TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1920, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The TaranaUi County,■ Council met yes-t terday. Present: Crs. .1. S. Connelt (chairman), J. Andrews, A. / Morton, J. Wooldridge, S. Vlckers, and C. Andrews. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The overseer (Mr. G. Meredith) presented fee following report on the work during October :

Wuitara Riding.—Crushing has been going i tn in this riding at Sentry Hill pit, 833 cubic yards having been crushed during the month and distributed as follows: 4G6 cubic Viirds'liave been dumped on the Te Arel Road in readiness to complete the Te Arel Road special loan work. After conferring with the chairman it was thought advisable to, crush and dump this stone while the crusher was in this locality, otherwise the work would not have been carried out for some considerable time. it was impossible to place jfhls metal on the road in its present state, b considerable amount of earthwork has to be done and two culverts to be put in. Manutahi Road recoating, 36 yards; Mountain Road, recoating, 36 yards. Tate Road: Five chains of new metal has been laid on this road, taking 100 cubic yards of metal. On Waitara Itoad 23 chains from Main Road South has been recoated taking 240 cubic yards. This piece of road was very weak, which made It necessary to have it recoated before the crusher left this district. I would recommend the Council to lower tile pipe culvert on the Upper King Road at least sir fc.'it. To carry this out it' will require eight ratra 18-inch pipes, this would cost approximately £lB, Including pipes and labor. I have Inspected the Mangatl culvert on the Main Road, near the Bell Block Hall. To renew this culvert throughout It would requvfo ten S-ft. pipes, a temporary bridge would also have to be erected to carry the traffic while this work Is being carried out. The groyne on the Waiwakaiho behind the crushing depot has been completed at a total cost of £52 Bs Sd. During a- flood on Oct. 15, both ttis groyne and the one further up the river sank about six feet at the ends. Upper King Road: I hare taken two separate estimates for metalling one mile of this road: (a) To link up the metal from end of present metal with metal at foot of hill, a distance of 40 chains would cost approximately £598 (1.e.), (WO cubio yards of metal at 14s per yard, £448, earthwork and culverts £120; (b) To continue metal from top of hill to boundary, a distance of 40 chains would cost approximately £577, i.e., 640 cubic yards of metal at 16s per yard £512, earthwork and pipes £65. The metal would havo to come from Pitts' Pit. a distance of over three miles. Owinß to great shortage of labor. Foremen Mallon, Proud and Holmes rave been assisting with the work at the pit.

Mangorei Riding. General maintenance work has been carried out in this riding. Foreman Dryden is at present, engaged widening out the cutting on Castle Hill, Lower Mangorei Road.

Omata Riding.—Foreman Seamark is imaklng very good progress with the regrading of Hurford Road Hill. It will be necessary to haul Btone for remetalling tliis hill as soon as possible, about 350 yards will be required. I would recommend the hauling of 300 yards of boulders at the same time, to be used to maintain the top end of the Hurford Road. Foreman Eva has been engaged with the usual miscellaneous repairs.

Okato Riding—The Main Road In this riding is in vory god order. Some of the byroads are getting very weak in places, and will require recoating before next spring, the most urgent being Hempton, Kaihihl, Leith, Perth, and the top end of Punlho Roads. Foreman Sefton has been engaged in | scarifying and rolling on the Main Road, and Is at ; present engaged building a crusher site on Surrey Hill Road. Foreman Hayes who now has the supervision of three lengths, has been kept busy patching, blinding, and water tabling on the various roads. Twelvo li-incti pipes have been put in on the Reach Road below Mr. Putt's property to replace a stone culvert which has been carried away. I hare been over the Greenwood and the Beach Roads, and find to link up the metal from Mr. Gatenby's gate on the Greenwood Road with the metalled till on the Beach Road, a distance of 47 chains, would cost approximately £483 12s, 1.e., 752 cubic yards of metal at lis per yard. £413 12s. enrthwork £OO, two pipe culverts, £lO. The work of repairing the Beach Road below Mr. Penwarden's is now being carried out by Foreman Hayes. The teams are still hauling shingle off Kaihihi Beach, The deviation work on the Plymouth Road will be put in hand as soon as a suitable man can be found to take charge. Plant and General.—Great difficulty will be experienced during the coming season to house the men on the different works. I would strongly advise the Council to have one or two collapsible huts built similar to the one now In use by the bridge gang. It will also be necessary in the near future to procure a water cart for the crusher. Now the haulage is done by motor the metal is carried a much greater distanco, and this makes it Impossible for one water cart to supply the engine at the crusher, tho roller which Is probably four or five ciniies away, and water the road at tho same time, therefore the road has to be put down without

