CLIFTON COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1921, Page 8

CLIFTON COUNTY.

PAST MONTH’S WORK. Meeting of council. The monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara yesterday. Present: Crs. R. H. Pigott (chairman), T. McKenzie, H. A. Foreman, C. H. Barnitt and S. J. Sutton. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported for the month as follows: Waihi Hiding.—No progress has been made on the Mataro Road metalling contract, and I do not anticipate doing anything further until next season. The Parihaka culvert has been completed, and is now open for traffic. The old bridge site has been filled to deck level, and when consolidated will be further raised as required. Tte survey for the acquisition of land for road at Onaero is in progress. A half chain road and depot will absorb about two acres. The roadman is away on leave, and his nominee is taking his place I temporarily.

Tikorangi Riding.—The Ngatimaru Road has received the balance of broken nfetal from Mr. Knuckey’s pit, and the remainder of the boulders will also be crushed and laid. down. In the interval the plant has been engaged tn cutting off grass shoulders and ridges and improving the side tracks, and this will continue <more or less throughout the riding. The town water* has been laid on to the Waihi toll-gate. vA ranger traversed the roads on the 22nd with some measure of success. The usual maintenance work has received attention.

Ngatimaru Riding.—There Lj a balance of grant on the Mangaoapa Road, and this has been expended in widening points and improving the road, mostly at the Kiore end. Two culverts have been put in on the Pita Road. Further wing fencing is required on tte South Matau bridge, and the approaches would be improved by fencing same. Some work on the Tlrangi .Road is still in abeyance, the settlers who undertook the worK being responsible for any delays. The roadmen have been allocated separate lengths for the future. The usual maintenance work has received attention.

Urenui Riding.—Further gravel has been quarried and laid down from the Native reserve, and also from another face on the Okoke hill. A reduction in the price of gravel has been made, and bott quarrymen are on the same mark as regards cost. The gravel shoot at Okoke has been erected, and I hope shortly to arrange about the carting The timber for repairs to the bridge on the Piko Ror.d lias been obtained, and will shortly be placed on the ground. The timber for the Black bridge is already cut, and awaiting transport. The settlers will shortly tave the opportunity of again tendering for works in this district, and they should avail themselves of the opening. The normal flow of the public drain at Wai-itl is retarded by an accumulation of vegetation, etc., resulting In flooding the adjoining lands, and I propose to later remedy this trouble. The two sections it is proposed to improve at Pukearuhe have been commenced, but the weather has completely stopped tte work in the meantime. The portable hut has been drawn to the county paddock near the Mangamaeho bridge, and is being used by the roadmen as a habitation.

Uruti Riding.—Repairs to the bridge on the Mangahia Road have been attended to. The question of obtaining an amended consent owing to an alteration of route beyond the Tangitu tunnel is in the hands of the county solicitor. The area would now be about 16 acres, more or less. I inspected the Main Road in company with the district resident engineer during the month, and he kindly agreed to assist the council by disposing of sufficient crushed metal for repairs during the winter months.

Mokau Riding.—Sanding bad sections has been seriously Interrupted by the weather, and the work has been confined to clearing slips and water-tables, renewing culverts, and '•utting vegetation, etc., and this will be the scope of the work during the winter months. The ranger visited the Okau Road and reports a fair amount of success, although this will not remain an isolated venture. Authority was given for additional assistance to continue the work on the Kiwi Road, and also at the eastern end of the Okau Road, the roadmen attending to present requirements on the western end, and the Mangatoro Road. General.—The notice boards giving the Injunction to drive slowly in the vicinity of schools are prepared, and will shortly be placed in position. Thirds schedules, after a prolonged absence, are again submitted for expenditure, and I have filled in proposals to the amount of £925 10s 2d.

