the natives combined they could elect the whole county council. The county desired an alteration so that the natives could elect only one councillor. Cr. Musker: Te Kuiti county is up against a serious affair. Cr.' lCeimiugton moved: "That this council considers the best safeguard against the difficulty of native representation would he reverting to the old system whereby Hie names of all rate defaulters were deleted from the electoral roll.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows:' Waihi Riding —The boulders stacked at Pu/angl deiiot havinK licen crushed, the additional engine was dispensed with during the month. Tlni crusher will, however, return to this depot after completion of the work in the adjoining ritliiifr, when it is tinned that sufficient stone will have been obtained to reach our objective, viz., the Motuuui Post Office. Recommendations are made to metal another 12 chains of the Mkorima Road, which would cover the worst portion of the hill subjected to constant traffic. Deposits of metal have been paddocked privately near the western end or the Kpiha Road, which I propose purchasing tor use on tlie main road, if a suitable pi-ice can be arranged. It is proposed to break up and roll a sectkut between the 14 and lli mile pegs Various small matters on tho side roads will be attended to shortly. Tlkorangi Hiding.—The plant crushed the deposits at the township depot, which were used on the Tikoraugl and Waihi Roads where required. About five chains of metal arc necessary to connect the gaps on the Bertrand Road, and a very promising and reasonable offer having been made, I recommend Its acceptance. On the Inland North Road, from the factory hill to the Waihi junction, about 150 yards of maintenance metal is required. The engine will now he encased In breaking up and rolling selected sections on the Xgatimi.ru Road. Stockman Road deviation : This proposed work was inspected, and trial grades run In Messrs. II Jury's and 1. Knuckey's properties. The route in Mr. .lory's section Is not practicable on any acceptable gradient, end may be officially- abandoned, though a partially formed traci; exists at a grade of 1 In (i, which, by mutual agreement, might perhaps fulfil present requirements to the applicants. In .Mr. L. Knuckey's section the proposed road would traverse a siding for shout 2:i chains, and Die;: develop Into a through cutting, with a maximum im„li of about 20 feet for a distance of about four chains, My approximate estimate would be: Earthwork, £130; culverts, Jill); compensation for hind taken (about i% acres), £3O; shifting both existing fences to new line, re-erection and renewals where required, £3a; total, £2Bl. This assumes that the land intervening between the proposed road and the existing road would be purchased by Mr. Jury, as a private transaction, as the severed portion would be too small for Mr, Knuckey's use. The portion of the existing road, which the settlers wish to eliminate, Is on a gradient of about 1 in 3.r,. My estimate is lor a road 10 feet wide and on a gradient of about 1 in 11. Ngatimaru Riding.—The council lias resumed possession of the cottage at Tarata. Advertisements In three papers failed to draw any applicants for Ihe vacant'positions in the riditig. The Junction road is in need of metal repairs, hul its salvation is the limited amount of traffic it has to carry. Tenders might be called for 10D0 yards of boulders from Ihe Waitara River at Tarata. The deficiency in this district is | not material, hut the lack of labor, and no reasonable offer will he refused from an) contractor willing to curry out metalline operations. Mr. Craw's request re improved access to the Tarata School will he attended to when there Is anyone to attend to it. The repairs to the Puraiißi bridge are well in hand. On the Jlang.ioapa Road attention is being given to the Kioto end. and I have forwarded pipes to allow the work to proceed without interruption. Plans ami specifications in triplicate have been prepared for the re-erection of the Mangaoapa Stream bridge, and are submitted lor inspection and approval prior to forwarding to the district road engineer. L'renui Riding—The vlarge culvert at the foot of the township hill has been repaired, and the pipes for the reserve outlet are on the site, and will shortly be placed In position. I am hoping to get a satisfactory tender for metalling the Onaero Road, the tenders hitherto being 100 high. No tenders have been received for any boulder supply at the Pah depot. Work has been proceeding slowly in the Okoke pit. The bridge repairs will shortly he completed on the piko Road, and active steps have been proceeding in respect of the metalling loan. This also applies to the Okoke Road, where, I understand, there is sufficient money on the estimates, if subsidised equally by the sellers, to carry Ihe metal to the Piko Road junction. The Kalpikari and Mataro Roads require more attention, but it is difficult to obtain labor for this purpose. Molum Riding—The Mangamaeho Road has been receiving further attention, although a metalling loan would he the only permanent sulutiou of existing troubles. The boulder contract is proceeding slowly at TJruti. \V. J. D/ty's application has received what attention it required. On the I'ppcr Mokatt Road extensive I'asrining has materially helped through (raffle this winter. The Parauihi tunnel has claimed a fair amount of attention, but through traffic has been established. The boulder stone necessary to complete the gaps at Sorensen's, Pukeanihe Road, is already on hand, and in addition mil yards for maintenance has also been received from the foreshore at Wai-iti. A meeting held during the month, attended by the chairman, district road engineer and myself, to discuss the proposed estimates for the period I'JIS-ll), resulted, in the following applications being made: Mi'mi-Mokau metalling £300(1; Uruti Road metalling, £B-50, £ for £ ■ Ptikcarulio Road metalling, £4OO, balance of £7OO already voted; Okoke metalling, £4OO £ for £ ; Piko Road metalling, £4OOO, £ for £; Otaraoa Road formntion, £250; Kalpikari Road metalling, £BOO, £ for £; Mtttau-Kiore r« vote £SO widenlnj joints; Pumnlhi tunntl

improvements, £450, £ for £; Mataro lioad metalling, £2OOO, £ for £. TUo report was adopted. NIKORIMA ROAD. A deputation of four settlers from Hie Niliorima Road requested tho council to attend to 20 cuains of metalling, which was In a very bad state, making it almost impossible to get the mill: cans along. They only used one mile, and paid £l2O in rates during thirty years, and so far hud only ten chains of metal. Cr. Musket- said he thought the best way was to raise a loau of £4OO aud get a Government subsidy. This means would only cost them £2O a year. ' One of tha deputation stated that practically nothing had,been spent. Cr. Jlusker stated that Pukearuhe had throe or four rates. Uruti had a toll-gate, special rates, etc. It was a simple matter to get the work done. Tho deputation maintained that they required assistance. To get over the hill they had to walk all the way, and go slowly. They then withdrew, Imping that they would receive sympathetic consideration. It was resolved: "That the question be considered next meeting, the riding members and the engineer to interview the settlers in the meantime." GENERAL." Tenders are to be called for the supply and delivery of ISO yards of boulders aud 150 yards of small stuff; also 1000 yards from Waitara River at 'i'arata. , Mr. .1. Foreman's tender for supply of metal on Ngatiuiarft liuad was accepted.