TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1919, Page IV

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. ' The monthly meeting of- the Taranakl County Council was held yesterday, there being preseut Crs. J. 3. Comiett (chairman), A. E. Laurence, .T. B. Simpson, .7. Wooldridge, C. Andrews, S. Victors, A. Morton, G. Caliper, and ,1. Andrews.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. The chairman reported on the meetings held throughout the several ridings In connection with the road improvement loan proposals, and the carrying of the poll. It now became the duty of the council to see that no time was losi .n carrying out tho work. Good work had been done on tho borough job on the South Uofid, which should he completed in about a week, after which the metal required for patching would bo sont out lo tho foremen. 1. Stringer, a provlous employee of the council (had been appointed driver of the small Toller, .which was now ready for the road. D. Paton I had been appointed motor lorry driver. Twentv-throo tons of straw chaff had been purchased from Mr C, Colßon. Mr McCnbe'3 reciuest for material for a foot bridge ovqr ww Oakura river at Koru had been referred to the bridge carpenter for an estimate of the cost. Tenders had been acoeplod from H. Corbett for 500 yards of boulders on Daren road, from P. Putt for 500 yards on Perth road, and from A. Humphreys for breaking 50 yards boulders for the Puniho-Carrington road, and 50 yards pit metal for Punlho road ut Brooklands factory. The report was adopted and the chalrmau'3 I actions endorsed.

REPORT ON PLANT. Engine-driver Phllpott reported doing rolllrif and scarifying work on Devon road (three! (days) and the balance of the time was occupied on tho Main South Road tor tho Borough' lof New Plymouth. Engine-driver Mackle reI ported having crushed 998 yards for the month, :924 of which went to the borough for tho (South road metalling. Tho chairman reported that the whole job would take about 1200 yardfl and' would shortly bo completod.

RIDING REPORTS. Reports on the work In the various ridings were submitted by the various road foremen, 'most of whom had been engaged throughout the month on tho usual maintenance work. In the Moa Riding, Foreman Heal stated he had i spread all tho available metal on Hursthouse : road, but more was- needed at once, as the road jwas worn out. The decking on the chain ! bridge required attention. In the Mangorel' riding Foreman Batten applied for ten 91n pipe* Ito replace broken earthenware pines. Foremam Mullnn and F. Holmes (Waitara riding) reported being ongaged with the crushing plant, i The latter applied to bo relieved from such work, having been six months off his length,, and being desirous of getting back to get roads, in order. Foreman Palmer'tlpplied for W yards of metal for ropalrs to tlto Waitara road and 16 for Tata road, Foreman Eva (Omata) reported ho had to spend two days banking up Elliot road, which had been torn down by heavy carting for the Westown Dairy Company. In tho Okato riding Foreman McGrath. reported having formed 150 chains on the Lower Plymouth road. Messrs G. Green, H. Watson, C. Kruty, and N. Berrldgo, supplied horses for the grader, ploughs and their own free labor. Tho Koru road at the hall was overgrown with gorse anil at Mr W. Scott's frontage the watertables were blocked and the water was scouring out the metal. Foreman Meredith reported having constructed a culvert on tbo Komene road, and he required twelve 9in pipes to complete, the culverts on that road. Foreman Hayes reported the fillings at uie Saunders road bridge were completed, and those, at the Carrington road bridge would be finished In a few days. The pipes applied for by several foremen were authorised, and metal supplies' will be sent out as soon as the job on thai South road Is completed. It was decided to notify the bridge carpenter that the chain bridge required attention. It was resolved to notify J. Reeve to remove obstructions in culverts on the Lepper South road. It was decided to forward to the Westown Dairy Company an account for the cost of banking up Elliot road. A vote of thanks was passed to ratepayers for assisting in work In the Okato riding. It was decided to notify Mr W. Scott to clear gorse from his frontage.

It was decided to make a demand on the Eginont County, In accordance with tho finding of the commission, for 15 per cent of the upkeep of the Saunders-Carrlngton road.