The report was adopted without comment. HEAVY TRAFFIC. The damage done to county roads during the winter months by heavy vehicular traffic, especially by lorries, wes brought before the council’s notice by the engineer. The Taranaki Counties’ Joint By-laws, 1920, clause 100, states that a council may from time to time, by resolution, determine that, owing to weather conditions, any county roads shall be considered as unfit for heavy traffic during the months of May, June, July, August and September. Members were not quite clear on the point of what the maximum load should be limited to, having regard to the weight of lorries and the fact that a certain load had to be carried to make the journey worth while. The matter was left in the hands of the chairman to obtain a legal interpretation of the joint bylaws. It was resolved that the engineer be appointed an inspector under the uniform by-laws so as to deal with the regullion of heavy traffic. REDUCTION IN WAGES. A notification was received from the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association that at the last meeting of the association the question of wages payable by local bodies was fully considered and the following resolution was carried unanimously: “That it be a recommendation to all local bodies to reduce the wages of casuals, surface men, teamsters and foremen (blacksmiths and bridge carpenters excepted) by one shilling per day.’’—Received. The council has already made the reduction of Is per day. HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE. A circular was received from the Stratford Hospital Board soliciting the council’s support to an effort to °effect a change from the present system of apportioning Government subsidies on levies for hospital maintenance in favor of a return to the simple and universal £ for £, a plan that is accepted as satisfactory in the matter of capital levies. A provision might be made that, in certain districts with special disabilities grants in ad of revenue would be available in addition to ordinary subsidies.—Received. TANGITU TUNNEL. The Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works) wrote acknowledging receipt of the council’s letter in regard to the Tangitu tunnel and deviation, and replied that men were taken off this work mainly owing to the fact that it was found necessary to line the roof of this tunnel throughout. It was not originally anticipated that this would have been necessary, as a number of road tunnels in the Taranaki district had stooj satisfactorily without beinolined throughout. The contractor had suspended work owing to the ground flaking and becoming unsafe to work. In order to ensure durability, hardwood timber would be used for this lining; arrangements were being made to pro-

cure this, and, on its arrival, work would be resumed.

Later in the meeting the chairman, Cr. Barnitt and the engineer were authorised to interview the Tangitu settlers in regard to the deviation and Putt’s access. SETTLERS’ REQUIREMENTS. Mr. E. Mowat (Waitoitoi) wrote, in regard to the matter of access to his Okoke section, and on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. McKenzie, the engineer was instructed to interview Mr. Mowat and Mr. G. Rogers in the matter and take the necessary steps to legalise the question of access. Mr. Gordon Sal way (Waitoitoi) wrote in regard to the Nopere Road, which, lie said, was in a very bad condition. He also asked the council to look into the matter of erecting the boundary fence on the proper line, as given by the engineer, before the milking season recommenced.—The matter was referred to the engineer. MONEY MATTERS. The Public Works Department notified that £325 had been lodged at the bank to the credit of the county fund account, £5O being a £ for £ grant for work at Okoke, and £275 (on account £1250, £ for £) for work at Mataro. The Treasury Department, Wellington, wrote noting the council’s covering forms of notice of merger with the Inglewood County, and stated that the liability for the loans concerned had been transferred to that county council. The State Advances Department wired to the effect that it was hoped to remit the Onaero—Mataro loan shortly. The Bank of New Zealand * advised that the rate of interest on the current account of the county would be 7 per cent, per annum from July 2; also that the council’s limit as arranged would be reduced correspondingly to loan money transferred under section 45 of the Finance Act, 1920. GENERAL. ‘ It was decided to call for tenders for carting stones from the Urenui beach to the depot.

It was resolved to levy a general late of 2}<l in the £ on thfc capital value of all rateable property in each of the ridings of the county.

The Public Works Department intimated that applications for grants for road and other works should now be forwarded, and the engineer submitted the following list, with litho attached, amounting to £20,626. made up as follows: Mataro Road. £350; Okoke, £1000; Kaipikari, £500; Piko, £2000; Kaka, £800; Parininihi tunnel, £875; .Mangahia. £1300; Pukearuhe, £1250: Uruti, £1500; Nikorima Extension, £500; Turangi. £900; TongaporutuMangaroa, £8000; Mangamaeho, £l5OO. The above are all requests on a £ for £ basis. In addition £l5O is asked for Mangaonga Road as a free grant for new formation.

A rate of 9-16 d in the £ will be struck on the Uruti No. 1 loan for £lOOO, and a rate of one farthing in the £ on the Uruti No. 2 loan for £250. Accounts amounting to £Bl2 0s 6d were passed for payment.