EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1919, Page 2

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

, MONTHLY MEETING, At the ordinary meeting, held on Saturday, there were present: Crs. Wright (chair), Coffin, Young, Sinclair, Green, Forsyth, O'Brien, Watson, and Campbell. A copy of report of conference of representatives from Taranaki towns, at which a resolution was carried asking all local bodies to appoint Saturday as the weekly half-holiday for all towns and districts, was received. A fee of 10s was also asked for.—Cr. Green considered that this was a matter for the town, and that tho County had better keep its 10s. He considered, however, that the movement was detrimental, and had been thrown out In districts' whore tried. —It was resolved that the letter He on tho table. Cr. Green said that, there was difficulty about the drain outside tho offlco.—lt was resolved, on his motion, that the engineer attend to it. Thei Treasury advised tho lodgment of £IOOO to the Council's bank account—subsidy for outlying district £SOO (a l%d reduced to %d) and for Parihaka Road Board £SOO (13-16 d reduced to %d). The Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs wrote giving permission to tho Council to remove from metal pit on Mr. Prosser'a property the remains of any native bodies that may be found therein. Will Lawson wroto asking tho Council to put before their meeting tho scheme of a booklet dealing with this part of Taranaki, and asking for a subsidy of £ls.—lt was resolved. that the letter lie on the table,. The Taranaki Education Board's request for on open drain along the Te Kfri school frontage aud residence, in order to prevent water flowing on to the school proporty.—The matter was left for the englneor to report on. Cr. Sinclair moved; That all casual workers employed by tho Council be paid for actual time worked at the' rate of pay obtaining from time to time in tho district for similar work. Tho motion was carried, with the addition of the clause "that each foreman have two permanent and tho rest casual hands." It was notlflod that tho Egmont County have been advised that the Commission set up to go into the question of the petition from residents in the Oeo Riding of the Egmont County, praying to bo taken Into Wairaate West, will not sit as originally arranged on October 15. The meeting is put off till a further dato to be decided. Tho Superintendent of the State Advances mate that tho maximum amount available by any county is now £IO,OOO, and that as £sooo..had been applied for, only £SOOO now would bo considered. In reply to Cr. O'Brien, the chairman said that subsidy was not allowed on all rates collected. The subsidy was 5s In the £ on the total rates, reduced to %<L If a county levied there was no subsidy on anything above %d, and only up to £IO,OOO of rates colTho chairman said that subsidy was the main question at tho conference, the idea being to get a grant. Cr. Green said that if they got the 10s proposed they would need no loans. A letter was received from' Messrs. Roy and Nicholson, asking for information as to the amount, of compensation payable by the parihaka Road Board, now merged in the County, in return for the aero taken from Mr. Symons for deviation of Pungarehu road in 1914.—The matter was left to eb looked into at a latoT mooting. The Eltham County Council forwarded bal-ance-sheet for 1917-18, showing expenditure on Auroa road and amended account giving total expenditure to March SI, 1919. This showed that the balance duo by the Council totals £546 0s 7d. The total payments on account of Kchely's contract alone amounted to £2560 4s 2d. Councillors agreed that. It was out of all reason to allow the matter to go on for years, and that' it' should bo charged up quarterly. Cr. Green said it was time they looked into the original understanding. It had been agreed to pay up to a certain only. Ho said he was afraid some of our lata Council must have been asleep. Tho matter was adjourned till nest meeting for further enquiry. The Taranaki County Council wrote advising that tho amount due by Egmont for maintenance' of Oxford, Saunders, and Carrington roads is £IS9 14s to August 81, 1919. Cr. Green said he took exception to this claim, because the Taranaki County were collecting tolls while these charges were proceeding. In face of these, too, the Council would put on the wheel tax. The matter was held over till next meeting. • ENGINEER'S REPORT. Tho engineer reported, inter alia, as fol- ' Oeo Riding (Northern)— The Austin roller and scarifier were sent out to the OpunakeStratford road on the 25th of the month to scarify a length of road on the west side of Punehu river. This we were able to do through tho generosity of tho settlers on tho read turning out with their teams free of cost to the Council. Work has also been done to the top end of the Kirl road by one of the settlers there. Pipes have been delivered on tho Kirl road I have examined tho drain opposite Mr.' Mulligan's property on the Kirl road, and have given instructions for about three chains of it to be cleaned out. I bog to submit to vou an offer for a foreman's residence at Te Klri. A 2ft pipe culvert is being put in across the Eltham road beyond Te Kirl. Oeo Riding (Southern)— The Oeo and Patikl roads have been patched in places for their entire length, and tho cutting on Skeet road near Ouri bridge has been widened, and the filling used to improve the junction of tho Skeet and Patikl roads. Two new joists have been put into the Ouri bridge on the Main South road, and the docking of tho bridge repaired; tho decking of the bridge over tho Punehu Tlver has also been repaired. Opua Riding (Southern)— The Ihaia road has had a new line of 12-inch pipes put across, and two days have been spent In patching the road. Four' new lines of pipes have been put across tho Walteika road, a fair amount 1914. —The matter was left to be looked into attended to. Owing to the demand for cortcrte pipes a. fair amount of time has been spent In the yards on the work of making concrete pipes. General)— Damage having been caused to bridges by careless motor lorry drivers, 1 would suggest that at next conference It be suggested that all these drivers be licensed Adopted.