BRIDGE CARPENTER'S REPORT. The bridge carpenter reported as follows: Foreman Mallon's house has boon completed at Bell Block. The Bark Whare Bridge, Tarikl, was closed on Sunday the 17th Inst., the whole of tho decking was removed, two new stringers were pieced In position and some of the decking renewed. As all the stringers were totara I deemed it advisable to erect two notlco boards limiting the traffic to six tons. The County Garage h.is been removed from Vogeltown to the Walwakalho depot, ready for erection there. Concrete Culvert, Lepperton.— Alt tho material !r now on the site and a start has been made with the extension of the parapet walls. Saunders-Carrlngton Road Bridges.—The approaches and rubble walla to Xo. 1 bridge are practically completed and another week or two' two will see tho approaches completed to No. 2 bridge. Proposed Suspension Bridge, Korn Road.—As instructed I hiive prepared an estimate for a foot suspension bridge on this road and the total cost for material only will be £Ol. It was decided to Inform Mr McCabe that the council could not see Its way to expend any money on the erection of a suspension bridge over the Oakura river at Koru.

CORRESPONDENCE. Tile' engineer of the Borough of New Plymouth, wrote asking If the council would favorably consider letting the Borough Council take graval washed up on that portion of the beach which the county had taken over from Mr Parkins . It was pointed out that the gravel was of a shifting nature, being washed up by one tide and taken out to Bea by another, and that by granting the council permission to take the gravel (on royalty) the county would gain revenue on what at present was not being taken aovantago of.

It was stated by tho chairman that all the metal was required by' the county. It had only been during a short Interval, when the council's teams had been engaged elsewhere, that any metal had been lost. The question erterlng into an arrangement with ihe borough iu regard to beach gravel was left In the hands o' the chairman to go Into with the borough authorities.

The Inglewood Borough Council asked h* tie Tarannk' County Council would contribute towards the cost of the re-erection of the Inglewood public pound, which, being a district pound, served a considerable portion of the Taranakl County.

Tho opinion was expressed that tho pound was not of much service to the county, and no action was taken.

The Mannwatu County Council asked support to the following resolution: That tho ous county councils over tho roads of which the through motor mail service passes, be written to asking them to Join with the Mannwatu County Council in demanding a subsidy from the Government to repair the serious damage done to the roads, by tho mail service and other motor vehicles, which owing to the "railway cut" are at pressnt conducting through traffic, and that the members for the districts bo asked to assist in sscuring such subsidy. Cr Morton said tho request, was a reasonable one, as all the main roads were being subjected to severe wear on nccount of the railway restrictions, and ho moved that tho council endorse ,the resolution of the ManaWatu Council.

In seconding the motion Cr Tickers said there were complaints in his district as to the speed of mail cars He did not lmnw wneriier they had any particular license to travel at a high speed on account of carrying malls. The motion was carried.

In regard to the closing of the Old Albert Ttcad, tho New Plymouth Borough Council asked that tho work be carried out 119 expeditiously as possible. The matter was left In the hands of the chairman and Cr Morton to attend to. .T. I. Thomason, Egmont Village, asked permission to fence in the bank on the road opposite Mr Atkinson's place, as It Is full of noxious weeds. He recognised he would bo responsible for anything that might happen on that portion of the road.—Permission granted subject to usual conditions.

E. .T. King, New Plymouth, wrote calling the council's attention to the state of tho road leading to his property, lately owned by Mr Todd, Frnnkley Road. He offered to do the work required If the council gave a grant, or If the council gave £ for £ he would supply the gravel.

