EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1918, Page 3

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake on Tuesday, when there were present: Crs W. R. Wright (chairman), S. M. Cornish, T. Harvey, T. If! 11. Sinclair, W. C. Green. A. T, Eowe, M. O'Brien, E, J. W. McNeill and A. H. Holder. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr Pease) reported: Oeo Riding (Northern). —The ICiri road has had further attention during the month, a cutting opposite Mr R. AVatson's having been widened and a quantity of large boulders blasted from the, road surface and the roadway formed up; a fair amount of water tabling has also been done at various places, A length of 12-inch concrete pipes have been sent lip to the road above Mr Coupe's place, to convey the water across the road and relieve the contractor there of a bog hole. Some patching has been done to the lower end of the Oeo road south of Eltham road. A new pipe culvert has been put across the end of the Patiki road in a new position, and the approach from the Eltham road widened. One man lias been employed all the month banking up the edges of the newly metalled lengths of the Eltham road, and there still remains much more of this class of work to be done.

Opua Biding.—The work of cutting away the high bank opposite Mr Leahy's property on fhe Eltham road has been completed. A 12-inch pipe culvert has been extended 2 pipes in length, and another bank opposite J. Hohaia's property has teen cut down. On the 17th September I accompanied the district engineer (Mr H. H. Sharp) to the site of fhe proposed ford across the Waiaua River at the Wiremu road, but I have not yet received a report from him as to his recommendations. Opunake Biding.—Men have been engaged on the work of making concrete pipes on wet days. Rahotu Riding.—With the exception of about a day's work making the fill to the new Puhina bridge and several wet days when no work could be done, the men in this riding have been engaged on tilie work of scarifying, reforming, and rolling in again the surface of the Main South Road on several sections between Pungarehu and Puniho. The Garrett roller will now work her way back to the depot to undergo repairs and should be housed at the end of tris week. Bridges.—On foreman returning from leave, work was commenced at the Mangaore bridge on the Main South Road, south of Warea. The masonry abutments were shewing signs of weakness and required attention at once. Money for a pipe culvert was orily allowed in the estimates for this work, but as the highest known flood level would have more than fully charged 3 pipe culverts, we have had to arrange for a reinforced concrete "box culvert about Oft x 4ft 6in with parapets. I have examined the last three bridges on the Main South Road near the Puniho boundary, and find that two of them will require to bo renewed at a very early date, so that the whole three might just, as well be done in the one undertaking. The masonry piers of t'iie Wairongomai are showing signs of collapse and cannot last long under present traffic conditions. The bed of the Puniho river has lowered to such an extent that the concrete foundations to the masonry abutments have been partly undermined and washed away at the north west and south east angles, allowing t)he abutment walls to crack and so become unsafe. The masonry piers of the Waitapuae bridge at the Puniho factory have been strutted from each other for some time and would probably last some time longer, but, as already stated, it would be better renewed now. The first and last named of these three bridges are set down for pipe culverts in the estimates for the loan money, but owing to the large volumes of water to be provided for in flood times it will be necessary to construct larg? box culverts at about four times the estimated cost at least. The whole of the centreing timbers for both arches of the Punehu bridge on the Eltham road have been erected and lagged over, and the wing walls and spandrils on the eastern end have been boxed up to 4 feet 6in high above springing line. Boxing is also fixed for voussoirs No. 1 and 2 on the eastern arch. Whole of the lioulder stone required for the crushed metal for concrete has been paddocked, and it is intended to start crushing operations this week. Tenders for the erection of three new reinforced concrete bridges will be called for the next meeting of the council. Materials have been delivered at the Punehu bridge for the construction of a new wfiiare for the bridge gang. Plant, etc.—The new "Acme" crusher has been overhauled after her journey from New Plymouth. We intend moving her to the Waiaua river on tlie 21st inst. to start work on contract No. 326. The "Austin" crusher has just been fitted with several new working parts and new jaws, and on Wednesday morning this crusher and elevator along with the Avelmg and Porter engine, constituting No. 2 crushing plant, will be sent out to the Punehu bridge on the Eltham road to crush 650 yards of metal for concrete. Two. new metal screens for the crushing plants have been made, one only awaiting the actual half-incli mesh screen from t'ne blacksmith. The Fowler and Aveling and Porter traction engines have been thoroughly overhauled, and should keep in good running order through the season. The Garrett roller should be housed for repairs at the end of the week and there is a possibility of these necessary repairs delaying t'iie starting of the new crusher, as the Garrett roller will be required to relieve the Austin motor roller to join the No. 1 crushing plant. The Austin motor roller has been sent to the Oeo road to scarify and roll for contract No. 340 which' was let last week, and she will then proceed to the Main South Road near the boundary at Oeo to work on contract No. 321, let last February. General.—l would recommend the council to purchase 2 or 3 tons of mild reinforcing steel, as it is becoming very scarce. The names and addresses of all owners and occupiers of land on whose frontages there are tall trees, overhanging hedges, blackberry or gorse, are being obtained.

