ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1920, Page 2

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Elthaifti County Council met on Saturday. Present: Councillors C. ,T. Belcher (chairman), A. Messana, C. It. McGuinfiess, A. Campbell, E. J. Gilford, and W. M. Barker; with the clerk (Mr. A. Tiplady) and the . engineer (Mr. M. Fitzgerald). An apology for absence was received from Cr. A. McWlillaim. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald) reported as follows; South Riding.—Work on the Boylan Road was stopped during the wet weather, but good progress has been made since and the metalling will be completed this week. The steam Toller provecr too heavy for the job and a much more satisfactory and even surface would have been obtained with a lighter engine. Other work In the Riding included general work on Rotokare, Dalziel, Stuart and Skeet roads. Mangatpki aiding.—Work done Includes general maintenance on Palmer, Duthie and Eltham roads; a new culvert in tower Stuart Road and repairs to culverts in Upper Hastings Road. Work in this Riding Is backward owing to the men being employed on the Boylan Road Job, but conditions will rapidly improve from now on. Hedge cutters have been burning trimmings on the sides of tarred roads In this Riding. I should be glad if councillors would point out to the culprits that this practice burns the tar and destroys the road surface. A census of traffic passing through the toll«gate was taken at the request of the Taranakl Commission and gave the following results; Daily traffic, 380 tons; traffic to or from this ,County, 75 tons; foreign traffic, 17 tons. Omona Riding.—The work in this Riding has been mainly clearing slips and attending to water-tables-*on the Rawhltiroa, Mataiwhetu and Waltirl roads. A large "wash-out" occurred just beyond Omona. Kaponga Riding.—Work of a general nature has been done on Auroa. Palmer, Eltham and Mangawhero roads. The foreman reports that wood Is being stacked on the Manga-' whero Road and he does not know if permission has been given. Mr. Joyce, who farms land on the east side of Manaia Read at the north boundary of Kaponga town, asks for the ditch across his land to be cleaned out by the Council. Mr. Joyce states that some arrangement was >mrife between a previous occupier nnd this Council, tut node of your present officers has any knowledge of the matter.

Eltham Riding—Work of a general nature was done on Mangamlngl, Bangster and Rawhitlroa roads. A considerable number of small slips occurred on the ridge. Parts of Rawhitiroa and Mangamingi roads have been patched.

General.—The tar boilers have been patched as arranged by my predecessor. lam ill formed that the new chip crusher will not leave England before the end of this month at the earliest, so I anticipate some difficulty In securing sufficient chins for tarspraying this year. Shortage of benzine has been very acute during the past month and the Daimler lorry has been kept in the depot on this account. The other two lorries, have been used for Boylan Road, and have "been worked for two or three weeks on spirit we managed to borrow locally. During this, the first month of my office, I have inspected practically all your metalled roads, but there has not been time to see much of the unmetalfcd lengths. Work in the "back blocks" is being carried on this winter on stellar lines as in the past, and I believe that complaints about blocked roads refer to rqads which become impassable for waggons winter—a state of things which can be overcome. but only If labor and money Is found for the purpose. CORRESPONDENCE. The Hawera County Council wrote agreeing to the Council's request that It be given control of a portion of the Fraser Road, as outlined by the Council —Received, The Walmate Wect County Council wrote that the existing arrangement regarding the Palmer Road, to the effect that each county maintain half, having proved satisfactory, the Council did not consider It necessary to make any further arrangements in connection with the road at-present. The Council also notified Its Intention to refaco and tar their portion of this nnd other roads out of loan moneys, a proposal for which would be submitted to the ratepayers at an early• date.— Received.

The Primp, Minister acknowledged reccmt of the. Council's resolutions regarding native rates and the Housing Act, and Sir William Herries (Minister of Customs) wrote with reference to the request that the duty on children's footwear he removed, stating that this matter would receive attrition when the tariff schedules were under review.—The letters were received. The Tnranaki Hydro-Electric T.engue wrote asking if the Council would be prepared to contribute towards the cost of obtaining expert advice Concerning the sources of power in Taranaki, and stating that the Council's contribution would be £BS out of a total of £7<!o. Should a power board be foiimcd this contribution would he refunded.—Decided to defer consideration for a month. The New Plymouth Borough Council wrote asking the Council to contribute towards the cost of conducting the case against the Taranaki County .Council's vehicle licensing by* h!w.—The Council demded not to contribute The Hawern Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote asking that a resolution passed by the contributing local bodies to the Taranaki (New Plymouth) Hospital District, and which had nlao been endorsed by tile Hawera Board, should he endorsed by the Council. The resolution was as follows"That this conference of representatives of local bodies in the Taranaki Hospital district strongly urges the Valuer-General to have the land comprised in each hospital district rc-vnlued simultaneously, falling which, that the re-valuation of lands of any one local body should not be used for hospital levy purposes until the whole of the re-valuatlon of that hospital district ara available."—'The chairman remarked that he did not think the Government would do anything In the matter, A motion that the Council support the resolution was defeated on the voices. ' The \Valtnalri (Christchurch) County Council wrote asking the Council's support to the following resolution recently passed by that hody:—"That this Council ask the North County Hospital and Charitable Aid Board tq urge the Government to promote legislation to allow hospital boards to borrow money for permanent buildings, and the Government to grant n subsidy on all (money so raised."— The Council decided to support the resolution. The Hawera County Council wrote stating that from the replies it had received from various local bodies interested 'n Mount Egmont metal, it was quite clear that they could not take advantage of the lowest rate to be charged for the metal, 1.e., under the 60,000 yards quotation. GENERAL The Council decided not to support the resolution of the Hamilton Borough Council asking that the duty on Imported cement should be removed.

The Chief Health Officer notified the formation of a new hospital district to be known as l the Taranakl-Wanganui Hospital District. —Received. The Bank of New Zealand notified that In future the rate of interest on overdrafts would be six per cent,—Received.