TARANAKI COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1920, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY.

J REVIEW OF COUNCIL'S WORK.

A resume of the events during the past triennial County period was given by the

chairman of the Xariniaki County Council (Mr. j. K. Connett) yeslorday, when the final mceang of the Council, as at present constituted, took place. Regarding the personnel of the Council, tbo report stated that Cr. D. McAllum (Oinata Hiding) had retired, and hud been succeeded by Cr. Vickers. Tic abolition of the Moa Riding through the formation of the Inglowood Ci.umy brought about the retirement in March last of Crs. Laurence, Capper, and Simpson, who represented that area. Mince that time tho business nf Hi. Council has been carried on by tte remaining six councillors, and this will continue to be the number until the new valuation of the County is completed when alteration of some of the riding boundaries 13 contemplated, also au increase in the number of councillors.

The period just ending has been /notable in soijie respects. Owing to the great difficulty of getting our metalling work done as In the past by contract, through contractors going out of the business, the Council has purchased teams and motor delivery trucks for carrying out tho work themselves and these are proving very satisfactory, though the financing out of General Account has made our posiion very acute for the time being. In 1917,'. we commenced tar-sealing, and ! ! /j miles were covered, following this a loan of £40,000 .was raised for sealing the whole of our main roads. This money has all been satisfactr-ily arranged for and Is to be lifted in four yearly instalments of £IO,OOO. Out of the first amount received last year, plant and material was purchased, and tar" ivorks established at Smart Road. Regradin; Allen's Hill at Omata and road widening at Mangorei, four miles of metal wideninj and re-coating was done in preparation for tar, but owing to the season being far gone by tte time the tar sprayer could bo got readv •:oi.ie of this has yet to be done. This year it is expected to largely make good the position. Metal widening to 14 feet as originally intended by the Council will for the time have to be abandoned owing to tho excessive cost.

Ten miles of main road in the Okato Rldinc are now ready for tar-sealing, and a start will be made as soon as weather conditions are favorable, opportunity will bo taken as trucks are available for laying out materials at suitable places m preparation for this work, shingle supplies arc likely to bo our greatest difficulty in future, the very limited quantltles 1o be obtained from the sea beaches, and tho possibility ef these even being lost to us, as the Harbor Board contemplate prohibiting tho removal of any material therefrom, go to suggest that chip crushing Is the only alternative.

County ratepayers during the past year adopted rating on tho unimproved value, ttulch is now in operation, the change has bsen the subject of much unfavorable comment as many ratepayers expected lo find their rates very materially reduced, overlooking tte fact that the same amount or money had to lie found, indeed, very much more was required ro meet the recent advances !n wages rnd cast of material and an Increase equal to almost id iu the £ on the capital value has been made on last yctr'r figures The ;>rhclp.a is undoubtedly right, although through I the rculi.rities of valuations results do not always come out as expected. To keep f.vth with ratepayers wto carried the loan for tar ur-sealing, and tr. reibn-e-Ji acute financial position, a viry «itin,e cnYrtt has keen made lo brinj wheel tax by-laws for tte purpose of collecting some revenue from motor traffic- tho opposition however raised by neinhourh-g locai bodies has been such as to Induce Government to njohiWt us putting t ]wm 'Wanon, so preventing us reaping any benefit therefrom . , t w ,„ be ack , 1()w d I think that our action has served a useful purpose ,n drawing nubile attention tr, a gross injustice suffered by tr/s and many other councils which we aro led to believe I be effectively dealt with by Parliament n the Main Roads Bill, now under consideration. This, however, will not help our financial position for soma time, ratepayers must therefore realise that it i, quite Impossible at the presenl time for the Council to subsidise sums raised by thorn for special purposes.

Many .cans are being raised for new v.-irks throughout the County, supplemented in mm cases by Government grants. Ratepayers must remember, however, that the Counci « beset in all directions with labor difficulties, and higher wages in not tho solution «s altogether too much work is being undertaken generally for the labor available Itatenayers would help the Council materially „nd themselves particularly if they would find the labor to he!p put the jobs through. A •start has been made in housing our employees, two properties having been purchased nut of General Account, two are being financed out of loan and others will follow as required Mr. Cllmie, who has been with the Council for just twelve months, has severed Hs connection with us, and Mr. .Meredith, who has a good practical knowledge of tho work and tho confidence of our men, lias been appointed overseer. The tar-scaling will be under the supervision of Mr. Skitrop who lias bad many years experience. Several bridges in the County need renewing when labor and material are available, in the meantime they are being kept reasonablv safe for traffic In conclusion, the chairman said thev bad been hard pressed financially for some'time, but be believed tl:ey would be in a better position in the coming year. He tendered his thanks to the Councillors, lo Mr Ellis (the County clerk), and to all the employees of the Council. „

Appreciation was expressed of the chalrof ll fiVo >I ' k ' ™ d b ° <m V ° ted "" hc " Mmivm