P. J. Petersen wrote asking the council to Improve the Pennington road, Waltars, In order to glvo him an outlet to the Waltara road factory. The above .matters were referred to the engineer. Tho chairman of the Moa Road Hoard, wrote at the board's direction, asking the council's assistance in a concerted action with regard to the development by the State of hydro-olectrlc piwer for the districts, for the following rea-sons:-—(1) That as tho State has already developed, or partly developed, other schemes, the T.iranakl province Is entitled to like consideration. (2) That as the State requires bare Interes! on outlay tho production of power would be on the largest scale warranted by tho streams and the power would reach consumers ai coat rate. (3) That a general and cxtensivo survey would profnblv disclose other schemes of a magnitude sufficient to woirant their Inclusion In the general unlted-up scheme for the North Island now among the piaus o\ the Government's chief electrical engineer.

It was decided to refer the letter to the Taranakl Hydro-electric League, for an expression of opinion. "S« IWinca SworUnn* (Jtawaxj Qrour

Office) wroto that the royalty em all boulders, shingle, sand or other material removed from or transported across any portion of the property known as the Hewa Rewa Klfia Range, was 6d per load.

It was decided to acknowledge the letter and hold over the making of any arrangements until the engineer had gone Into the matter Four ratepayers on the Carrtngton road south of the Klrl stream, wrote to the council stating they believed the council had money in hand for the further metalling of the road, and also amounts accrued from the lands adjoining. They therefore asked that the road should receive the council's attention, as beyond the present metalled portion. It to In a very bad state preventing the taking In of material for fencing, etc.

The chairman stated that tho amount accrued was £l7, and It was decided to. leave tli* matter In the hands of the engineer to Inspect the road and make a recommendation as to the expenditure of .moneys available The Public Trust Office wrote for plana of the proposed deviation of the Plymouth road, and the old road which It Is proposed should be exchanged for the. new one.

Mr G. S. Morton wrote that he was prepared to allow the deviation to go through his property on condition of the council fencing the same on both sides and erecting two swing gates, and that the portion Qf the Plymouth road to be closed be added to his land in exchange for the portion acquired for the new roadway.

A petition was received from a number of ratepayers on the Egm'ont road urging on the council the nocesslty of removing the accumulation of grass growth on either side of the road, which had reduced the width of the metal portion to about 10 feet, which made it very inconvenient when passing other vehicle* on the road.

Mosars W. Stanley and A. Marsh wilted on the council la support of the petition, »ad urged that ther« was a great deal of traffic ou the road, which was now practically the second road in the county. They bad recognised during the war period the dlffleultles under which the council had to work, hut now the. war was over they thought the council should undertake the work. Mr Stanley said fie district had given a block vote In favor of the tar-seallng, and he hoped that the Egmont road wculd be made ready to receive a coat of I t.tr when the tbuo was opportune. He referred to the high grades on the road and hoped soma attention would be glvon to them w'th a v|ew to tar-seallng. He offered to supply a team in order (o help in any work undertaken.

The chairman said that the matter would receive the attention of the new engineer at the earliest possible moment. The council had had thij matter In view for some while, but, owing to haying undertaken soma work for the borcugh council It had not been done as soon as it would have been. Mr Connett expressed appreciation of tho support given by tbe ratepayers In the district to the tar-seallng loan.

GENERAL. Formal resolutions were passed In connection with the raising of money for the road improvements recently authorised by the ratepayers.

A- discussion took place on the question of putting the vehicles licensing by-law Into operation. It was resolved h> adhere to the decision to put. the by-law into operation on Octo« ber 1, and that an inspector be appointed. A committee was set up to consider tho method of collecting the fees and du:tes of the inspector.

Tho secretary of the Now Zetland Counties' Association,' mote that the executive had declaed, owing to the rallwaj restrictions, to postpone indefinitely the conference which was to have been held on Septembnr l 3. It was hoped, however, to be able to hold the conference during the session of Parliament. The Manukau County Council wrote thanking 11 if Taranakl Council for the assistance given to their engineer (Mr Lopdell) and clerk (Mr Ash-, croft) In regard to the raising of loan moneys for road improvements, during the council's recent short visit to Taranakl. Accounts amounting to £I7BO 18* Td were passed as followa:—General expenses £749 6a Bd, Moa Riding £99'3» sd, Mangorei £B4 8s