EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1921, Page 7

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Egmont County Council was held on Tuesday. Present: Councillors S. Campbell (chairman), C. A. Trotter, R. Ferguson, A, F. Chapman, N. C. Green, J. S. Tosland, M. O’Brien, R. C. Watson and W. R. Wright. ENGINEER’S REPORT. Mr. C. R. Pease, engineer, reported: Oeo Riding (northern). —Contract 376 was executed during the month, —This consisted of the laying down of 120 cubic yards pit metal on the Kiri Road from R. Watson’s gate for a distance of 12 chains southwards. The work was done without a. roller, as the bridge near the old sawmill was not sufficiently strong to carry even the light Garrett roller. A considerable amount of water-tabling had been done to the Kiri Road, and the decking, etc., to the bridge near Hughes arid Dobsons had been repaired. The Oeo Road had. been patched, and a short length ot water-tables cleaned out. The Eltham Road had been clay blinded in several places, water-tables cleaned out | and short lengths of the road had the sides of the metal banked up. The; Stratford Road had been patched at several places and had had 30 cubic yards of pit stone delivered on it from "the Kiri Road to be hand knapped for future maintenance. Oeo Riding (southern). —Clay blinding had been done to the Main South Road east of the Oeo River, between the Nopera Road and W. Lambie’s gate and a short length between the racecourse and the Ouri Bridge. The road had been patched between the Ouri Bridge and the Nopera Road. The water-tables on the hills on the Skeet Road had been cleaned out, a grass ridge removed from the edge of the metal, clay blinding done at places, and slight repairs done to the deck of the Ouri Bridge. The water-tables had been cleaned out on the Patiki Road, between the Titahi arid Hone Roads, the metal banked up and clay blinded; a short length of the road at S. Richards had alsd been treated with clay. Opua Riding (southern). —Patching had been done on the Main South, Kaweora, Upper and Lowb'r Waiteika and Ihaia Roads. The culvert at the junction of the Eltham and Kaweora Roads had been extended with five additional pipes to improve the turnout. The Waiteiki, Maungahume, Namu, and Heimama Bridges had been topdressed with tar and shingle. Four 12in. diameter pipe culverts had been put in across the Ihaia Road above the i Wiremu Road; there are another two to Ibe put in to complete the work. About • one mile of this road wanted clearing I of wineberry, etc., to allow the sun to dry up the track Apua Riding (northern). —Men had been engaged on the work of cleaning out water-tables, banking up metal, and clay-blinding the Main South Road. Two days’ work was put in patching and cleaning up the Lower Arawhata Road. One new joist had been put in to the Heimama Bridge. Opunake Riding.—The Main South Road had been blinded at the Waiaua end and north pf the tar-sealed portion. Pipes had been I 'made at the yard. Rahotu Ridijig (southern). —Three days’ work had been put in patching the Main South Road, and repairs had been done to the decking of the Waitaha Bridge and the culvert south of the Oaoiti stream. The road had been clay blinded for a distance of about 40 chains north of the Oaoiti stream. Patching had been done to the Ngariki Road. A new concrete curb and channel had been put ifi around the frontage of the hotel at Rahotu, the owner of the property undertaking to pay a proportionate share of the cost. A 3in. pipe culvert on the Kahui Road at Mr. Byrne’s place had been repaired. About eight days had been spent on the work of patching, etc., the Upper Kina Road. Pipes had been made at the Rahotu shed. Rahotu Riding (northern). —Some patching had been done to the Upper Newall Road. Then men in this part of the Riding had been engaged practically all the month on the work of scarifying, reforming, and rolling in the Main South Road from the boundary at Puniho to Stent Road where required. About 146 chains of this work had been done and cost of same would be given when the time was returned next month. Some repairs had been done to the Newall and Carrington Roads by Mr. Christpfell during the Christmas holidays, and he would suggest that the works committee accompany him to view the roads at an early date and arrange with Mr. Christofell as to the future repairs. The crushing plant was proceeding to the work there.

REQUESTS FOR METAL. Mr. H. N. Chapman, Stent Road, wrote drawing attention to the deplorable state of the Stent Road, which he said was quite unfit for motor traffic. The settlers would be very dissatisfied unless something was done at - once, as the metal was crushed and deposited all alongside the road for the whole distance./ Mr. Chapman also complained that some of the metal had been removed for work elsewhere. It was agreed that the works committee should make an early inspection of the road. Mr. V. Harnett, Puniho, applied for the necessary permit to purchase timber and cement for a dwelling-house. He also asked if there was any chance of anything being done to the road to his place.—’The matter was held over pending an inspection by the works committee. BOUNDARY ROADS. The Eltham County Council forwarded a statement showing the amounts expended during the past year on the Auroa Road, this being the boundary road between the two counties. The total amount involved was £345 14s 6d, of which the Egmont County was held to be responsible for one half, £172 17s 3d. Several councillors referred to the heavy expense which had been incurred in connection with this road. Already it was over £260 in debt, and now there was a further £l7O. The council had not contemplated the expense of tarring this road, and councillors were of opinion that they should have been consulted, seeing that they were called upon to pay half the money. The chairman said he was afraid that according to the agreement that had been decided upon between the two bodies there was no alternative but for the council to pay up. Cr. Wright said tar sealing was not included in the agreement, and moved that legal opinion be obtained as to the council’s position in this connection. The motiwi was seconded and car-

THE WIREMU ROAD. The district engineer wrote asking; for full particulars in regard to proposals for expenditure on the Wiremu Road. A decision as to whether piers would be granted for the Heimanu bridge on this road would be given later. Cr. O’Brien urged that the information sought should be supplied immediately and that application ♦should be made for final authority for the work. During the discussion which ensued it transpired that the council had voted a subsidy of £2OO for expenditure on this road, and Cr. Green strongly objected. He pointed out that the road had not been taken over by the council, and therefore questioned whether they could legally spend money on it. GENERAL. The question of appointing a dogtax collector was deferred until next meeting. The works committee was given authority to put in hand expenditure up to £2O without first having to submit a report to the council. The New Zealand Counties’ Association forwarded several legal opinions from Mr. T. F. Martin, counsel to the association. In reply to a question raised by the Waimate County Council, Mr. Martin was of opinion that a riding could be declared a special rating area for the purpose of building a new bridge over 30 feet long within such an area.

Cr. Wright proposed in accordance with notice; “That the honour of the council being impugned through Cr. Trotter not accepting the word of seven councillors, ex-councillors and the clerk, he be asked to divulge his informant’s name or otherwise withdraw the statement and apologise.” Cr. Trotter emphatically denied ever having said, “Damn the thing.” Cr. Wrignt’s motion was not seconded, and therefore lapsed; the following motion proposed by Cr. O’Brien: “That the thanks of the council be conveyed to Cr. Trotter for is services in connection with the erection of a fitting memorial to commemorate the lives of the gallant men of Egmont County who fell in the ! great war, and that this council has ! every confidence in Cr. Trotter’s integrity and honour,” being carried.