EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1920, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Egmont County Council rae't yesterday. Present: Crs. W. 11. Wright (chairman), A. B. Coffin, J. Young, T. H. H. Sinclair, M, O'Brien, R. C. Watson, S. Campbell., W. C. Green and S. Forsyth. ENGINEER'S BEPORT. The engineer (Mr. Pease) reported:— Oeo Riding (Northern) .—Water-tables have been cleaned out on the Elthara Road, also on the Klrl Road, and will be replaced with concrete pipes as soon as ever made. A small cutting at the top end ot the road near J. Coupe's has been widened to allow for a water-table on both sides. A Culvert on the Oeo Road near Mr. Lockley'3 has been temorarlly repaired with wood, this also will be renewed with concrete pipes when available, the road on either aide of the culvert has had the worst portions patched with gravel. A little water-tabling has been done to the Watlno Rond. One hundred cubic yards of paddock stone have been tipped at the top end of this road at a cost of 3s fid per yard, this could be crushed and laid down permanently on about 12 chains of the road at a further cost of about £4O, which will leave very little money for maintenance for the rest of the season, but as the crushing plant has to pass the road, and It will te advisable to utilise the stone. The district engineer writes me that he has made a requisition to headquarters for 13-16ths of £230, which is the amount of Mr. Lockley's tender for the felling and clearing of. a portion of the Wiremu Road In this riding. Oeo Riding (Southern). —About thirty chains of the water-table on the easterly side of the Patiki Road and 25 chains on the westerly side north of the Hone Road has been widened about two feet and the metal banked up. The Oeo, Ouri and Punehu bridges on the Main South Road have- all had the decking repaired, 30 new planks being used and a good many old ones taken up, and after having the worst portions cut out, have been replaced. Some repairs have also been done lo the decking of the Ourl Bridge on the Skeet Road. Several days work have been done to the surface of the Puketapu Road where the grass has been cut off from the edge of the metal and the sides 'thrown into the crown. The ironwork of the Ouri Bridge on the Skeet Rood which was badly pitted and scaled has all been cleaned and painted. Opua Riding (Southern).—About nine chains on the Ihaia Road at Feaver's Hill has had a good coating wilh pit imetal, this was taken from a hill further up the road where we cut down the kno!) to a depth of 2ft., improving the grade coußideraHly at this point. In connection with this work, Messrs O'Brien and Wan k ; ndly lent us horses and drays for carting- the material free of cost. Several old wooden culverts on this i>oad above the Wiremu Road are in a very bad state of repair and require about 20 12-lnch and eight 8-Inch concrete pipes to renew ihem. As wo have no 12-lnch pipes In sfock, instructions have been given to have them made at once so that the. work may be done without delay. Patching and waterlabling has been done on the Main South Road and Lower Waiteika Road, and about sixteen chains of drain on the Tipper Waiteika Road has had to be cleaned out to prevent wash-outs. Mr. Ferguson has requested us to clean out the drain on this road along his frontage, he undertaking to pay half the cost.. This is being done and will shortly be completed. Opua Riding (Northern).—A considerable amount of time has been spent on tho Namu Road, patching the surface and cleaning out water-tables. . A new drain has been excavated on the north side of the Arawhata Road near Mr. Markham's gateway for a, distance of about 3% chains, connecting up existing drains. A set of 2ft diameter concrete pipes has been put across Mr. Markham's private road to his farm at his expense, this enables us to get the crushing plant to the pit on his property. Slight fepnirs have been done to the understructure .if the Heinnama Bridge.

Opunako Riding— Patching and blinding have been done to tho Main South Road, the work of, putting in the new 12-lnch pipe culvert irt front of the Rev. Strand's has been completed with the exception of building a concrete inspection chamber, which will be done as soon as the concrete cover is made. Sixty-eight 12-lnch pipes were used on the job. Tar is on order for top-dressing Main Street. A good many pipes have been made at Domett Street shed. Rahotu Riding (Northern).—One man was employed eleven days, and another one six days on the work of patching and watertabling on the Main South Road, and patching on Capo Road. This was at the beginning of the month, since when no other (tbour has been The drain alongside tho Main South Roa'd on Mr. ColnieV's frontage at Rahotu has been cleaned out and lowered. A new concrete pipe culvert has been put In opposite a double gateway the cost of which will bo borne by Mr. Colmer. Ouo day's- patching has been diinc en the Witiora Road. A drain on the north side of the Lower Kahui Road from Saunders Road up to the saleynrds has been cleanf.o out to prevent overflow and scour. The surface of the Upper Kabul Road has bten patched for Its entire length, whilst a fair amount of water-tabling lias been done, and all the outlets cleaned. Pipes have been ! made at tho ilaliotu shed on wet days. Slight i repairs have been done to the top end of I fj! 6 upper farihaka Road. A truss bridge [vn this letftb i« getting Into a bad ''ondXtioii, s fu ' o '' ri ' ml "'■ " wi " De E ' ven uext month. 'A" " ew Planks are required ii a bridge on" tne Carrington Road near tnr. Puniho p 1 "* 1 !, but wo have been unable to get ihe tii' D^r r '' 0m ,ne Warca sawmill 1 . unders*!" 1 ,llla wl " lje available very shortly. A far /er frccn Okato has been taking fceivy lo.ids X manure up the Carrington and Newali Roads " n a n,otor lorry) without entering into'"" agreement with the Council, or obPermission. The owner of tie lon / should be made to pay damages or ro Jecutcd for a contravention of tho h?.ny foliis me that members of his staff nro at on the plans showing temporary and pjmianent grades of tho Wiremu Road be(jfeeu the Arawhata and Newall Roads. Whei jhese aro completed a copy will be forwarded in me so that I may fix the locality where iproposed grants are to be expended. ' In connection with the proposed consent loa-i of £6.10 for forming, draining and metalling a portion of the Runkero Road, Mr. Revs) I wishes the Council to commence foruuMon work at the top end at once, for which purpose he is prepared to supply two men and a horse and dray for a week gratis to ;uS'ct the Council's men, Unfortunately, lam not able to secure the services of any men at the present time at thin end of the riding The decking on the Waiweranui Bridge on the Warea Road is in a bad condition,

