TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1919, Page 6

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

| MONTHLY MEETING 1 Tho monthly meeting of the Taranakl County Council was hold yesterday. There were present: Cra. J. S. Connett (chairmar), A. E, Laurence, J. B. Simpson, J. Wooldridge, 0. Andrews, G Capper, J. Andrews, and D. McAllum. INSPECTOR'S REPORTS. The Inspector (Mr 11. Branch) submitted the following report:— 'Plant.—For tho month a total of 772 yanb has been crushed, 428 being put on the Junction road and the balance 344 yards on the Mangorei road. The plant'is now at the Albert road depot. About 400 yards is now availabie .-ft this depot and will be put on the Albert road commencing at the Albert road croamerv and metalling towards the Junctiou road as far as it will go in one length. 'The big roller is with the plant, also the No. 2 truck. All the plant Is running well. If the weather continues broken I will have to replace the heavj roller with the small one as the road will be rather weak for the former.

Moa Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out in the Moa Riding. About 150 yards of metal has been hand-broken in the Tarikl pit. The filling and metalling has been completed at the Mangacne bridge. The Ziz Zas has received attention and is now in good order. I will now be able to procure the railway rails for the slips as previously authorised.

Mangorei Riding.—The foremen's time has been taken up in this riding assisting each other at the crushing plant. Tho site has bee 1 fixed for the depot on the Mangorei Plat. Mr Jordan is giving sufficient land to build the loading bank. A good supply of boulder stone can be obtained at this site.

Waitara Riding.—Four hundred yards of handbroken stone at the Sentry Hill pit has been carted out to the Mountain road and. rolled down with the small roller. It will be Necessary to do some stripping at this pit. • %The small roller is now on the Devon road scarifying and re-rolling wlic* necessary. A, considerable portion of this road has a very fair coat of metal and will stand rounding up. The grader is now working oh the Te Arel road; ; when this is completed the grader will go to the Plymouth road in the Okato riding. The teams are still getting shingle and boulder supplies to tho Waiwakailio depot. The shingle on the beach has been very italted this month I have inspected the unf'jrc<*d portion of the Upland road. To do anything with the two hills I would Tecommend deviating from the presnat road line. The proposed new bridge sites have also been inspected and it will be ?• cessary for me to take certain levels, etc., to get out the estimates for the fillings required. An estimate has been submitted to the petitioners for the metalling and formation on the lower Mangorei road.

Omaui Riding.—General maintenance lias been carried Oi in this riding. The stripping at the Frankley pit has been completed and Foreman Eva is no<p getting tho year's supply of stone ready for the crusher. Foreman Seamark has been getting stone from the rivers, taking advantage of the fine spell of weather. Okato Riding.—The roads gneerally are in very good order m this Tiding. The Pitone road is now receiving attent'on. The grading on the Surrey Hill has been completed and a very good job made of it. The grading on the Timaru has been completed. Foreman Hayes is still with the bridge gang and when the bridges are completed he will start the ap« proaches to same for a fair amount of filling will be required.

! General--Several offenders have Deen before the court for allow'ng their stock to be at large. Convictions and fines have been ob* ! talned in each case, but this is getting altojgethcr too common a practice amongst the scalers and is certainly a dangerous one. An ac.cident to a motorist occurred during the month on the Main South Road through wandering I stock. Substantial fines will be asked for ii» | every case.

! Plant Overhaul.—X would recommend a genoral overhaul of the plant during the winter, so ;as to save delay in ihe coming summer, when ja considerable amount of crushing will be neIcessary.

A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Jordan, for his sanction for th euse of land necessar.v for building a loading bank. Mr E. Andrews was given permission to erect a crossing over the Wuitara Road, the work to be done to the satisfaction of the inspector. Authority was given to the inspector to arrange for the use of the Waitara Borough grader, for the purpose of grading off the high sides of the roads, water-table cleaning, etc. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. I In accordance with instructions the inspector I stated ho had taken out the estimates of grad- ; Jng and earthworks on the proposed new bridges |on the Corbett, Richmond and Te ATei mads, Corbett road grading and filling at bridge approaches grade on hill to be reduced from 3 in ; in 5 to lin. in 10, by a 12ft. cutting and a 9ft. [filling. I Continuing; the inspector said: I hare inspected the proposed deviation line from Plymouth road to Koru road, and am of opinion that a very suitable road could be put through at a reasonable cost. The distance is approximately 12 chains. This would shorten the routo to Koru road by 13 chains, thus the cost of metalling and annual maintenance on this 13 chains of road would be saved. lam of opin- : ion that it would be a much better proposition than tho grading of the big hill at an approximate cost of £2OO to £250. Tho approximate jcost for the proposed deviation {grade 1 in 10) !v/as £l5O. The cost of surveying and raising loan would have to be added to this, and as I understand a good deal of free labor would be put into this, a small loan would meet this important piece of work. ■ Estimate for Metalling Plymouth Road—l have inspected this locality with a view to getting the metal handy. Seeing it will require 1700 cubic yards it. is a big item. 3 would recommend foi do the grading on the New Plymouth side of the bridge. By doing this it would possfflly expose the extent of stone o>i the point where it is now showing, and if sufficient stone could be obtained there it would reduce the cost considerably. Falling stone being obtained there, it appears to me the next best proposition is the Oakuva beach. There will also be a further 87 chains of fe»\nation with an approximate expenditure of £l5O. It will cost, say 10s per yard to metal from tho Oakura depot where it could be put on for about 7s if sufficient is available on the Plymouth road. The approximate cost, if done from the Plymouth depot, would be £752, and if done from Oakura, £lOlO. If. was decided to ask the Public Trustee If he would be prepared to exchange land for the closed road at Plymouth road, near Koru. Tt was resolved to ask the Plymouth road settlers If they proposed going on with the work as outlined by the inspector. The reports were then adopted. BRIDGE CARPENTER'S REPORT. The bridge carpenter (Mr W. J. Clare) reported as follows: Mutton Track Culvert—The concrete work in connection with this work has been completed and all false work, etc, has been removed ready to receive the aproaches. Baker Road Bridge. —The concrete support has been erected against the wing wall which was fractured, and all the structure has been cleaned and has received ft coating of tar and paint. Waiwalraiho Bridge, Kaimiro.—l obtained 250 feet of decking for repairs to this bridge and this has been placed in position. Repairs to win" braces and other details have been attended to! Old Bridge, To Henui.—This bridge is now being dismantled and I am sending all the iron bark to the WatwakaJho depot and am taking some of the old timbers to construct a small crossing leading to Waiwakaiho River, Lower Mangorei Lepper Road Bridge, Lepperton I am sending some boxing, timber to this bridge, and propose to make a beginning with the extension of the concrete side walls next wee l : Saunders Cqrrington Road Bridges.—No. 1 | bridge has been completed and all false work 'has been removed. No. 2 bridge is now in course of erection. Oxford Road Bridge.—Ail tho repairs to the concrete walls have been carried out and the stono which was causing an obstruction has been removed and the river brought back to its original cour3e. Some new decking has been placed in position. Bridges In Waitara Riding.—As requested I have prepared estimates for the following concrete bridges, with fourteen feet clear roadway2. Waiongona bridge, Lepperton, Corbett Road bridge,- Mill bridge, Sentry Hill, Te; Arel bridge.

