STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1919, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

V THIr . MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held yesterday. Present: Messrs. E. Walter (chairman), Mackay, Buskin, Worthlngton, Were, Coleman, O'Nell, Hancock and Anderson. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. 1. W. Spence) reported as follows: North Riding (East). —General maintenance work has heen carried on on the Stanley, Croydon West, Stanley-Croydon, Kahourl and Cross Roads. The last two roads are In a weak state, with llttlo or no maintenance metal available. A small quantity of metal originally Intended for Cross Road had to be taken for repairing the Mountain Road. North Riding , (West) .—The Mountain Road Is now giving very considerable trouble. After being well patched. It is again in a f-ry bad state, caused through the extra heavy traffic during "is wet weather. The heavy truffle has materially Increased since the present railway restrictions have been In force. The road from the borough boundary to Mldhirst Is In a very Weak condition, In moat placeß carrying only a very thin coat of .metal.

South Riding.—Most of the roads to this riding have received more or less attention. A portion of the Wingrovo Road was scarified and re-dressed with" a light coat of broken metal, after which it was rolled. In breaking up this road It was found that the metal coating is very light, and cannot be re-faced without the addition of now metal East Riding (Toko). —The work on tlie Waiwlri Road, which had to bo stopped on account of the wet weather, has not .been proceeded with, owing to the difficulty of carting the metal from the pit to the Toad. The portion of the road between the end of the Te-faclng and Mr. Milne's gate suffered considerably through the heavy metal carting. The worst holes have been filled in with heavy shellrock. General maintenance work has been done on other portions of this rrfdd. The continued wet weather and extra traffic hove affected the Ohura Road, necessitating a very considerable amount of patching. On the Toko Road East a -portion of the road slipped into the Makurl stream. This has beon attended to and made safe fot traffic. Kast Riding (Iliiiroa).—l vlsijted the council's property at Huiroa, where I found the pegs in good order. The back line of the sections will require to be set out and cut through the bush before the fence is erected. I beg to submit for the council's approval a plan of the cottage proposed to be orected at Huiroa for the use of the foreman. The present foreman for this riding wishes to be relieved of hla duties on <jr about August 9. East Riding (Douglas).—Tho greater part of Mangatuku Road is now in fair order. The portion of road between the Makurl bridge and the Douglas side of the Horse-shoe Saddle is In a weak state, and will require a considerable amount of attention during the winter. Mangaehu Riding—The work for the month ; has consisted of general road repair work. It s ,, been necessary to use about 35 yards of ; shoUrock at the Tututawa factory to repair tho Piwiwhakau Road from the factory to the Mangatuku Road. An offer has been made for i breaking 350 cubic yards of shellrock at Ward's. West Riding.—The overhanging scrub has been | cut at Clemow's cutting, and on a portion of lOpunake No. 3. A set of 9-Inch pipes has been | laid at the junction of the Hastie and Opunake is oß^ B ' About two chains o£ the Lower Palmer

shingle supplied by Cr. Anderson. About 100 yards of boulders lad been put aside when the shingle wan, being taken out. Tho teams being available, It ('ld not aeom vise to allow the boulders to be spread and covered with shingle during the first flood. I therefore gave Instructions to hare the boulders carted to the top of the terrace. Bridge Work.—Bridge on, Ten Road: Three 'new hardwood stringers have been placed in .this bridge. Mfikurl bridge: Props hava been placed under the stringers, and a considerable amount of dead-loading lias been removed. Tutiitawa bridge: The truss on one side of this bridge has been renewed, and tho main stringers drawn almost up to original level. Now sills and props liave been placed under tho strlnjers on the south end. Esk Itoud: Tho boulders for tho bridge on tills road have been crushed. General.—Both crushing plants have been brought in and are now being overhauled. The report was adopted.

