INGLEWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1921, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

. tj, —r - v. I MONTHLY MEETING, • The Inglewood County Council met yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill Stuart, M. S. Cameron, J. B. Simpson, J. M. Hair, H. Jones and J. Hunter. The chairman reported that with regard to the borough pound he had waited on the Mayor (Mr. J. Sutherland), and informed him that he and Cr. Stuart had been appointed a committee to deal with the matter, and suggested that the borough council should also set up a committee with power to act. This had been agreed to by Mr. Sutherland, but he (the chairman) had heard nothing further since then. Cr. Stuart reported that he had interviewed several settlers at Ngatoro regarding the Ngatoro bridge, and they had guaranteed the cost of the bridge pending the loan. He moved that the engineer be instructed to proceed with the work. —The motion was carried. The clerk reported that with reference to the request from the ranger for the council’s opinion on the questioifbf impounding stock during the night time, he had looked up the opinion of Mr. Martin, solicitor to the Municipal Association, w’ho stated that a ranger had the power to impound stock at night. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The county engineer (Mr. G. S. Whiteside) submitted the following report for the period ending Bth January:— Norfolk Road.—The portion that the ratepayers interested in wish to metal is at the western end approaching the mountain. The length would be approximately two miles. It is of a wet, swampy nature, and an impervious strata a few *feet below the surface prevents the water from percolating into the ground and becoming absorbed in the subsoil, consequently the side drains have a taxed capacity of storm water to contend with during heavy downfalls of fain. In several places these drains have proved hardly wide enough to take the surface drainage, with the result that where vegetation has, interfered with the free flow of the drainage, the water has either cut across the road-or run down it, in either case gouging the formation out to a costly extent. The road will therefore require considerable forming and rounding up. Stone can be got ih abundance from the Maketawa River about 35 chains distant from the lower end of the road. I estimate it will cost £lOO0 ? per mile to re-form, culvert and drain the road and to place crushed metal on it 10 feet wide and 9 inches thick. There is a Government grant of % £3OO as an earnest of the cost.

Mangaotea Drainage Scheme. —A cursory examination of the ground and locality leads me to believe that the amount mentioned to be borrowed, i.e., £9OO. will be sufficient for the work, especially if the method of sluicing is adopted as much as possible to carry away the spoil when the work is being carried out. But until a plan of a detail survey with levels 3 is prepared it is not possible to state more on the matter at. present. This survey I propose undertaking at an early date to provide full information on . the matter.

Mangaone Road.—There is a Government grant of £2OO, £ for £ on the Public Works Estimates for this road. About 25 to 30 chains of it from its junction with Bristol Road is much in need of re-forming, peaks removing, and then metalling. The metal would probably have to come from Johnson's quarry on the Rimutauteka Road. Motukawa Road.—The contractor for metalling portion of this road has made a start, having done H chains at the tqp end and 4 chains at the lower end. This will novy necessitate carting gravel oveT the new metalled portion, which is against the spirit of the specifications. Little earth stripping has been done at the quarry pit, which Is being worked from below and undermined instead of from top, with a sufficient batter to prevent r-jsk of accidents.

Autawa Road Contracts.—No tenders were received for these works through shortage of labor, so the time for dealing with same was extended. Should the work bo not let this meeting I suggest making the contracts smaller, say a mile and a half in length according to the sources of metal supply, the formation and earth work to be combined with the metalling. Mountain Road.—The portion of the road between the borough and Dudley Road has been scarified to remove potholes and rolled down again with a little strengthening metal. The roadway has now a good surface, but it will not continue long so with the heavy traffic. I would therefore recommend the Council to have the surface tar sealed or bound with some bituminous preparation.

