ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1920, Page 2

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Eltham County Council met on Saturday. Present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chairman), IV. H. Smith, A. Campbell, C. E. McGulnness, E. J. Gifford, W. E. Carter, A. Mesaana, and W. M Barkeri also the clerk (Mr A. Tiplady), and the engineer (Mr. R. D. Tosswill). ENGINEER'S /REPORT. The County engineer (Mr. R. D. P/wwill) reported as follows: — South Riding.—On the Boylan Road the broken edges of the tar surface have been patched, water-tables have been cleaned, also the outlets of several culverts and patching and blinding of the old <metal portion tm bsvn carried on, more or less continuously. A start has now been made with the rcmetalling of this part of the road. Tar patch- ! tng has beep done as well as water-tabling ' on Mountain and Mangawhero Roads, :iud 'he j outfall drain of a culvert on Stewart Road i liiis been cleaned, but owins to the outlet on private property being choked with siit and , Weeds, the work lias graved of no avail. Slight j maintenance work has also been done on th»> unmetalled portion of Rotokare Road. Mangatokl Riding.—Maintenance work his , been done on Eltham Road, conslst'ng of 1 channelling, etc. Metal shoulders laid down during the previous month were tar pouted and the necessary gravel required for top dressing this road from Duthle Road to ibe Borough boundary was screened and delivered and the work of tar spraying and sandijig same (45,300 sq. yds ) has been completed. Omona Riding—The usual work ot' removing Blips and fallen trees, the cutting of scrub and cleaning of watertftbles has been carried j out on Rawhltiroa, Mataiwhetu and Waitiri I Ujnds and about 50 cubic yards of shed nek has been quarried at the Stream for patching. . With regard to the suggested widening" of the light suspension bridge over the Whenuakura River to make it serviceable for crossing cattle, the approximate cost, over that already authorised for repairs, would be about £3OO. The present cables, if sound below the ground, will be sufficiently strong to carry the cstru width of deck required. Kaponga Riding.—Very satisfactory progress is being made with the re-erection r.f tbe Mangawheroiti Stream Bridge, the present condition of the work being slightly in advance of when damaged by flood on 24th January last, the main and cross beams being complete and work on the deck slab is in hand. Tar patching and sanding has neen completed on the Auroa and Elthnra Roads and on the latter a. side drain, about four chains long, lias been dug to divert the water from crossing the road, the original culvert being too flat to carry the water satfsf icv.rriiv. Work done on Rowan and Opunake Koatfs consisted of water-tabjlng ai>l sl'lght repairs to the deck of the Mangawhero Btidi.e on the latter. Some metal is required for maintenance on the Auroa Road, north of Opunake Road, and the uppermost portion, which was repaired last year and has stmd well, is now showing the effects of he.tvy firewood carting, especially in the soft placoa. Hedge and tree trimmings are allowed to Te* main on' Manaia Road and become a nulsanco although occupiers adjoining have been repeatedly requested to get rid of them. Eltham Riding.—Sand for top dressing Rawhltiroa Road has been sceeened and delivered ana the work of tar patching, spraying and sanding tlie tarred portion of this road (24,800 sq. yds) has been completed. Water-tables on Mnngnmlngl Ridge have received attention and the surface of the road through the valley has been patched with shell-rock and about 50 cubic yards of rock has been napped. On the Wlngrove Road, the. culvert mentioned by Mr. Forrester hns been lowered so as to give better facility for draining the land above. A small timber bridge on the northern end of this road is In a dangerous condition, the central stringer being broken nnd the decking in a state of decay and should be renewed as early as possible. Ditches and culvert outlets on the Aorere Road have been cleaned and water-tabling and general repa.is hnu been carried out on Tiromoa.na Road. The work of removing slips, water-tabling, and repairing the Mangawhero Road extension to Lake Rotokare has been completed from the end of the present metal to Ararata Stream and similar work has been valued and ht frt-m ti:is point to Mr. Wills' house Timber ami iron work for the bridge at Ararata &tr*j?m is on order but is not yet to hand General.—Tar work for the seaso/i is now cample!*, and I would recommend that the tar boilers he thoroughly overhauled and repa'rM iu readiness for next year's wcrk, and tha*. additional small portable tVer for rep i * wct'a be procured at a cost of about C'-M. add'Uonal length of five &nd a quarter miles (31,000 sq. yds.) of tar surfaced roads has been laid down and twentyone and a quarter miles (175,000 sq. yds), have bene top dressed, making a total of twenty-six and a half miles, or an area of 207,000 sq. yd 3. of road treated during the season. CORRESPONDENCE. Prom the Waipa County Council re Immigration policy—The Council decided to give Its support to the matter. Prom tlw Town Clerk of New riymouth, Inviting the Council to give evidence at the inquiry In regard to the motor tax Imposed by the Taranaki County Council.—The chairman said ho would like to see toll gates and wheel taxes abolished. At the sarnie time his sympathies were with the Taranaki County Council, which had a great many roads to keep up and was unable to collect rates from a great many of the users of the roads. After discussion, the chairman and Cr. McGulnness were appointed the Council's delegates to give evidence at the inquiry. GENERAL. Cr. McGulnness moved that the present method of paying the toll-gate keepers by salary, bonus, and relieving allowance, be abandoned, and that a straight out salary of £4 a week be paid.'to the Eltham collector, and £3 5s a week to the Riverlea collector.—The motion was carried. The chairman intimated that the Mayor of Stratford (Mr. J. W. McMillan) had,invited the members of the Council and their wives to be the guests of the Stratford Borough Council on the occasion of tho visit ot' liie Prince of Wales to Stratford. It was decided to accept the invitation, and thank the Mayor of Stratford for his courtesy. A committee consisting of tho chairman and Crs Campbell and Barker was set up to call for applications for the position of engineer to the Council. The Metal Committee recommended that tenders should be called for tlie supply and delivery ot V2OO yards of metal for Skeot Road; that works on tho other roads named in the first portion of the South Riding Loan bo undertaken by use of the Council plant and that the chairman and Cr. Campbell wait upon the Hawera County Council in reference to the portion of Fraser Road under that Council's contract.—The report was adopted. On tho recommendation of the sub-com-mitteo set up at the previous meeting, It was decided to erect a four-roomed cottage for one of tho Council's employees. The Council decided to purchase a team for the purpose of obtaining sand from the river for tarring operations. Mr. Robertson, Lower Stewart Road, waited on the Council and asked that carts going to the .Terseydale factory should be allowed to go to the factory free of toll gate fees. At ftp TWA<i»vv.» timA suppliers had t/» n*r 2a

every time they took their milk to the factory. Jt was decided, on the motion of Cr. Barker, seconded by Cr. McGulnness, that the Coupc.il could not, allow the suppliers to the factory to go through tho toll gate free. ipi,„ f-.-cll decided to take no action at regard to a housing schemo for .., ~js, owing to tho Council's borrowers for the nert financial year being