STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1920, Page 2

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held on Saturday, l'resent: Councillors E. Walter (chairman), A. Coleman, .1. O'Neill, T. R. Anderson, W. H. Were, H. Wortlilnglon, L. Baskin, and S. Pitt. ENGINEER'S REPORT. , The engineer reported:— North Riding (East).—Owing to the amount of heavy carting the Stnnley Road has been badly cut up, a considerable amount of patching Ms been necessary. Extra metal haa been distributed along the northern end. When pipes are available it will be necessary to replace two wooden culverts which are in a weak state. On the Croydon Roal East the loose stones have been raked off, patching, blinding and water-tabling work has been carried out. Kent Terrace, Beaconsßeld, and Salisbury Roads have also received attention. North Riding (West).—One hundred and thirty yards of maintenance metal have been crushed and distributed on the various roads where required. The side track at Walpuku has received a further coat of sand and river shingle. General maintenance work in the way of patching and water-tabling has been done 011 the Upper and Lower Pembroke, Cardiff, Rutland, Denbigh and fountain. Roads. The street to the school in the Midhirst tov.nship has been repaired.. South Riding.—A considerable portion Of the past period has been, taken up with the work of lowering the part of the Finnerty Road opposite the Ngalre dairy factory, the whole of the excavation is completed, and the metal refacing should be finished from the angle In the road to the first bridge within a day or two. On the completion of the Finnerty Road work it Is intended to give the ! far end of the Wingrave Road a light refacing witlL metal. This portion of the road- Is getting into bad repair and requires early at r lention. Mr. Cave who. is undertaking the completion of the Finnerty Road fcvldgo regrets tjat through force of circumstances he has. hot so far been able to proceed rtith the work, but intends making a start on Wednesday next.

East Riding (Toko).—Where necessary metnl patching has been cAtrlcl out on the Oluiri Bofjl. For the time of year the road is in very fair order. The Makura Stream bridge on the Raupahu Road has been repaired and re-decked, portions ■> of the old decking where at all 3ound hare been used for repairing the wooden culvert on the same road, the remainder being used as kerbing in the Toko township General maintenance work has been carried out on the Toko, Waiwirl, Ahuroa, and Raupuhu Roals. It will b's necessary to replace the old wooden culvert near Mr. Bayly's woolshed with concrete pipes.

East Riding (Douglas).—General maintenance work has been carried on throughout this riding. A considerable amount of patching, etc., being required on the main Ohura Road on the Stratlkmore end. A fairly large slip on '.lie Taihore Road has been cleared

away. i i' ' *'■ Enst. Riding (Hulroa) —The waterTtables on the Douglas North Road have been attended to. The Makuri Roal to Huiroa has been patched and water-tabled. Water-tabling and banking up has been done on the Makuri Road east.

West P.ldlng—Generally the roads in this riding are in a very satisfactory condition, one exception being the Opunake Road No. 1, particularly in the heavy cuttings. .Every endeavour has been mado in the way of celaring the scrub and fern on the tops of the cuttings; evil this has not had the desired effect, the cause of the trouble being the hieh trees on the north site. The trees do not allow the sun and wind to dry the road. A number of the property owners have been approached about the matter, but the results have been anything" but satisfactory. The names of the principal offenders are to be found in the foreman's report. A considerable amount of water-tabling has been done on the Opunake, Rowan, Palmer, and Waingongoro Roads. Two dangerous bends on the Opunake Road have.been considerably widened rendering these portions of the road much safer.

Mangaehu Riiding.—Repairs hr.|ve ' heen effected to Hodder's Bridge. A portion of the Mangaehu Road has been widened, some of the bad corners on the Mangaotuku Rojid havs been cut down. General patching, water-tabling and fern cutting has also been done on this road. : The slips on the Taurakawa Road q?e being cleared away and - culverts ase being put in. The report was adopted.

CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the Nelson City Council stating the Council held the view that education is purely and entirely a national matter, and that the Government should therefore undertake the whole of the oxpense connected threwith, upon the most liberal scale, and that local authorities should not be a6ked or expected to contribute towards the cost. A resolution to that effect was passed.—The chairman said that he quite agreed with the resolution, as he considered that local bodies had quite enough to do looking after their own ai.'airs, independent of educational matters.—The letter was received, on the motion .of. Cr. Pitt, seconded by Cr. O'Neill. J, Dromgool, Strathraore, wrote polntlrrg out to the Council that In his opinion it was advisable to join up with Stratford by means of a tunnel through the hill, in preference to metalling the gap on top.—The chairman said he' agreed tlTat a tunnel was the beat idea, as it would save about a mile of road. —The Council was of opinion that the matter should bp urged by settlers on the east side, and the Council would then be In a bolter position to supoprt it. Messrs. Howcraft liros., Itowan, made application for the metalling of a few hundred yards at'the extreme northern end of the Itowan Road.—The engineer is to report. The Inglewood County Council wrote Inquiring when the Stratford Council will be In a position t» submit accounts necessary for the adjustment between the two Counties. —Tho chairman stated that ho had interviewed the Inglewood County clerk and told hlni that the only matter that called for adjustment was their shave of the overdraft, and he did not appear so keen upon it then. (Laughter). N. B. Fryday, Ngaere, wrote thanking the Council for its action regarding tho dangerous crossing at Climle Soad, but regretted that nothing would be done until somebody was killed.—Received. . The Pr.lmerston North Borough Council wrote stating that it had made representations to the Government asking that every, consideration should be given to the advis- 1 ability of making the (Saturday half-holiday general throughout fV-c Dominion. If the Council was favorable it was asked to make: representations to the Government In support., —Received. • j ■ The Department of Lands, New Plymouth,, Informed the Council that, in carrying out: tho survey' of the Tawhiwhi estate, .it was : found necessary to deviate portions of Mangaehu Road and asked the consent of the! Council to close certain portions.—Engineer: to report. Tho Lowgarlh Dairy Company wrote- asking the Counci to use every endeavour to expedite the completion of the Finnerty Rqad bridge.—To bo Informed that,the matter la being attended to. . 1 The Public Works Department, Stratford, notified the Council that the commission to inquire into and report on the Taranaki County vehicles licensing by-law would Bit at New riymouth on Tuesday, 31st Inst.—lt was resolved that, Cr. Pitt should Ire a delegate to (he commission.

The office of Minister of Telegraphs, Wellington,' advised that the matter of erecting a line between Taliora and Tatu must stand over In the meantime, as the outlay of £7500 was not warranted. Mrs. C. wine Kee, Mldhirst, applied. for permission to erect a fence across Xomt.nby Street, on the west side of the Mountain Road. Shu wa' prepared to erect gates where the Council desired them—Permission was granted during the pleasure of the Council.

A. H. Thomas, secretary of the Dawson's Palls Mountain House Committee, wrote asking that the Manala Road, leading to the mountain reserve, should bo put In repairIt was decided that it should be attended to. A. H. 5,11115, Toko, wrote asking permission to lence lit a small piece of land opposite his property on the Tunnpo Road.—The application was granted on the understanding that the applicant keeps the area clear of noxious weeds. GENERAL. It was resolved, oil the motion of Crs. Anderson and Coleman, that where trees were growing on property at the roadside, which In the opinion of the engineer were causing damage to the road, <iie owners of the trees be given notice to remove same. Cr. Worthington moved that tenders be called for metalling !>>,s. miles of the Puniwhnkau Road.—This was seconded by Cr. Were and carried.

It was' resolved, on the motion of the chairman, that tho resolution passed at a previous meeting, voting a sum to the funds of the Hydro-Electric League, be rescinded. His reason for doing so was that the Council,had exceeded the amount allowed to the Council for unauthorised expenditure.