and still awaits delivery of new timber iccm the Warea Road sawmill. A length of about M chains of the Paora Road has been ploughed and formed up in readiness tor metalling under contract 403. K. Rangitawka makes an application for a subsidy for draining and forming a portion of the Tauru Rose" at tho southern end. General.—One of the Council's surface men Is being allowed to graze five calves in the Council's paddock at the Walaua River at Jd per head per week. The whole of the contracts for supplying metal have been si-;- c] and delivery of boulder stones have commenced at the Main South, Oeo, Tanngatira Bridge; Kltham Road, whilst the required amount has already been dumped at the Punehu Bridge, Eltham Road. I am expecting a man to take charge of the steam roller within the next few days, and a feeder for one of the crushers. When No. 1 crushing plant will be sent out along the Eltham Road to commence work for H. Munro. No 3 plant is still awaiting a new pinion wheel for the Avellng and Porter engine, wh>ch was ordered at the time the plant came in for repairs, also new piston rings for the Austin Roller. Foreman Crocker reports on straying cattle in the Opuna-ke Riding on August 28th. After advertising in Well'ngton, Auckland and Taranaki papers for two road foreman. I have only received six airllcatlons which are not entirely satisfactory, and at tho present time I am now. able to secure the services of surfacemen for the northern end of the Rahotu Riding, oad it is more than probable the disability .will remain with us until we can properly house the men required. Timber and iron have been delivered for a motor shed to which the Town Board have consented to be erected in Longfellow Road. A vote of thanks was accorded cr. O'Brien

and Mr. Wan for the use of horses and drays on the Ihaia Road. SUGGESTED SEVERANCE. The Taranaki County Council asked consideration of a resolution passed at Its last meeting, asking the Egmont County if it would agree to the alteration of the boundary between the Egmont and Taranaki counties to the Waiweranui stream, with a view to doing away -with the joint control of the Puniho Road, also to enable the se**icr3 in the lower portion of the Puniho Road to raise a special loan. The chairman said that this was another case similar to what had occurred at the Waimate end of the County. This proposal would cut off over two miles of the Main Road. It was mere camouflage to say that it was for the purpose of raising a joint loan on the Puniho Road, as there was only ona person In the whole territory Interested. He moved that the Taranaki County Council be informed that the proposal could not be entertained. Cr. O'Brien seconded. Cr. Green said that the Council should go deeply Into the matter. If they did lose tho territory mentioned, it was their own fault, as they would not do anything to their by-roads, which were an absolute disgrace. He considered the Taranaki by-roads were In a much better state. Councillors however disagreed with this. The chairman did not think their ratepayers would agree to unerge into Taranaki, which had an overdraft of about £19,000,' and would require another £SOO to carry on to the end of the year. The motion was carried. WIREMU ROAD. Mr. Campbell, disSrlct engineer, notified that he was requisitioning for 18-10 of the amount of £230, being Mr. Lockley's tendes, to enable the Council to'let the contract for felling and clearing the portion of the Wiremu Road between the Mangahume and Taungatara streams. This was In accordance with iho request of the County with regard to the Government grants In Egmont County ihe expenditure of which was held up owing to tho Government only being willing to pay wages at 13s per day, and the agreement with the County, whereby they find the difference between the Government's rate of pay and the rate, lGs per day, at which thej could get the work done. Oa the motion of Crs. Campbell and O'Brien it was resolved to telegraph the Minister of Public Works asking that the requisition should bo forwarded as early as possible. GENERAL. In reply to Cr. Green, the chairman stated that It was considered the tender for metal on the Rahotu Road was too high, and as no milk was being taken off that road, tho matter was held over. Cr. Green considered that the money available to that road and also to the Kabul Roa<! (lower) should be extended. He consider dfche, by-roads were in a shocking state. The chairman said that the funds available on the Kahui Road would be expended on maintenance work. To a further question, the chairman said that the piece of tar-sealing on the Kahui hoad at the Rahotu township would be charged to the riding account. Tlie Council resolved to endorse the resolution passed by the Waimate County Council urging the Government inspection of all meat slaughtered. Mr. G. H. Bullard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, wrote thanking the .County Council for its decision to allow preference to returned soldiers should the Council require anyxoxtra labor for road work. The Lands and Survey Department, ho added, proposed to spend several thousands In road forraat'on to Improve the access to the land. The Treasury noted payment of subsidy amounting to £I3OB 18s 9d. '