".It: was decided that the necessary steps be taken to raise a loan for the amount estimated necessary to renew the above bridtres in the Waitara riding, namely £451; and that application be made to the State Advances Deportment for tie loan. The report was adopted. 1 CORRESPONDENCE. W, Rarnctt wrote, In reply to an inquiry la to what tiio settlers on tile unmetalied portion of the Ngamotij Koad were prepared to contribute towards the cost of metalling, that they were not prepared to contribute anything, as ttiey thought the least the council could do was <o make up the balance necessary to complete work. It was decided to forward a copy of the letter (o the Minister, and ask for a further grant 'owards the work. ISenoni White wrote in reply to a communlration from the council in regard to the pronosed extension of work on the Jfangorei Iload, asking what would be the corresponding extension of the ruling urea to be included. He pointed out that property owners along the proposed '"extension" portion of the road wero already paying a special rate for metalling tin; toad, and he thought the council should not Increase the bufden on the petitioners already in the special rating area. It was decided to notify that it was for the settlers to determine the area to be included nnd the clerk would then be In a position to ftate the amount of special rate necessary to •ueet the liability. The State Advances Department wrote in reply to the council's application for consent to n loan of £60,000 for tar-sealing the countv reads, stating that, provided tin loan was raised «t a r*u fit jatiiait not fUirilM 0K j Mt mast.

1 per annum to the lender the department would lay the matter before the Acting Minister of ' Finance for his consideration. | A communication was received from the I Public Trust Department, staling that the coun--1 cil's application for u loan of £60,000 had been granted at nvi per cent, per annum interest, plus 1% per cent, .sinking fund, for a term of 20 yearn. A premium of one per cent, interest was asked on ail moneys not lifted by July 28 next. In view of the report of the commission being favorable to the formation of the proposed Inglev/nod County, it was resolved to omit the rmount proposed to be spent in the Roa Riding, and to make an amended application for a loan *f £40,000. In regard to the premium asked for, it was decided to write to the Public Trust Office, protesting that such a course was not customary. The Public Works Department wrote in regard to the grant for the Monona Stream bridge, stating th:it of the original grant of £470, the council had received it progress payment of £9O on girders, etc., and the balance therefore was £:58o. The resident engineer having reported that the work .now would cost £530, Authority for the extra £ir»o was being issued. It was decided that the work should be proreeded with as soon as weather conditions were favorable. GENERAL. The chairman was ar-pointed to represent the county at the forthcoming County Associations Conference.

The town cleric of the Borough of New Plymouth wrote to the effect that the Borough Council was unable to accept the County Countil's offer in regard to pi. Native Reserve 23, and lots 27 and 32, section 120, Gleiiavon, for sale lis a metal reserve.—Received.

The Minister of Agriculture wrote acknowledging receipt of a copy of the resolution passed by the council on the subject of iho necessity for Iho strict enforcement of the Noxious Weeds Act, and stated that the representations would nceive careful consideration.

A copy of the report of the commjsslon respecting the proposed Inglewood County was received from tile Minister of Internal Affairs. Consideration of the report was deferred till next meeting.

The Minister of Internal Affairs wrote ]n regard to objects on which local bodies might spend money out of their funds on permanent peace memorials. Legislation was to bo introduced providing for (a) renewing the provisions of section 30 of the Appropriation Act, 1918; (b) authorising local bodies to spend money on permanent peace memorials; and (c) enabling local bodies to borrow money for the purpose of peace memorials, subject to a poil. of tile ratepayers. The objects considered suitable were town halls, libraries, swimming baths, fountains, avenues of trees, band rotundas. parks, recreation grounds and statues. No moneys could be spent on peace memorials which were required by law to be used for other specific purposes. It was pointed' out that this would have no hcarinr on the Government subsidy in connection with pence celebrations, which subsidy would not ho paid in respect of permanent jieace memorials. Accounts were passed for onyment as follows • General expenses, £722 3s KM; Hon liijii.i;' 52" 8s M; M'lEoi'ei, £321 2s 4d; Waitara' £2.9 Is; Omata, £lsl 3s lid; Okato, £?*} 18s 2d; total, £1941 Cs Cd.