STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1921, Page 6

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

THE MONTHLY MEETING. The Stratford County Council met on Saturday. Present: Crs. E. Walter (chairman), J. H. Thomas, .J. O’Neill, J. T. Belcher,,JW. H. Were, J. Jacobsen, T. R. Anderson and M. Davis. The chairman reported that hq and the engineer had waited on the Minister of Public Works, during his recent visit to Stratford, and discussed, the question of tunnelling the Strathmore Saddle with him. The Minister had been quite agreeable that the £6OO on the estimates for metalling the Saddle should stand firm in the event of the tunnelling project being adopted, and had been sympathetic regarding the proposal. The Minister had agreed to secure a report from his engineers on the question. In regard to the application from the settlers of the Matau district for in elusion in Stratford County, the chairman reported that the committee appointed by the council had met the representatives of the Matau Settlers’ Association, and had discussed the matter fully without coming to any decision. The committee desired an extension of time by another month, as they wished to visit the district' before coming to any decision. An extension of time was granted. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The county engineer (Mr. J. W. Spence) reported as follows: North Riding (East and West). —A considerable portion of the past month was broken into by holidays, the balance of the time being occupied in the tar-sealing of the Mountain Road. The length between the borough boundary and the Kahouri Road has received a first dressing and the length from the Beaconsfield Road to the Manganui bridge has received a second, coat of chips, and sand. South Riding.—Ulay blinding has been carried out on various roads in this riding. Where necessary sand and chips have been used for top-dressing portions of tarred T'oads where the hot weather has brought the tar to the surface. Where sufficient chips and sand can be delivered on the Mountain Road the length recently refaced will be tarsprayed. East Riding (Toko).—A considerable amount of clay blinding has been necessary to hold the metal on several roads, owing to the continued dry weather. The wooden culvert on the Toko Road near Mr. Bayly’s woolshed Has been replaced with concrete pipes. The foreman for this riding, in accordance with ' his request was relieved of, his duties at the end of the year, the position being filled by one of the Coimcil’s employees. A start has been made with the refacing of the Ohura Road, commencing at the top of Sangster’s Hill. East, Riding (Douglas).—The work done during the month has been mainly on the Strathmore Saddle. Two rather bad corners have been widened, the willows and scrub have been cut back, and j some old slips removed. A certain amount of patching and water-tabling I has been carried out. The foreman for I the riding has tendered his resignation, * living the usual month’s notice. The i refacing and widening of ...the worst ! parts of- the Gordon Road have been

completed. The metal at the shell-rock pit is improving and the plant is working well. East Riding (Huiroa).—General surface work has been carried out on the Douglas North and Akama Roads. Blinding on the AZ’.kuri (Huiroa) and Makuri East Roads- has been completed; also earth-banking and water-tabling on the latter.

West Riding.—During the month repairs were effected to the track from Manaia Road to the crushing site. The teams are at present getting out small boulders for crushing for the tar-dress-ing work. On the Opunake (No. 1) Road the surface is being scarified up, re-blinded and rolled. Like all metal roads in the county the roads in this riding have suffered considerably with the exceptionally dry weather. The matter of procuring another horse to replace one of those used on the roads will have to be considered.

Mangaehu Riding.—The grading on the Puniwhakau and Ka-itieki Roads has been completed, and a start with similar work has been made on the Mangaehu South Road. The painting of the Puniwhakau cottage has been finished. The report was adopted. GENERAL. 'Cr. Thomas moved that the engineer be instructed to erect a danger sign at the boundary of the Eltham and Stratford Counties on the Mountain Road. He explained that the spot was very dangerous, and an accident had occurred there recently. The motion was carried. Cr. Thomas moved that a letter be written to Mr G. Sparks, asking him to state his price for 16 feet of his section at the corner of the Finnerty Road, adjacent to the Ngaere factory, for the purpose of widening the road. This was seconded by Cr. O’Neill and carried. Cr. O’Neill referred to the scrub nuisance, and on his motion it was decided to notify several settlers in the South Riding to clear the scrub from the road in front of their properties. It was decided to recommend that Mr. P. Harkness, of Midhirst, be appointed to the .vacancy on the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. The-town clerk, Stratford, notified that the Borough Council intended to metal aifd tar-Seal about 20 chains of Flint Road East, westward from the borough boundary, and asked the council to agree to bear half of the cost.— Decided to agree to the I’ecommendation.

Tlie secretary of the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote stating that the. board would be pleased to rooeive the 200 yards of shell-rock for the hospital roadway as soon as convenient. —Decided to supply the shell-viwk provided .suitable arrangements could be made for its delivery. Messrs. C. A. Wilkinson, Ltd.. Eltham, notified that the two tar-sprayers ordered by the Council had been shipped from England by the s.s. Rimutaka, ancj would probably arrive at Wellington about February 7.—Received. Mr. C. Milner was appointed dog-tax collector on the same terms as last

year. A special order was made authorising the raising of a loan of £l2OO under the provisions ►of the Local Bodies Loans Act, by consent of the ratepayers, for defraying the cost of forming and metalling the mew r*oad from the Toko Road°for a-distance of about 63 chains. The tender-of’Mr.-C. H. Speck for carrying out the-work -was accepted. Mr. G. Kehely was the only tenderer for the work of re-forming and metalling a mile of the East Road beyond the borough, and it was decided to accant, jjcrtiop the

crushing, delivery and spreading the metal. The council decided to do the work of re-forming the road itself.

The matter of endeavoring to let the contract for quarrying the metal for the Puniwhakau. Road was left in the hands of the engineer and the' riding meiqber, with power to act.

A petition signed by nine ratepayers was received, asking the council to take steps tQ raise a loan of £4500 for reforming and metalling the Douglas North Road for a distance of 240 chains from the junction with Makuri Road. It was decided to give effect to the petition. * , The engineer reported that he estimated the cost of re-forming and metalling the Rutland Road at £l2OO for one mile. The chairman said the work could not be done out of revenue, and if The settlers wanted the road put in order they would need to raise a loan. The council decided to defer taking action until the settlers had been communicated with.