EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1920, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE MONTHLY MEETINQ. The ordinary meeting of the Egmont County Council waa held yesterday. Present - nl. W. li. Wright (chairman), A. B Coffin' la, Youns I. H. H. Sinclair, W. C. Gr«en 's' J Forsyth, M. O'Brien, and T. c. Watson, ' ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. li. Pease) renorte.i Oeo Hldtag worth) .-The this riding were engaged moat of tlio month on the work of cleaning out water-tables and spreading clay blinding at various places ™ the Mtham Koad. Tho foreman was engaged most of the month on the motor rofkr ou the Opunake Riding. 000 Riding (South).-Tho Main South Road has had a coat of clay blinding betwc™ tti» Oco Hill and Mr. Gamble's gate nd" he water-tables were cleaned out between thn 1 Orn-i Bridge and ruketapu Koad S to cleanings thrown on to the metal. The water tabling on this road had to be ailed In at me h? n rp U ?» 00 acc 1 0UUt of belu e scoured-out by recent heavy rains. About 25 chains of a drain on tho Watlno Road near the oM railway reserve have had to be cleaned as the water flooded the road ■ uurin- vott heavy rain. Timber has now been wocured for repairing the decks of the bridges on She Main South Road, and instructions given for the work to be proceeded with. Opua Elding—Patching has been dona nn the Eithun and ICaweora Roads. Clay blind ins has been done to various short lenrtbs on the Eltham and Main South Roads and a fair amount of water-tabling cleaned out ot different places on the two «nain roads Some repairs have been done to the Waiteika and Taunga'tara brldfees on the Elth™ Road About 2jo yards of crushed metal has heni carted by motor lorry, and dumpea "n "e season Patching through the winter

Opua Hiding (North) .-A few yards of crushed metal have been dumped north of Boad " Br ' dSe f ° r I>atdling tlie Soulh Opunake Riding-Contract No. 347 on the Main South Boad between Allison Street and S!" EH 5 e ? as been completed Sg n# n j ? ar of ousted metal which wore rolled In, and 16 yards dumped tor maintenKahotu Riding (South) .-The men In this Biding have been engaged practically all the month on contract work. . On contract IG7 on the Manlhl Kojid, a total of I9(i yards °' metal was delivered and mid down in two lots. Another portion of contract 34b was put through on the Ngariki Boad, being stone supplied by L. Flsaier to the late Parlhaka Iloud Hoard, which tallied out at 134 yards of crushed metal The contractor then proceeded with Contract "(jj and delivered luo cubic yards of crashed boulder stone which was put down on another twenty chains of the road, making a total f'" 1 , 0f ,„ 44 . dl » ln3 the Main South I Boad scarified and re-metalled. In addition Tu 'jl? funller , len e'h of twenty chains of the same road was scarified, formed, and rolled down without using any new metal The crushing plant then proceeded with tne work of Contract No. 370 for 300 yards of nfiintenance metal fo- the Main South Road between Oacnul and north of the Okalm River ( and whilst engaged on this work the roller was ' taken north of the Okahu and did the scarifying and rolling In without new metal The crushing plant has since been working on the Opourapa Boad, and is now starting at tlio Tipoka Road, which will be reported on next month. General.—A considerable amount of damage has been done to the roads generally wiring the recent rains It is almost impossible to estimate this damage, but there is no doubt about it being real It has been an unsatisfactory month altogether for County work. Two contractors and two loreraen have been down with Infhmeza, a third foreman Is oft duty with a broken wrist and a bridge foreman on account of family affairs will not be able to take up his duties five engine drivers have been appealed to to ta.se up work, and so far the job is still vacant, and it is practically impossible to net cement, benzine, coal, or timber, thoiHi- I have bought some timber locally for bridge work, .ind am expecting ten toils of cement any time to start the Wnltelka Bridge I have examined the Saunders Boad from the Carrington Boad to Oxford Road, and find that from the Currington Boad to the dairy factory is In a wretched condition, being practically like a sandy river bed with a fair amount of large boulders at intervals The road Itself between fences is simpl'v packed with boulder stones of Just the right flize for crushing; below the factory the road sin a much betler condition. It is becoming imperative that the Council go in for some class of motor lorry even if it. is only onj three-ton dump truck.

SAWMILL TRAFFIC, W. C Clement (Eltham) notified that he proposed to put 500 yards of pit metal on waltelka Koad between now and winter or would be prepared to pay the Council a subsidy of £11)0. On the motion of Crs. Rreen and Campbell It was resolved that the offer to place 500 of metal on the road would be accepted, subject to the engineer's approval. SURFACEMEN'S WAGES. Seven employees of the Council petitioned tue Council considering tiiat they had been unfairly treated by not beiiif given an Increase In wages with tlic rest of the employees, as it took them just as much to ive. They felt justified in asking for an increase In wages of two shillings per day. It was only right they should have handling time over three miles, and that It was the workers' right to have Saturday afternoon off by making it up in the weelt. Membors were of opinion that the Council intended to Increase the w.ues of the surfacemen as well as of the others, and it was resolved to increase their wages by Is per day as from hist ,meeting. This would make the wages 14s per day, wet and dry It was also resolved to accede to the request re Saturday half-holiday, when there were no contracts In the respective districts. ■ s GENERAL. *' r ; Pease, County Engineer, was to absence fol ' week owing Cr. O'lirien brought up i. he question of carp ng out some work on the Wlremu Road ?,r ,;»v, Wa ? t ,e3olvcd "Sk the Government re thistadf '° eiPe " U 1,16 Var ' oUS

A. Tynan fPungar&tui), J|umi\ia Tamafi" v /' Dl ' s and Sons (Jpunakt), anil rar.au Tamahauu (Omtnake) llcensef Unted reMwais bUHarti J'r„ F e * oly e<> f° improve the entrance i?L , A "S llt ' ; " 1 Church, which had two fe«° thl! Cuundl ril ' a '"s 'he road The question of making a general rule to cover tile question was also discussed. Cr. Creen moved, and Cr. O'Brien seconded that entrances to all churches, schools, ami lulls Should be made free. An amendment by wTllnif 0 !?,! I ' ors > 111 . ,h »' the Council pa> half the cost, was carried. A letter was received from the Tarnnakl Education Board stating that, the Board would hii t0 be '"formed of the names of chlluren coming under the notice or the Councils officers who wore recehin" little or no education on account or Jiving in re-note woul 1 r'pnn " WaS ' l '' ckled ,hat Councillors «ould report any cases.

yut ' s ''" n ot rating on unimproved value v,':ts deferred sine die.