ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1920, Page 2

ELTHAM COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The liltluim County Council met on Saturday. Present: Crs. C. J. Belcher (chairman), C. E. McGuinness, W. li. Carter, A. Campbell, H. J. Gifford, W. H. Smith, A. Messena, M. W. Barker, and A. McWilliam. Prior to commencing tl'O ordinary business a special meeting was held at which font formal rc-sc lutlions In connection with the new joint by-law, were passed, November 28 being fixed as the date for confirming the resolutions The Council then resumed the ordinary aeetlng. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engii/eer (Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald) re* ported as follows: The construction of the extension to Itlverlca toll house is well in hand. The new Leyland motor lorry commenced work for the Council on the 7tb Inst. Removal of the cottage from the depot to the field opposite aniild necessitate cutting the building to ;iieces. This would entail rerewal of some :iiulxr and redecoration, and would cost from £2OO to £3OO. Stone tenders were considered by the committee and a separate report will be made thereon. South Riding—Part of the tar spraying of Boylan Road has been done. Slight repairs have been done on Atourtatn and Fraser Itoads. Mangatoki Riding.—Water tablijig and side tracking have been done In Upper Hunter Eoad. Stratford County Council has recommenced work on the Finterty Road bridge Mr. Cave has commenced work there. Omoana Riding.—lt has not been possible to commence work on the Wl'enuakura swing bridge and, on the advico of the Omona councillor, I am letting the work staLd over for the present. The bulk of the month's work was on the Rawhltlioa Road, where slips have been dealt with and some patching of metal lias been done. Clearing slips, etc. has been done on the Mataiwhetu and Waltlrl Itoads. There are some slips on tte Mataimaroke Road. Kapcmga Riding.—Ar.' exceptionally heavy and local fall of rain during the afternoon of September 22 did a considerable amount of damage. Part of the Eltham Road Just east of ICaponga township was carried away, the point was where a two foot culvert carries a small stream through the road embankment. The gap In the road was 27 feet with a depth of 17 feet. The immediate cause of the trouble was the heavy rainfall, but the real cause must have been a defect ii. l the culvert. I am informed there was on old wooden length under the centre of the road. By dusk on the 22nd. It was only possible to make a rough crossing for font passengers and get up barriers and warning lamps. During that right and the next day vain efforts t'.ere made to obtain material for making a temporary crossing for vehicles whilst the work of permanent reconstruction was pushed on vigorously. The road was reopened for trnfTie at 0.30 p.m. on tho 2511'. after having been closed for three days and nights. The men. who saw how important It was to get the road reopei.eil. put their backs into the job and did exceedingly well. I consider., tliat the road was reopened for traffic at the earliest possible moment, The Inaccurate remarks of a local newspaper correspondent who caused a paragraph to appear In print two days after the road was opened would not have been written by any responsible persoi. who knew the facts. The Bame stream caused a washout on Neill Road. General work has been done oil Auroa, Opunake, Rowan and Mangawhero Roads. Mr. Joyce's ditch, draining part of the Manaia Road has beer cleared Eltham Riding.—The new bridge on the Ararata Stream, Itotokare Road, has been commenced. Formation work has been done on Oru and Maata Roads. Rawhitlrorf Road has been patched beyond the ridge anil rcfacing on tills side of the ridge has lieei continued. Mangamingl Road has been widened and some culverts have been put in. Slips have been moved from Mangawhero Road.

FINNEKTY ROAD BRIDGE. Regarding: the Finnerty Rood bridge. Cr. Carter said he did not think the Council should have to pay half the cost as it would be moro than doubled otrtitf to the delay aid bungling of the Stratford County Coun- i cil. [ Cr. Mcfiuinness remarked that the rates • collected by the Stratford County were spent! nil tho road, which was the outlet for the j Lmvgarth factory, whilst those collected by the | Eltham County in the district were spent in j other parts of the rifling. In view of this he did not think they should object to pay half the cost. Tho chairman said there was a resolution on the books that the Council should bear half the cost of the bridge. OTHER MATTERS. The chairman reported that the Stratford County had done the work on the Mangorei Road as requested, and arrangements were being imadc to put some metal on the portion of tie road in the Eltham County. Replying to questions concerning the washout or the Eltham Road, the chairman said rliat the repairs had been carried out with tho greatest expedition. Crs, McGuinness and Carter also congratulated tho engineer and his staff on the promptitude with whieh the repairs had been carried out. The engineer's report was then adopted. STRAYING CATTLE. The County Tanger reported that some of the Council employees' stock were often found straying on the Rawhitlroa Road, and he asked whether the Council wished these to be impounded. Councillors generally agreed that, the matter was a difficult one to deal with, but in view of the present very unsatisfactory position, It was resolved that all straying cattle be impounded, Irrespective of ownership, if found or.' the roads. CORRESPONDENCE. Tie Kaponga Town Board forwarded a copy of its balance-sheet and estimates for the coming year, and indicated that it intended striking a county rate of subsidy was also applied for.—The proposals were agreed to. The Eltham Borough Council wrote that U had decided to purchase the land on the Klth%m Road (for septic tank site), on the terms suggested by the County Council.—A formal resolution was -passed confirming this. The Hon. W. Noswortby (Minister of Agriculture), wrote stating that the proposal regarding tho inspection of meat would necessitate the appointment of a largo number of '.nspectors, and would therefore prove too ex» pensive. A letter on tho same subject was received from Mr. 0. J. Hawken, M.P., who pointed out that the Council could proclaim an abbatoir district, with say, the Eltham Bacon Factory ns an abbatoir, and that the Eltham Borough could then come into the scheme notwithstanding that it might not possess the required population.—Received. In response to the Council's letter pointing out that local bodies should not be asked to contribute to the cost of education, the Minister {Hon. C. J. Parr) wrote that ho quite recognised that the burden of education should fall on the Consolidated Fund, but where people were keen to assist technical education they should be allowed to do so.—Received. Messrs. Lai gland Bros, of the Anderson Road, wrote complaining of a choked culvert I which was interfering with their access from 1 ! the ron-l and causing them considerable in- | convenience.—The matter was left in the hands of the engineer with instructions to carry out the work as soon as possible. The Auckland City Council in a circular letter complained of the treatment of local bodies in the Land and Income Tax Amend* mnnt Bill, 1920, the provisions of which would deter investors from taking up local body debentures. —Received. The Public Trust Office advised that, the rate of interest to be charged on the loan of £3OO for which the Council applied, was ftVi per cent., with 1 per cent, sinking fund, the icrm beinji 3GVj years—Received. GENERAL. It was decided to call the attention of the Eltham Borough Council to the fact that that Council had not moved its lamp at the Waingongoro bridge on the Eltham Road, from a position about two chains from the bridge to the vicinity of the bridge, i.s promised, Th» question of procuring dos mWan

left in the hands of the chairman and clerk. In connection with the Council's advertisement calling for application* for the position of mechanic, the ei.'Elneor Teoorted that twenty applications had been received.—Tho chairman reported that two men tad been requested 1u wait upon tho Council, but only Olio had liept the appointment.—The appointment was left to a committee to meet that afternoon. Accour.ls totalling £33117 19s 8d were passed for payment.