EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1921, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Egmont County Council met at Opunake yesterday. Present: Crs. S. Campbell (chairman), C. A. Trotter, R. Ferguson, A. F. Chapman, W. C. Green, J. S. Tosland, M. O’Brien, R. C. Watson and W. R. Wright. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. The chairman stated that he noticed in the report of the meeting of the Hawera County Council that under the amended Counties Act it was necessary to appoint a chairman at the April meeting. This, he said, was news to him. Hawera would not do much harm. ■ On the motion of Crs. Ferguson and Tosland, Cr. S. Campbell was re-elected •chairman unanimously. SAWMILL TRAFFIC. W. C. Clements, Waiteaka Road, wrote confirming an offer to maintain the Upper Waiteaka Road from the Eltham Road to his gate, using up to 400 yards' of pit metal per month and pay to the council £lOO per year. He would alternatively be prepared to pay a toll per lorry load on the scale collected in the Taranaki County; also to collect from settlers toll-gate charges on any drays or wagons that take delivery of timber from their mill yard. The whole of their timber was sold eithei’ to ratepayers or dairy companies, and if they had to close down the industry and fell and grass their land timber would have to be carted in from the railway. .They considered the offer a very liberal one, and pointed out that during the past 23 years they had never left any road out of repair. During the meeting a deputation of six ratepayers from the Upper Waiteaka Road waited on the council. They were introduced by Cr. Ferguson, who stated that it was recognised that the sawmiller was a benefit to the whole county. Mr. Clements had offered to maintain the road providing the council would keep the water tables in order, and the rates accruing to the road —about £B5 a year—Would be devoted to this purpose. Mr. Cox, on behalf of the deputation, considered that Mr. Clements’ offer was a fair and reasonable one, and they would be satisfied if it were accepted by the council. Cr. Ferguson then moved that the resolution regarding royalty be rescinded. This was seconded by Cr. Wright and

carried. On the motion of the chairman and Cr. Ferguson, it was resolved to accept Mr. Clements’ offer to place 400 yards of metal on the road per year to the satisfaction of .the engineer. KAWEORA ROAD. The deputation also asked that something be expended on the Kaweora Road. It was understood there was. a credit balance of £.300 to the road, and they wanted something done early next season. Cr. O’Brien pointed out that some of the settlers were using the Ihaia Road, and not the Kaweora Road. Councillors considered that some of ■*fhe credit had been transferred to the Ihaia and Upper Waiteaka Roads, which the settlers were using. Cr. Green said that he had always protested against money being transferred in this way. Cr. Ferguson said that the only ao-. count considered was the riding account. The system of debit and credit of different by-roads was not legal and had no value. Cr. Green pointed out that road accounts kept a check on the expenditure. After further discussion the chairman expressed little hope of being able to 4o anything this season. Mr. Mildenhall, a member of the deputation. said that they did not expect to be “spoon-fed,” and they were prepared to raise a loan to metal the road, but they thought the council should first do something to the road. Cr. Wright advised the deputation to go in for a loan and obtain a £ for £ grant from the Government, which was the only practical solution. A COMPLAINT. Mr. Goo. Gibson, of Manihi Road, Rahotu, drew attention to Xwhat he called “the extravagant way of doing ■nothing” recently carried out by the council’s staff. The crusher, with the accompanying outfit and gang of men, arrived on the Manihi Road to commence operations on the gravel pit on Mr. Prosser’s farm, hut after being there two or three days was removed somewhere else without anything being done. He pointed oht that permission was obtained from the authorities to use the pit in question, provided the remains ■ were first removed in a reverent man- | ner, and apparently the council took j ug steps to approach the Maoris and have this condition fulfilled, but arrived on the scene with results that might have been anticipated, ; viz., Maori feeling outraged,. the absolute stoppage of the projected work, the men’s time and wages wasted, and ratepayers on the Manihi Road debited with a considerable sum for “the doing of nothing.” The engineer stated that he had interviewed some natives who raised no objection, but on the plant going to the pit z there was an objection raised and the plant was removed.