MOTOR OAR SPEEDS. The engineer reported that & good many motorists passing through the town of Opunake appeared to ignore the notices dealing with the speed limit recently erected. Cr McNeill suggested that representations should be made to Irtirliament, through the members district, to legislate i» thi» matter. Every day accidents were recorded and the excessive speed at which motor cars were driven was becoming a menace to the public. - v ' t Cr- bsld thftt ens by-law would

not suit each and every place in New Zealand; each locality must regulate its j speed according to its peculiar cirumstanes.

The chairman considered that one uniform by-law could be made to apply to the whole of Taranaki, and 'lie understood that a conference of local bodies was to have been held to consider the matter.

Finally it was resolved to ask the Eltham County Council, the body that first moved in the matter, what action they are taking in regard to calling the proposed conference. FORD ACROSS WAIAU RIVER (WIREMU ROAD). In reference to the council's application for a grant for £1 to construct a ford aross friie Waiau river on the Wiremu road, the Public Works Department notified that the district engineer did not think the proposal to make a ford by putting several rows of boulders across the stream would be of permanent service so the Minister, therefore, regretted he could not grant the subsidy. Cr O'Brien considered the proposal quite feasible. Cr Harvey, the chairman, after 20 years' experience wuh dams built on this principle, held that they.would not stand floods unless built in concrete. It was resolved to ask the Government engineer to submit proposals upon which he would be prepared to recommend a subsidy.

BRIDGE ON KIRI ROAD. In connection with a bridge which settlers on the ICiri road desired permission to erect over a stream at their own expense, Messrs Roy and Nicholson stated that the council would, in their opinion, not be justified in consenting to the erection of t'he bridge. They say no objection to the erection of a bridge by the settlers on private property close to, but not in, the public road, provided private and no thoroughfare notice boards were erected on the gates leading to it, as such a bridge would not be on a public road the consent of the council would be neither necessary nor advisable.

Cr. Holder said that an unfortunate posiiton had arisen. The settlers, understanding- that permission 'had been given by the council, had already erected a substantial bridge.' The engineer was instructed to inspect the bridge and affix notice boards, etc.

. AUROA ROAD NORTH. The Eltham County wrote stating that it had raised its loan for forming and metalling the Auroa road from the Railway Reserve to the Stratford-Opu-nake road, and t'his work had been done, consequently the 10 per cent could not be raised for expenditure outside the limits mentioned in the loan proposals. At last meeting of the Eltham Council it was suggested that a further loan be raised by each council for the purpose of completing the northern end of the road. Would the Egmont Council express ita opinion on this suggestion? The County Clerk mentioned that the Eltham County Council raised in their general loap a sum of £ISOO for this particular road, but their proposals included work only to the Stratford road. The Egmont County Council loan proposals included the whole road up to the Mountain Reserve; and this sum of £ISOO was handed over to the Eltham County Council for expenditure. Unfortunately the total loan money would not complete the work up to tihe top sections. The Egmont Council could assist further work' on the top end' of this road to the extent of £l5O, 10 per cent on the amount of their loan.

Cr Rowe pointed out that the settlers would be satisfied if they had some of the worst cuttings attended to and they were given some outlet.

It was resolved that t'he clerk take the neecssary steps to raise 10 per cent additional on the council's' loan for this road.

GENERAL. The State Advances Office notified the council of the remittance of a further £IOOO on account of the No. 3 Bridge Loan and Account of £4OOO. The application of Messrs* F. Des Forges and Son for a billiard lieehse, in respect of the billiard room recently conducted by Walter Vickery. was granted. D. MeLeod, Awatuna, was appointed ranger for the Oeo Riding, with the exception of the Auroa road, which is under the jurisdiction of the Eltham County Council's ranger. It was resolved to grant Mr Thornley's request to metal a portion (about six chains) of the Titahi road, which bounded his property at Pihama.

It was resolved that the Government be asked to remove the embargo of a maximum of lis per day for labor on Government subsidised work. It was impossible to procure casual labor for that amount, and that fact probably accounted for the work on the Wiremu road being hung up. - The' hawker question came up for discussion, and particularly in regard to the interpretation of the council's bylaw, and it was resolved that the foremen bo appointed inspectors of hawkers' licenses and given full instructions to take action. It was also resolved that copies of the by-law be sent to the police constable at Rahotu, with a request Mat he take action. A statement of accounts in reference to_tlie Oeo road maintenance account was read from the Waimate West County Council, arid held over for 1 consideration a.t next meeting. The chairman sftited that a time table for the two crushing plants had been drawn up and it was arranged that this would include the crushing of all stone belonging to the Parihaka Road Board. It was decided to 'hold over calling tenders for bridges for three months. The clerk reported that about £3OOO of the bridge loan would be available by the end of March. It was reported that the district roads engineer (Mr Sharp) would visit the Carrington-Wirerau road, from the Newall road southwards, this week.