EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1921, Page 6

EGMONT COUNTY.

THE PAST MONTH’S WORK. MEETING OF COUNCIL. The Egmont County Council met yesterday, [’resent: Crs. S. Campbell (chairman), E. A. Trotter, R. Ferguson, A. F. Chapman. W. C. Green, J. S. Tosland, M. O'Brien, It. C. Watson and 1’ Brophy. The returning officer notified that the byelection to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Cr. Wright had resulted in the return of Mr. P. Brophy. The chairman congratulated Mr. Brophy on his election, and welcomed him to the council. He felt satisfied that after Cr. Brophy had attended five or six meetings of the council he would be able to go back and tell the ratepayers of Rahotu Northern that the council was doing its best for them. Cr. Brophy briefly replied. ENGINEER S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. Tease) reported as follows : Oeo Riding (Northern). —The work cf scarifying the Elthani Road was completed, about 48 ctains having been so treated at the fax end, then reformed, rolled and blinded. The old metai on the Stockwell Hill against the dnerted portion was scarified for future maintenahce. A short length of the road at McCarrison’s Hill was scarified and refaced with hand broken stone, and a little patching work has been done where required. Stratford and Oeo Roads have been patched where maintenance metal was available, and several heaps of maintenance metal have been knapped for the Oeo Road. Oeo Riding (Southern).—With th© exception of two days’ work pul in repairing the Punehu bridge and a day rounding up cattie. the cnen were engaged all the month on the water-tables and banking up metal on the Main South Road between the Taungatara River and the Puketapu Hill.

Opua Riding (Southern).—The Main South Road and Elthiun Road have been patched and water-tabling done at places. A line of 12inch pipes was put. in near MF. Morris’ gateway, he paying ti e cost of the pipes. Patching and water-tabling have been done to the Ihaia Road, and repairs have been Gone to the fence at the Waiaua bridge approach'. Opua Riding (Northern)Watep-tables have been cleaned out on the Main South Road, and a considerable amount of patching has been uone on the Upper Arawhata Road. A horse has been purchased for this portion of the riding with set of harness, .and as It is practically impossible to borrow a spring tip dray, we shall require a good second-hand or new one. Opunake Riding.—A little water-tabling has been done and a fair number of ait sizes ot concrete pipes have been made at tlie Domett Street shed. A few boulder stones have been got out at the Waiaua Hill paddock for future maintenance within reasonable distance.

Rahotu Riding (Southern). —The Main South Road has been patched from boundary to boundary, and water-tabling done at places. Th© Opurapa Road has been patched from bottom to top, a culvert cleaned out. ai d water-tabling done at places. The Upper Kabul Road has had a fair amount of patching done to «lt, soma places being very bad. A day’s patching was done on the Lower Kabul Rond, and a day each on the Turn and Ngariki Roads. The Upper Kina Road has had a considerable aunount of patching done to it.

Rahotu Riding (Northern. —-Water-tabnn* and patching have been done on the Main South Road, and a drain cleaned out at the Punlbo store. A fair amount of work has been done patching the Warcit Road, G chains of which were practically re-metalled. The Lower Parihaka Road was patched through, Gape Road was patched in places, and wateroutlets opened. Burgess Road was patched the whole length, whilst some patching was don© on Newall and Stent Roads. Seven days’ work was done on the Newall Road. A wooden strir.ger bridge on the Carrington Road has been repaired. The recent wet and wild weather has played havoc with ti e roads generally all over the county, and there are not sufficient men employed to keep them in repair. Bridge Work.—The actual concrete work for the reinforced bridge over the Waiteika, on the Eltbam Road, has been completed. If sufficient proper teams can be obtained the bridge gang will carry on witl: the deviation work at this point, otherwise they will have to start at the Taungatara bridge at once. Plant.—The work of repairing the general plant is just, about completed. A new hood of angle iron columns and wooden top covered with Malthoids has been erected over tlie Aveling and Porter traction engine. Cylinder end, piston and ring work, etc,, has been done to the Fowler engine. Repairs have been done to one of the centrifugal pumps, a wooden cover put on, and painted. Extensive repairs have been done to one of the council’s drays t at the engine sl ed. The report was adopted.