An application by tho Stratford Dairy Company for 15 yards of boulders to be used in tho construction of tho Douglas factory was granted, tho engineer to Ox a price. An offer of 5s per yard for napping shellrock at Ward's was rejected, on the ground that it was too high. It was decided to ask the settlers interested In the Esk Itoad bridge to accept responsibility for any cost of the new bridge over £450. COUN'TV BOUNDARIES. The Lands and Survey Office wrote stating that since sending the lltho allowing the boundaries of tho proposed new lnglenood county lie hud been Informed that there would probably be some objection on tho part of the ratepayers at tho eastern side of the proposed addition. As they were now only about six or sevon mil* from the railway, and roads thereto are being completed or put in order for traffic, there was reason In tlietr contention that their cartage would tend to come more from the railway. It was expected that It would ultimately lead to the eastern portion referred to being absorbed into the Stratford and Wbabgamomona Counties, and accordingly they wished to alter the recommendation to the area shown in the lltho enclosed. Tho eastern boundary proposed was a natural boundary along the top of a high range, and would obviate the proposed Inglewood county having to send machinery over it. Tho chairman moved that tho Minister be Informed that the council disagreed with tho proposed alteration, on the grounds that the Stratford County and the ratepayor3 In tho district which it was proposed to include in the Stratford County had no community of interest, and, further, tho settlers themselves desired to be In the Clifton County, This was carried, and it was decided to point out that It would bo as difficult for tho Stratford County Council to get machinery in as for tho Clifton County Council COUNTIES' CONFEBENCB.

The secretary to the Counties Conference wrote in referenco to the proposal that a Turanaki Counties Association or Local Bodies Association bo formed, and inviting tho council to attend a meeting of tho conference at Eltham to-day (Friday), at 10.30. to consider tho .t r ' w to for 'he meeting to decide' whether the association should include: (a) All Taranakl local bodies, or (b) separato assocla-' tlons—ono for county councils and another for boroughs and town districts. The chairman reported on what had been dono at tho New Plvmouth conference. The Taranakl County's bvaw had been condoned, hut it was not to come no operation thi October 1. If no other way fhit i 0 1", for revenue lis believed that tho by-law wonH como into forco. (> J? ™. sal<l h< > thought a toll-gate would bo adopted instead. The Mayor said ho would at tend the Wtham/eonference. 0 U at J''; w - J - Tristram wroto stating that the ?°!' c " or 3 had been unable to complete tho bylaws drafted by tho Taranakl Counties Cona result of which the meeting fixed ,''! e Instant could not be held. He sug'"rhfi ." me6tln B be held on the 22nd —Chairman to attend. A COMBINED QUABRY. htS? County Council wrote urging com- » « with a view to having quarries <m the Mountain reserve near Walpuku, where It was claimed that unlimited supplies were " aU n a „ b "p. The chalmSr said he eld not know that the Government had ever given a reason for closing the quarry Cr An &1 o So,d k th fi what ™ s important w£ S U assure themselves that there q Msilto m ? tal , on tilß Mountain reserve. It was lecessary to know before approaching the Gov emment. The chairman: "If m u/pZli Z f a to open tho q'tarrv It ( would Inform us of tho reason for casing , , .1 Anderson; stone that would bo aultment" Th« S, i lts , bl(, for the fi '"'ernS.S. « .!! ehairman asked if it would not ha » w ' lo ' e the counties to unlto ,n prospecting for stone. Cr. Were snmrMtwl notion bo deferred till the matter had been d'sIti fo , rtllcoml nK conference at Btham waa resolved, on tho motion of Cr Were County" Council's 0 ' he Eltha <» BAILWAY TIME-TABLE. t XT™' ? lana ,ll er ol Railways wrote stati?m» i Li 1 alteration could be mado in tho iini ] » Whaneamomona— Stratford H™? p , rcs , i ut tho request for an early moralng train from Whangamomona to enable reside™ to catch the mall train, and aisS SSJ*?- ? ew P'ymouth, would recelyo conRtnrnrf °Tf "ormal conditions we£ «- nZ I .? M menU °ned that In order to conwith tho train for Now Plymouth tho proposed train would require to leavo Tahora (to which station It was expected the line would bo open shortly) at 5 a.m.. and this appeared a3 '" malt ® 11 unlikely that the train ®J. b ® availed of to any extent Cr. Were said here was no doubt that the settlers would use the early train if ono was put on. THE AMOUNT OP RATES. Considerable discussion took nlaca mi »i,« moved as an amendment that -J£^a«satfc