WIREMU ROAD. The Minister of Public Works notified that- he was obtaining a report in connection with the position of the Wiremu Road and would communicate more fully with the council later on. Cr. O’Brien said that good work was now being done on tiie Wiremil Road, and he hoped that the council woul/1 endeavor to obtain a substantial grant for the road, from the, Arawhata Road to the Newall Road, and also from the Ihaia Road to the Kiri Road. Cr. Tosland said that it should be pointed out to the Government that after 40 years a main arterial road running into the main town of the province was practically undeveloped within eight miles of that town. KAHUI ROAD. The resident engineer (Mr. T. M. Ball) asked that in view of the curtailment in expenditure whether 0 council would Say if the work could he deferred this season, as he under-vood that the roads in the district wire ,l ° very bad. If the council still t! the work was very urgent pro should be submitted in the propc I' - I’- 1 ’- With locality, plan, specifications e ‘ ; In a latei letter, the re. ; i<l?v' '• eer .tilled anprovaj the /“'•

specifications for expenditure of grant for metalling about GO chains of the Kahui Road. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mi. Pease) reported as follows: Oeo Riding (Northern). —The Eltham Road has been patched twice during the month This road is beginning to need a lot of attention as the unetal on it is very thin Ln places beyond Te Kiri, and the heavy motor traffic soon causes potholes. Further repairs have been done to the decking of the Ouri bridge. The Stratford, Patiki and Oeo Roads have received attention. The decking on the bridge over the Mangatawa stream (Oeo Road) is so worm eaten as to be getting dangerous, and should be replaced with new timber. A culvert on the lower end below, the Eltham Road is oroken in, and will be replaced with concrete pipeg. The contractor has practically finished the work of felling and clearing on the iViremu Road, between the Taungatara and Mangahumc rivers, and Is about to start between the Mangahume. and Waiua rivers.

Oeo Riding (Southern). —Some patching has been done to the Main South Road. Contract No. 379 was completed during the month, and yielded 900 cubic yards of crushed metal and 130 yards of screenings, which was laid down on 90 chains of, the Main South Road between the Taungatara River and the Watlno Road. , Opua Riding (Southern). —Contract No. 385, on the Lower Waiteika Road has been completed. This yielded-104 cubic yards of crushed unetal, which was laid down on 18 chains of the road. The plant was removed to contract No. 382, on the Main South Road near the Maungahume bridge, which is about completed. The contractor is making satisfactory progress with the formation of temporary grades on the Wirenni Road, between the Ihaia and Arawhata Roads. A great number of concrete pipes have been carted up to this job, the cost of which, along with the cost of carting, will have to be included in a future grant, as they are not included in the contract, and all the money on this year's estimates (£1284) is taken up. Opunake Riding.—Main Street has oeen topdressed with a mixture of restar and No. 1 R.B. tar, and shingle and sand. The material is going in very well, but it will be some time before the sides get properly settled as all the wheel traffic passes over the centre of the road.

Rahotu Riding (Southern). —The Opourapa Road lias been patched along its entire length and blinded where required. A large new concrete pipe culvert has been put in on the Kina Road (Upper) near Mr. Bayliss’ place to replace a wooden one collapsed, which carried the water of the Manganui stream. Contract No. 392, on the Upper Kina Road, yielded 150 cubic yards of crushed pit metal, which was laid down on 25 chains of the road. From here the men and the Garrett roller were taken to contract No. 391, on the Lower Kin aßoad, where the contractor delivered 158 cubic yards of pit metal the first three days The plant is now working down the Manihi Road.

Rahotu Riding (Northern) —Repairs have been done on the Waltekaure bridge. Contract No. 397, on the Cape Road, was completed (’Airing the month, and 228 cubic yards of crushed metal were delivered to the spreaders and were rolled In on two lengths of the road towards the bottom end for distances of 18 and 17 chains respectively, at a rate of about yards per chain. On completion of the above ti e plant was taken to the Pungarohu Road to contract 398, where 300 cubic yards of paddock stone was put through the crusher, 30 yards of the crushed metal being dumped for maintenance and 270 yards being rolled in on 45 chains of the road at a rate of 0 yards per chain. There are about 300 cubic yards of this spawled paddock stone still remaining on the roadside for whirl' an application has been made for payment. The report wap adopted,

GENERAL. The matter of contributing to the cost of a Government health inspector was again discussed and was deferred. The clerk was instructed to write to the department and ascertain the qualifications necessary in the event of the council deciding to appoint its own inspector. Cr. Wright referred to the state of the Wataroa Road, wlrich gave access to the sections of a number of returned soldiers in the Pauhaka block. He

.nderstood the Government were going to 'xpend £6OOO on reading this block, I , n "- he moved that the engineer should «teiview the Commissioner of Crown -hhc’; and ascertain what the Govern-wa-i prepared to do to subsidise “ r id in the in‘crests of the returnH Tpis wa- .c.pfled by Cr. A .uw an