INGLEWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 6 April 1921, Page 6

INGLEWOOD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING., The ordinary meeting of the Inglewood County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill (chairman), R. Stewart, J. Hunter, Geo. Capper, W. Topping, J. B. Simpson, J. Hair, H. Jones and A. E. Cowley. The chairman introduced Mr. Neilson, the new county clerk, to members, at the same time extending him a hearty welcome. He stated that he wished it clearly understood that he intended to have, as long as he was chairman, access to the accounts and correspondence at all times. He would also like the minutes confined solely to recording the business of the meeting, and not to the arguments and discussions. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. R. S Whiteside) reported as follows: Everett Road.—Stone crushing was concluded and the whole of the metal was placed on this road during the month, when 263 cubic yards of crushed metal were spread on the road. This made a total of 1230 cubic yards of metal deposited on the road since the plant went there this summer, at a cost of £lO7B 2s 9d for 73% chains road metalled and rolled. A little more rolling and trimming is still required to complete the work. The full cost of the formation and metalling of this road to date, including the cost of the Kurapere Bridge, works out at £4370 7s lOd. The coat of the Kurapete Bridge was £1146 17s Bd. Tie total length of road so constructed is 2 miles and 24% chains. The Government has not yet issued authority for the £2OO granted by Parliament to supplement the amount required, to meet the extra cost exceeding the estimates owing to increased cost of labor and material. Mangaone Road. —A contract has been entered into with C. Schreiber for earth work and metalling 24 chains of the above road, the price being: Excavating and removing earth 2s per cubic yard, delivering and spreading metal 17s per cubic yard. Motukawa Road.—Messrs. Frost and Hatchers’ metalling contract No. 1 has been completed. The length of the contract is 129 chains, and the cost £837 14s 3d. A further contract for another mile has been arranged yvith the same contractors at £2 per chain for reforming and metalling at 10s per cubic yard. Autawa Road.—The contractors for this work, Messrs. Clifford and Caunerop, have made good progress with their work, and over two miles of road has had the earth work done, preparatory to the jdad being metalled next summer.

Ngatoro-iti Bridge, Bedford Road.—Considerable progress has been made with the construction of the new ferro-concrete bridge over the Ngatoro-iti River, and given another month of favorable weather the work should be nearing completion. Kohete Road.—Crushed metal is being amassed at the entrance to this road by the dump truck as occasion permits, to commence metalling this road. The council’s operations, however, are greatly hampered by not haring an additional truck. Were the council possessed of another of these machines at this time a considerable amount of this road could be metalled this summer, and- other works could be more economically carried out. Tariki Road.—An earth work embankment has been made on the flat, raising the road where it passes the entrance to the Kohete Valley. This portion of the road should be metalled this autumn to ensure it not becoming impassible this coming winter. Ratanjko Road —No tenders were received for supplying and delivering metal on this read. Various maintenance repairs have been effected on tl is road and roads branching off it, including the Mana and Kupara Roads. Waimata Road (North).—The plant and crusher has been at work on the north end of the Knimata Road since leaving the Everett Road.

Bristol Road. —The specifications, and proposals for the expenditure of the Government grant have been approved, and it was purposes to get on with the work at once. However, the Public Works Department have now advised the council not to proceed with ti e work till authority has been issued from Wellington. -

The next .work proposed to be executed is to scarify and strengthen up with metal the east side of the Kafmata Hill on the Junction Road. Probably the plant will then be shifted to Egmont Road. Toi Tc‘ Road.—Earth work is being done on this road and tenders are called for the metalling contract to be dealt with at ttis meeting.

The report was adopted. It proposed to grant 60 yards of meal for the junction of the Tariki and Kohete roads, where the settlers have carried out free earth work.

The engineer was authorised to arrange with the settlers pn the Kbjiete Road to improve the grade on the hill.

