STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1921, Page 6

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The Stratforh County Council met on Saturday. Present: Crs. E. Walter (chairman), S. Pitt, M. Davis, J. Jacobsen, W. H. Were, J. T. Belcher, T. R. Anderson, J. O’Neill and J. H. Thomas. ENGINEER’S REPOP.T. The engineer (Mr. J. W. Spence) reported as follows: North Riding (East). —General maintenance work has Jieen carried out in this Riding, The portions of the Salisbury and Beaconsfield Roads that had been loosened up during the dry weather Lave received a clay blinding. The Cross, Croydon East, Stanley, Croy- ( don, and Ackland Roads have also received■ attention. North Riding (West). —On the Upper and ; Lower Pembroke, Monmouth, Radnor and York ' Roads general surface work has been done. I The loose stones on the old metalled portion j of the Mountain Road have been raked "ff ■ and tte road blinded. Before removing the.chip crusher to the West Riding a consider-, able quantity of shingle had been crushed: into chips. About 400 cubic yards of hould- ■ ers have been placed on the crushln? s’te. at the Manganui depot, and 300 yarf* onj the Radnor Road. Arrangements have been made to have one of last year s contracts completed tut the Pembroke Road, where about' 500 yards of boulders are being placed on [ the side o? tte road. South Riding.—-Most of the roads In the: riding have been clay blinded, and about 30 • chains of the Upper Skinner Road have been) scarified, re-blinded »□«* rolled The portions ; of the Mountain Road which were re-faced last season have ©sen tar-coated. The approaches to the Finnerty Road bridge are well in hand. Tte bridge itself is practically finished. East Ridin*,' (Toko). —The Beaconsfield, Huinga and Toko Roads have, where necessary, been clay blinded. Some minor repairs hare been effected on the bridges or, the Mangaehu and Ahuroa Roads The shellrock re-facing on Sangster’s Hill has been completed, and the metalling Is now being carried on on Fincham's Flat. The lowering of the Ohura Road from the borough boundary is being carried out satisfactorily, the amount of traffic on this road necessarily causing some delay in the work. Every effort has been made to inconvenience the public as little as possible during the. progress of the work. East Riding (Douglas).—The Makurj- and Oruru Roads have been run over with the grader. The Strathmore Saddle has received similar attention, and the susface at the present time is in very fair order. A survey is being made by the Public Works Department of the proposed tunnel site near Strathmore Saddle. The portion of Road between the Gordon Road and the New Road has received a second coat of tar. East Riding (Huiroa). —The greater part of the past period has been occupied in grading and trimming up the Douglas North and Akama Roads. Both roads being considerably out of shape, extra work was necessary to get them crowned up. Jther roads tavq also been attended to, -'.nd where necessary repairs have been effected. West Riding.—About 600 yards of boulders and siilngle have been placed on the crushing site on the Palmer Road. About half the above quantity will be put through the chip crusher, which Is at present being used for this work. The scarifying, rc-bli.nding and rolling on the Opunake No. 1 has improved surfacte.’ and will for a time save a 2‘ c amount of patching, making the |||||||MBft : the re-facing can be put in .dindins has been carried cut go r o. ClLmie, Mar.aia, and —A uoßsidcrabh- tii-uninr h(-<-n d'U'.' i ih. .. Onii'i. .-i.-.i S?l’ .;; ;in,i ,!ie 1111 ! ' V; ‘ ie 10 S’ i ■ ; ‘ ; 11? ■ • ■ ' '' 1 d a t: ■ E. < ■ i ■ ' h X.* ! 1 ■ re- ■ i Mto He |K ofda2s

Die land be taken under tlie public. Works Act. Cr. Pitt seconded the motion, contending that no ratepayer should take up a defiant at- • titude. The motion was defeated by six votes to! three, Crs. Thomas, Davis and Pitt voting for i it. K APO NG A DEPUTATION. A deputation consisting of Messrs. Cook and Moss, representing the Kaponga Town Board and the Kaponga Dairy Company, waited on the council in reference to a proposal that the town board should supply electric current to a portion of the Stratford County. Mr. Cook said the town board had some years ago installed an electrical supply sys- j tern which was later extended to supply current to a portion of the Eltham County. That amount of power was now taken up, and the town board had recently entered into an arrangement for obtaining a further supply ?rora the Kaponga Dairy Company. This would' • sufficient for the requirements' of the I ■district for a radius of five miles, and the | board desired an authority to sell current in the Stratford