sufficient water. The big roller broke dwon on Oct. 20, and Is now under repair, and will not be ready for use for at least three or four weeks. The Hope crusher has been

removed from the foundry to the sheds at Waiwakailio, Ire elevator is still under repair. KORU ROAD TRAFFIC. Tho New Plymouth Sash and Door Company wrote accepting the Council's terras regarding traffic over Koru Road in the event of the company establishing a sawmill in the district. The directors had also decided lhat provided the County undertook a deviation on tho Kirlhau Road, tho company would pay to the County £BOO for the purpose oi carrying out the work, and would also increase the royalty on timber carried within tho County from 9d to Is per 100 superficial ffit.

The Council decided that an inspection be made of the locality.

ROADDJG REQUIREMENTS. Messrs. W. Gray and Pease waited on tho Council in connection with the state of Croydon Road. Mr. Gray stated th,.;. ->ome of the hills were fairly steep ami '.liey experienced difficulty In carting oat the milk supply, and also in transport! ii : ~ materials on to the properties. To ro?i;si the hills they estimated that twenty chain" of metalling .wsld be required, ami tScy were prepared to go !u for a special lcaa of £4OO. They would also help the C!s*.t:U wit* labor and tenns \ The Conn:;', decided to gn into the question ut the .'c-sn, and the oh*lrm».n advised the deputation that in tho meantime some J temporary work would he effected. ; Mr. VV. Hazlett, Okato, naked that the ! Council consider the question -t improving i Carrlnt'ton Road from Oxford Xoad to his ! propife'tv.'—The overseer was de'etrated to re- | port. M««r*. K. B. Gray and Larltin; ssked that the ' , ouiwil authorise twalvs chains of metalling nt the end of the Hempton Road, and offered to pay half the cost, the total being estimated at £IOO. i The chairman stated that ofilng to the I itato of the finances, tho Council was not I able to entertain the offer. The deputation , was recommended to apply to the Council again In February. Messrs. Pentelow and Green asked that the Council should, if possible, expedite Ure Plymouth Road deviation as the road was becoming impassable for traffic. The chairman said the Counell were doing what they could, and would lose no time In tho matter. He expressed the opinion that tho settlers interested should try and devote some time to the work, as the Council could not get labor. The request that the hill on the Upper Carrlngton Road be regraded was made by the secretary of the Ratepayers' Association (Mr. A. Humphries). The Bettlers offered to find t'ne labor. In connection with the grants on the Estimates of £550 for the Momona Stream bridge, and i£9oo for the Road, the Association desired to know viiir.ihnr it was the intention of the ' Council to go on with the 1 woTk 09 soon as the money was available.—lt was decided that the Association be asked what labor is available. The Council also resolved to malts further enquiries from the District Engineer in connection with the grants mentioned by the Association. Nine ratepayers of the Upper Oxford Road petitioned tho Counell to raise a special loan of £IOOO for formation and metalling work. —lt was decided to obtain a report from the overseer on the work. Messrs. W. Nlelson, H Wallace, and R. G. Wells, ratepayers on the Cross Road, requested the Council to l:i!:e. steps 'ttt> raise a special loan of £450 for regradlug and metalling portion of the route— Reporl to bo obtained from overseer. Cr. Morton asked that something should be done regarding the Upper Alfred Roud, and suggested that the overseer visit, the road and arrange with the settlers to have some of the work done.—A resolution was carried on these lines. GENERAL. With reference to the overseer's remarks as to the necessity for further accommodation for employees it was decided that further collapsible huts bo obtained as soon as possible.