t PROPOSED LOAN. The State Advances Department, in acknowledging receipt of letter relative to a proposed loan of £78,000, advised that the maximum amount which the department might entertain in any financial year was £lO,OOO. Owing to the stringency of jflie money market, the consent of the Governor-in-Council for the raising of the loan was at present only given in cases where ratepayers had sanctioned the raising of the loan, and where the Minister of Finance was satisfied that the money was required for the construction of urgent and essential public works. They therefore asked to be advised as to whether the proposed works were of such importance that they should be proceeded with at once, and asking that if the works could not be delayed reasons should b? stated. The rate of interest on loans from the department was £4 IDs, and the annual instalment, including interest and principal, amounted to £5 12s 2d per annum. The chairman stated that when in Wellington they had visited Mr. Wardell, Assistant Under-Secretary to the Advances Department, in regard to the tar-ssaling loan, and were given clearly to understand that the department did not advance money on buildings and plant. Referring to the department’s letter, the chairman said that some steps should be taken in regard to placing the matter before the ratepayers. DEPUTATIONS. Messrs. F. Kilpatrick. A. Chard, B. Hastie, F. Warley, F Duckett, J. Perrett and W. A. Officer, representing the settlers on the Norfolk West Road, waited on the council and asked that some formation work should be done The settlers had. remarked Mr. E. Kilpatrick, who acted as spokesman, already put in the sets of pipes that the council had sent out. Mr. Officer asked whether anything had been done in,.connection with raising a loan of £3OO so as to -take up the Government grant and carry out work on the road. The chairman considered that it would be advisable to go in for a larger loan, on which they could ask for a further grant next year. If they raised £609 they would only give access to two or three settlers, who would probably oppose a further loan. Mr. Kilpatrick said that they wanted something done, and as a returned soldier with 4$ years’ service, he asked that the council should do something ro give them access with the>r produce, gtc. the

was a water-channel, and his trap was down there with one wheel off.

Or. Simpson said that all were interested in both applications, and if the small loan for forming and draining was raised there would be no doubt about raising a loan for metalling later on. Members of the deputation complained that no work had been done on their portion of the road for ten years. In reply to questions they stated that plenty of labor was available on the road. Mr. Officer asked whether the council would undertake to push on with the work as soon as possible, so as not to miss the fine weather.

Mr. Hastie said that the bridge on the Bedford Road, south /of Norfolk Road, was in a dangerous’ state. The engineer will report on the matter.

Mr. Eihleen stated that he understood contracts had been let for six miles of metalling on the Pita Road. He lived 60 or 70 chains further up, and was anxious to know if he would be left out. He was the biggest ratepayer on the road. Cr. W. topping said that Mr. Eihleen certainly had a grievance.

Cr. Simpson understood that it was the policy of the council to start loan work from the top of a r<Ad, and he wished to know why this had been deviated from.

The chairman agreed that this was the council’s policy. He pointed out that the council could raise an additional 10 per cent., which would amount to £250, and* in addition there would be extra revenue available from the rates saved over the new six miles of metal.

Cr. Topping sjiid that Mr. Eihleen would be satisfied if the cuttings were done. In the course of discussion it was stated that the loan was for £2500, and the Governmenet had given a grant oi £750, but it was anticipated that the Government grant would ultimately be on a £ for £ basis.

The engineer was instructed to inspect the culverts complained of. Messrs. W. W. Thomson, F. Bracegirdle, G. Bracegirdle, S. Hunt, and Cooper, representing ratepayers on the Everett Road, waited on the council t 4 complain about various matters in connection with the loan work. Mr. Thomson stated that settlers on the Everett Road were very heavily rated, and were anxious therefore to see that the loan money went as far as possible. They complained that, 52 yards of screenings, for which they had probably paid, had been removed the site. Moreover, the road was not finished, as the water tables were in a bad state, and as soon as the heavy rains came half the metal would be lost. It was understood that the portion of the road beyond the metal as far as Cooper’s, was to be formed. This, however, had hot yet been done. Cr. Hunter stated that he could endorse all that had been said. During the winter fully half the metal would be tramped away if the filling is not banked up. The metal was very badlv laid and had not been sufficiently rolled, and the water tables had not been completed in places. Cr. Capper said he had never been satisfied with the way the metal had been put down. Credit had been given for the screenings taken, but he held that, being loan money, they should never have been removed. The chairman said that he had visited the site the previous day, and did not think the engineer intended to say the road was finished. The council had endeavored to get as much as possible out of the loan, but he pointed out what they had been up against during the last two years in labor and material. The money was nearly sufficient to complete the work, and even though the council had obtained additional Government grants of £4OO, they were nearly £.lOOO over-spent. He had been over the road, aiid in view oL the nature of the cg ;ntry did not think the metal had been badly laid. After further discussion the matter was left in the hands df the engineer, who stated that the water tables would be ( attended to, and that banking up metal would be carried out as far as any money voted by the council would allow. Later the council resolved to expend £2O in labor, the settlers to provide the teams free. THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE TARANAKI COUNTY Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Minister of Internal Affairs, notified that it was not possible to interfere with the Controller and, Auditor-General’s award in the recent financial adjustment between the Taranaki and Inglewood County Councils, as the law provides that such award should be final. The chairman reported on the result of his visit to Wellington with the county engineer, to protest against the adjustment made as between the Taranaki County Council and the Inglewood County Council. had interviewed the Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs and the Auditor-General, from whom they could obtain no satisfaction.