nJi'i Ha ncoclc urged that when a riding did Should'™ Its expenditure within bounds tho rate honw IVT, " was , not lieht """ one riding fil.iUi !5 10 P a y interest on overdraft for which another riding was responsible seconded tho amendment, and J opinl ?? t was that they should all go up a farthing. His riding had been paying for twice tho overdraft it was getting Cr O'Noll said he did not thliik tho South Mm „ w 2 3 £ •!£ a s l uare deal in respect to !mi.. Slu thought the wholo of the g<fup exception of the South, should

f Cr ;, An , ci 5 Son saw no necessity for an Increase Slv !?. B ' Tl| ey had already gone fully into the iwaition, and had prepared their estimates, and the engineer had told them that it . lho woriJ wovlded for In the estimates was parried out there would bo no humhn* 1 a i o ,!"' El,her ,ho estimates were all humbug or there was no need to Increase the rate as proposed by Cr. Mackay. .S' o ' N «'< said they wanted another £I2OO of f u i" .i 3 , ns before they would be on a level with other ridings The chairman said that the South Ridinir was overlooking the fact that it was getting £6OO riding 1, , .t to "* Bato . which the other a them to get. This was more than not s c^ c ,r u . tha ' ,he weat ™

Cr. Anderson said 'that if the extra farthlne r„ °hp n'n n" red . ucin S the overdraft there JmE I I . , all " T<nmd increase of a farthing ho o m ridtnc was to go up a farthing he would want it spent on the roada. a similar view was expressed by Cr. O'Neil It was finally decided that the rates In the Not,h aml Soull > Ridings be raised °v,l m o"vJ s tho rate as Allows: North Mangalu 4d." % : ' 3%d; WeSt ' 3 * d J GENERAL. pl l airßliln intimated that tho following additional grams had been applied for from the C^nTcw 1 M ° t . alan ff Portion of Stanley Road, i r. .. 1: Upper Manila Road. £2OO- - 100; Tututawa bridge, £l5O ihSrt. 1 " 5 iSf teldge £400); stalling the £000) 10 81 £l °° (raaWnß a total of

f ran ß er „ "Ported that the roads had been ll J a f° 0 L sloclt - had been received about bullocks wandering on the Bird Road, and ho had found that they belonged to 'n ran" aC u° r 'l lmd beon Uri!C<l t0 WOSeCUtO a man who had permitted cattle to bo at lnree on the roads at Midhirst.—Adopted. The district health officer wToto reooinmendng certain sanitary Improvements in connection with a house at Wharehula, In which a caso of diphtheria -.had occurred.—Received. Mr. Alex. Boyd (Toko) wrote stating that he would require a royalty of sixpence per yard on all stone taken out of the Patea River over his place for the Raupuha Road.—lt was decided to pay the amount.

The Stratford Borouch Council wrote requesting the council to take part In the peace procession at Stratford on the 19th and 21st instaats.—Received.

, W. H. Rutledge (Midhirst) wrote stating that teams employed by the council had on two occasions removed shingle from tho bed of tho Te Poao stream of -jhieh ho was part owner He understood tho «s>;!neer obtained his authorSnlrt"? t Midhirst Dairy Company, which had failed to state that he (Mr. Rutledge) had an W i <hcm el7in S hlm equal rights \ B i. oni! ' Bol<l an,i oUier Precious 1 meui»-<if AaU ttu* autjauyini)