County, similar to the arrangement existing with the Eltham County. The casement so granted would be merely at the v»ensure of the council, and could be re.oked if it was considered in the interests of the ratepayers to do so. * Mr. Moss said it was the intention of the town board to sell current up to the limit of the supply wherever it was profitable to do so. Mr. Cook said the town board would be able to supply tte current very cheaply, because it was obtaining it practically free from the dairy company. The chairman promised the deputation that the council would carefully consider tho matter. After the deputation had withdrawn it was! decided that the matter of granting an ease- I ment to the Kaponga Town Board for ths; purpose of supplying power to Stratford Coun- ' ty ratepayers be left in the hands of the; chairman and Cr. Anderson to obtain legal I opinions and report at next meeting. WAIWIRI ROAD TRAMWAY. Messrs. Spence, Rutherford, Macalister and Coleman, forwarded for execution by the council a deed granting to Mr. William Lorlgan, of Te Kuiti, a license to construct a tramwa? ’ line along the Wawiri Road. Cr. Pitt expressed doubt as to the advisa- • bility of granting the tramway rights, and! thought that great care should be exercised i in order that the Interests of the ratepay- i ers be safeguarded. i The chairman said the council wanted to see the line constructed in order that the limestone could be got out without injuring the roads. When the matter was previously considered, the members of the council wanted to see the industry developed, because the lime was wanted in the district. Hfe personally could not see any reason for refusing the license, as the council was properly safeguarded, and if the tramline was not constructed within a year the license would lapse. MATAU DISTRICT. The chairman reported ttat in company with Cr. Were and the engineer, he had visited the Matau district, which the settlers desired to have included In the Stratford County. The roads and bridges in the district were in fair order, hut the committee had unanimously come to the conclusion that from a business point of view it would not be wise to include the district Ln the county, as it was so far away and would be very difficult to look after. He was satisfied that the engineer could not attend to that district as well as the present county, and the council would not be wise in accepting such n responsibility. On the motion of Cr. Belcher, seconded by Cr. Pitt, it was decided to inform the Matau settlers that the council could not agree to take the district into the county. A lengthy report from the engineer dealing with the Matau- district was received and discussed. ESK ROAD BRIDGE. Several ratepayers on tte Esk Road petitioned the council asking for the erection of a concrete bridge over the Kahouri stream. An amount of £450 was on the estimates, and the petitioners offered to pay a special works rate for any further sum required. Cr. Pitt suggested the raising of a special loan, as the bridge would cost about £750. He moved that the petitioners be informed that the erection of the bridge could not be carried out under, a special works rate, and that they be advised to take steps In the direction of raising a loan, after the engineer had submitted an estimate of the cost. The motion was seconded by Cr Davis and carried. GENERAL. The chairman reported that the Public Works Department had made a survey of the .Strathmore Saddle, and this would enable estimates for the proposed tunnel workii to be drawn up. Cr. O’Neill urged that a specials-etfort be made to get Finnerty Road, from the railway crossing to Spaks’ corner, raised at once. The engineer said the crusher on the East Road job -jyould be available for tte work as soon as East Road was done. Cr. Davis drew attention to a point at the corner of the Denbigh Road, where a culvert became blocked owing to the willows. He also referred to a fence which encroached'on the road. On the motion of Cr. Pitt it was decided that notice be given to the owner to put the fence back to the right line. He said the fence encroached nine feet on tte road. Mr. N. B. Fryday, Ngaere, wrote asking for permission- to remove 100 cubic yards of earth from the side cuttings on the Cllmie Road An application was also received from Mr. Henry Wheller, of Stanley Road, asking permission to remove a few loads of claj from either the Stanley Road or the Croydon Road.—Both requests were granted subject to the supervision of the engineer. Mr. R. J. Mitchell, Huiroa, wrote asking if the council would assist him to make a track into his section at' tie junction of the Akama Jload and Makuri stream.—(Engineer to report at next meeting.