Bedford Road Bridges.—Work is being continued on the second concrete bridge. Crusher Plant. —-Since last meeting 120 yards of metal have .been crushed on Dudley Road East and deposited on the road. As the weather was very wet during the early part of December it was not possible to reduce the * excessive crown on the road, as this would have necessitated removing alUthe metal to lower it. The plant was then shifted to the Ngatoro River, Junction Road, where 256 cubic yards were crushed and dumped for uiaintenance purposes. Afterwards the plant was removed to the Maketawa River, Junction’Road, where 300 cubic yards of boulders Were crushed, portion of the road being scarified, widened and rolled.

Boulder Supply Contracts.—The following contracts for the supply of boulders were let after last meeting:—Mountain Road, Tariki, 350 cubic yards, W. H. Julian, 5s 3d yard; Mountain Road, Maketawa. 350 cubic yards, W. Thomason, 4s; Mountain Road, Ngatoro, 350 cubic yards, L. Old, 5s 6d; Junction Road, ‘Ngatoro, 350 cubic yards, W. H. Julian, 4s 3d; Junction Road, Maketawa, 1000 cubic yards, J. Rowan, 4s 6d. Future Operations. —After crushing at north end of the Suffolk Road, it is proposed to resume operations on Everett Road.

In/ connection with the paragraph in the engineer’s report relating to Norfolk Road, Cr. Simpson stated that the settlers would provide fhe labor for draining the road if the council would provide the concrete pipes required.—The council agreed to supply the pipes. The engineers report was. received £nd adopted. BRIDGE WORKS. Cr .Simpson moved, in pursuance of notice given, that steps be taken to bring about consolidation of all bridge loans in the county. The motion was seconded by Cr. Hunter. The chairman moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to a committee of the whole council to bring down a report. This was seconded by Cr Jones and carried.

The chairman moved that steps be taken to raise a loan of £7350 for replacing the following wooden bridges with concrete bridges, the estimated cost being given in parentheses:—Manganui (£3300), Maketawa (£1500), Ngatoro ( £1500), Mangaoraka ( £750), and Mangaone ( £300). He stated that all these bridges were in a dangerous state and needed replacing without delay. The motion was carried. COUNTY LOAN PROPOSALS. In connection with the road improvement policy agreed to by the council, the chairman moved that steps be taken to raise a loan of £70,050 as follows: —Tar sealing, £60,741; plant, repair shops and fittings, £8000; county offices, £1500; and cost of raising loan and first year’s interest £403. This, /with the sum of £7350 for bridges, would make a total of £78,000. The motion was seconded by Cr. Stuart, and on being put to a division was carried by five votes to two. The chairman and Crs. Stuart, Cameron, Hair and Jones voted for the motion, and. Crs. Simpson and Hunter against it. It was greed to submit the loan to the ratepayers in four issues. CORRESPONDENCE. r Mr. R. Masters, M.P., wrote notifying that he had been advised that a grant, of £lOO had been made for the maintenance of the Egmont Road.—Received. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth, wrote inquiring if private owners on the Mana Road would be willing to contribute to a loan for metalling the road.—Cr. Hair said all the private settlers on the road were willing to contribute. It was decided to make further inquiries as, to whether rates could be collected from the land occupied as a soldier settlement. I The Department of. Internal Affairs wrote in reply to the Council’s request j for a commission to adjust the accounts ' between the Taranaki and Inglewood counties, stating that the Controller and Auditor-General was.already making the necessary adjustment, and there was no need to‘appoint a commission.—Received. GENERAL. A number of settlers at the western end of the Norfolk Road petitioned the council, asking that steps be taken for doing earthwork and draining, preparatory to metalling the road.—The council decided that all assistance should be given 'do the request, provided the petition was in order. A deputation, consisting of Messrs. J. Corbett, R. Buckley, and J. L. Corbett, waited on the council with the object of reaching some finality in regard to the Ratapiko Road,, metalling and deviation loan. Mr. Corbett said the settlers would be ■willing to do £lOO worth of work free provided some metalling could thus be- done before next winter. — The engineer said he was willing to do what he could to help the settlers. It was decided that the engineer and Cr. Hair visit the road and decide what steps, to. take in the matter.