On his return he had placed the. matter in the hands of the county solicitors (Messrs. Weston and Billing), who considered the council had a good case to have the adjustment upset by the Supreme Court. The council then went into committee, and on resuming it was reported that a committee, comprising the chairman, Crs. Hair, Hunter and Stewart, be set up to deal with the matter with full power to act. GENERAL. Weston and Billing intimated that judgment had been given against the council for £2O, in the case of Guthrie and Whiteman v. the county, the magistrate holding that the hole that was filled in on the Thursday had been so improperly filled in as either to come again on the Saturday morning or . to cause another hole to come immediately alongside. C. M. Clifford Bros, and Cameron wrote confirming tender for reforming and metalling the Autawa Road.— Agreed to the contract being extended to cover the whole distance of six miles. The State Advances Department noti. tied that the pftcedent consent of the Govern or-in-Council had been given for the raising of the Toi Toi No. 3 loa.i of £550. It also notified that a :]d rare would not be sufficient to cover interest charges, etc. The Clifton County Council asked for information as to the method adopted to minimise the nuisance of sto?k trespass on the county roads.—lnformation supplied. The chairman was appointed the council’s representative on the Taranaki Progress League. Mr. R. C. Gray was appointed driver of the road roller. Mr. £. A. Grydar notified that h* wm

prepared to open up a metal pit face on Mr. Hair's property and prospect for shell rock metal, provided the council would allow him £lO. —Accepted'subject to test being made to the satisfaction of the engineer.

The Department of Internal Affairs forwarded a Gazette notice of the result of the poll in favor of the rating on unimproved value.

The tender of Crossman and Sons for dog collars at lid each was accepted. The engineer estimated that the cost of the two bridges on £he Bedford Road between the Lepper and the Dudley Road would be £BlO. The district engineer had expressed himself as satisfied with the work so far carried out.

The Eltham Hydro-Electric Committee asked the council to appoint delegates to attend a conference which was proposed to be held at Stratford on Monday, April 11, to consider the formation of a Power Board, including the counties, of Eltham, Stratford, Whangamomona,* and Inglewood, and boroughs lying therein.

The chairman did not favor forwarding any delegate. He pointed out that the Taranaki Progress League already had the matter in hand, and was the proper body to handle it

No action was taken. The action of the committee in leasing the new county offices for a term of 12 months at £1 per week was confirmed. The Kaimata Hall Committee asked the council to supply them with 72 feet of nine-inch pipes to place in front of the hall, the committee finding the necassary labor. —The request was refused, the council holding that the hall was in the same position as private property. 1 A letter was received from the Clifton County Council in regard to adjustment of boundaries, stating that it was understood that the intention was for all the area between the present boundary and the Waitara River to join the Inglewood County, and that any alteration would not be acceptable to them. The chairman stated that they were agreeable to the settlers deciding which county they would join. The ranger reported that he had seized 7 horses, 10 head of stock, and impounded 3 horses and 29 head of stock. He also reported a dealer for allowing cattle to stray. The dealer will be prosecuted. It was also decided to place the ranger under the jurisdiction of the engineer. Cr. Capper drew attention to the dangerous state of the Ngatoro bridge, on the Junction Road, and on his suggestion it rt r as resolved that the engineer submit plans and estimates at next meeting -for a new bridge. A tender was received from H. Lambert for work on Toi Toi Road. The clerk reported that the general account was £3749 17s 9d overdrawn. THE RETIRING CLERK. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting the acting clerk (Mr. F. A. Lloyd) stated that apparently this was intended to be his last meeting, and he asked if the council would give him a testimonial. He also asked whether the council wished him to continue after April 11 if the balance-sheet was not made out and audited by that date. In view of the clerk’s previous intimation of legal proceedings, some members questioned the advisability of giving a testimonial. The clerk said that would not affect the position. He also said, that he was entitled to three months’ notice, not yet having received legal notice, and stated that the whole proceedings in connection with the new appointment were irregular. He had had legal ad vice on the question. s The chairman considered that the bal-ance-sheet should be ready by April 11. After some further discussion the matter dropped.