NEED FOR RE-ORGANISATION. Cr. Ferguson drew attention to tlie need for re-organisation throughout th© county, with the idea of bringing about more efficient and more economic working. He cited several case? where he considered improvements could be effected. He pointed out that even after paying interest and hospital rates, the council had £13,000 per annum to expend, and he did not think they were getting value for their money. Ho then moved: “That in . view cf the shocking state of the by-roads in the counts, and the hardships being experienced as a result of the general unsatisfactory state of county affairs, the time is opportune for this council to investigate the whole position and endeavor to introduce a better system of management; also that the council take definite and immediate steps towards securing economy of j*oad maintenance and ’akl;uinistratior r " He sni.ted that he did not wish this resolution to bo taken as a reflection on the chairman, but he felt that they should endeavor to get more done for the- money expended. Cr. Trotter seconded. Cr. Tosland said their system of road construction was wrong. Ho favored adopting tarsealing as they went along. The by-road rates should be pooled and by-roads taken in sections and completed thoroughly. They should thoroughly discuss how the money was to be expended during the coming year. The motion was carried. In order to give effect to the resolution, it was decided that the chairman should request the finance and works committee to meet at the earliest possible date to discuss the best means to achieve that end. Cr. Green was appointed to the finance committee, and Cr. Brophy to rhe works committee. The committees will meet ar. Rahotu on Thursday, August 25. BREACHES OF BY-LAWS. Cr. O’Brien mentioned the damage done to Arawhata Road by the cartage, of firewood through permission being given by an officer of the council aftej> the council .had declared the road closed to heavy traffic. The road, he | said, was torn to pieces. The engineer stated that be had not given j any permission, and moreover the loads conformed to the by-laws. Cr. Green stated tliat he understood timber! was still being carted on the Newall and Car- f rington Roads. Steps should be taken to ( prosecute the offender. The clerk said that the by-laws were now |; in order, and could be enforced if a case' j could be proved. Cr. Tosland also drew attention to heavy 1 . traffic on the Watino Road. I ; On the motion of Crs. Green and Chapman it j ; was resolved to take action against the offenders. < BRIDGE LOAN MATTERS. The clerk reported that he had gone to , Wellington and interviewed the State Advances . Department with reference to further advances 1 i under bridge loan No. 3 for re-erectiug ] bridges, and after consultation with the Crown ; Law officers, the department superintenent of | the State Advances Office stated that a fur- . j ther £4OOO would be available, and deben- j . tures would be forwarded as the money was i required. j j With reference to the balance of the loan j ; authorised by the ratepayers (£6000), the,; Crown Law Office advised that no objection • could be raised provided the county valuation ' j and the special rate polled wau sufficient se- * ]

curiiy. It. was safe to assume that a fresh I valuation of the county would be made before | long, and this would doubtless enable the | council to obtain the balance of the loan. J Cr. Ferguson said that settlers on the i Northern Oeo Road who wished tn mtlk were j under the Impression that unoney was provided ' for in the bridge loan for the erection of a j bridge on the Oeo Road. They had no access until tlie bridge was built. Tlie clerk stated that the Oeo bridge was i included in the No. 2 bridge, loan, but the j money had been expended on culverts on the 1 Auroa Road, which were not included in the I bridge loan. On the motion of Crs. Green and Watson tite engineer was authorised to report on the matter at next meeting. GENERAL. Cr. Chapman asked why work authorised on a bridge on the Parihaka Road near the Kahui Road had not been attended to. The engineer stated that it was impossible to do any odd work with a staff of one foreman and a surfaceman in each riding; it took them all their time attending to the main road. -- It was decided to authorise the engineer to engage an additional man for Rahotu Northern. Cr. O’Brien considered the council should endeavor to send mon to the northern district and satisfy the settlers there. If they saw that, they were getting attention for their' rates, there would not be so much talk of merging. The matter of effecting repairs to the Lower Kina Road was left in the hands of the engineer. The Bank of New Zealand notified that the increased rate of interest would not come into force until August 1 instead of June 2. as already notified. D. Graham wrote stating that while wiving stock over tl:e Taungatara bridge he had lost a dairy cow valued at £lu through the

I side of the bridge, which was unprotected. ' He would be satisfied with half the value of I the cow if the bridge was made safe.—Reeeived. The Agricultural Department forwarded a I copy of an Order-in-Council including barberry , in the third .schedule of the Noxious Weeds j Act, enabling councils to declare it a noxious i weed if they desired.—No action was taken, j The Public Works Department forwarded a ! cheque for £64 on account of grant on Wircmu Road. The Customs Department also forwarded a cheque for £29, being a refund of duty on portion of road roller. The council passed the necessary resolution striking the general rate of 2%d in the £ over the Oeo, Opua and Rahotu Ridings, and i’/ 2 d over the Opunake Riding. Crs. O’Brien and Trotter were appointed to sign the rate