STRATFORD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1921, Page 6

STRATFORD COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. PAST MONTH’S WORK. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held on Saturday morning. Present: Crs. E. Walter (chairman), W. H. Were, J. Jacobsen, M. Davis, S. Pitt, J. O’Neill, T. R. Anderson, J. T. Belcher and J. H. Thomas. The engineer’s report stated:— North Riding (East).—Most of the metalied roads in this riding have received attention. A considerable amount of shell-rock has been quarried and carted to the roads from the deposits on Mr. Pitt’s property, and also from Mr. Oldrige’s. The smaller material has been deposited on the following roads in the following quantitiesAckland Road, 96V 2 yards; Croydon Road, 30 yards; and Stanley Road, 13% yards. A further amount is now being distributed on the lower end of the Stanley Road, the total amount quarried being 350 yards. North Riding. (West).—General maintenance work lias been carried out on the Mountain, Monmouth, Rutland, Radnor, Lower Pembroke, and York Roads. On the latter five 15-inch pipes have been put in to replace an old wooden culvert. About 200 yards of sand have been carted from the Midhirst dam and dumped on Denmark Terrace. Boulder metal has been crushed at the Manganui depot, and distributed on road in the east and west portions of this riding for maintenance. South Riding—lt was found necessary, owing to the wash-out on the Finnerty Road, to close the road for about a week. A set of 30inch pipes have now been placed at the bottom of the filling, thereby reducing the water to the lowest possible level. This was not possible before, as the water was backed up to a depth of 8 feet at the mouth of the old tunnel. It is not anticipated that the tunnel will give further trouble, as the water is now lower than the bottom. Patching, watertabling, etc., has been done on the Climie and Wingrove Roads. A set of 9-inch concrete pipes was placed In the Pukengahu Road to replace the set of earthenware pipes which were badly broken. East Riding (Toko). —The grader has, where possible, been used on the Toko, Raupahu, Mangaehu, Ohura, Ahuroa, Waiwiri, Beaconsfield and Standish Roads. On the Wairiri, Ohura, Ahuroa and Toko Roads, repair work has been carried out in the way of patching and water-tabling. East Riding (Douglas).—The work for the past period has consisted entirely of maintenance on the Ohura-Mangaehu, Mangaotuku and Douglas Roads. East Riding (Huiroa).—General surface work has been carried out on Douglas North and South Roads. Water-tabling and trimming the grass from the edge of the metal has been done on the Makurl. On the AutSwa Road, two sets of 9-inch pipes have been put in. The drain-cleaning on the Akama Road was started, but had to be abandoned on account of the amount of water. Four days, as instructed, were spent on the Makurl South in opening up a track to Mr. R. J. Mitchell’s property. West Riding.—Where it has been possible, trees and shrubs have been cut on the road sides, this work serving the purpose of drying the roads and opening up the view on bad corners. It was found necessary to effect some repairs to the small bridge over the Mangatokf stream. Two culverts on the Finnerty Road, which had been blocked with willow roots, etc., were cleaned out. The road surfaces generally are in fairly good order. Mangaehu Riding.—The slips which occurred on the Mangaehu, Mangaehu South, and I’uniwhakau Roads have been cleared. The small slips which came down from time to time have been cleared. This work seems to have no finality, for one end is no sooner reached when the water-tables are again hocked. Owing to the steady carting by some of the settlors on the clay portions of the Puniwhakau and Mangaehu South Roads, portions of these roads are very badly cut up.

TOKO RAILWAY SERVICE. A letter was read from the Matau Ratepayers’ and Settlers’ Association, asking for support in making representation to the Railway Department for an improved service on the Toko line. The letter stated that onls‘ in one day of the week (Monday) did th? train travel up the line in daylight. For the rest of the week it travelled in the evening, which made travelling home both inconvenient and dangerous on the mud roads. The association suggested that the early train which, is run on Monday to Stratford be run on Wednesday and leave Stratford on the return journey at about 1 p.m. That there be no alteration in Tuesday’s service. That Monday’s service be as on ordinary week-days. This would ensure that anyone requiring medical attention could travel to Stratford .on the Tuesday, returning in daylight and comfort on the Wednesday. Fanners purchasing stock at Tuesday’s sale could truck on Wednesday, and the stock would arrive in daylight. It was decided to refer the letter to the Stratford Chamber of Commerce. TRIMMING TREES AND HEDGES. A petition was received from the ratepayers residing on the south side of the Opunake—gtratford Road, protesting against the action of the council in compelling them to cut and trim trees on their boundaries, as the trees did not shade nor obstruct the road, but tended to shelter it. Decided that tjhe matter be left in the hands of the engineer. DOUGLAS NORTH ROAD. A letter was received from the settlers of the Douglas Road, asking that the council should proceed with the metalling of the Douglas Road North, as it. was considered as urgent that the work should be finished. It was decided that the settlers should be informed that the Government would not at present advance the loan to proceed with the work. YORK ROAD TELEPHONE. Mr. King waited as a deputation on the. council on behalf of ratepayers residing on the York Road. The settlers have been advocating (he installation of a telephone, and the department required that the local body concerned should give a guarantee of £l6 per annum before the telephone could be installed. Mr. King, -in asking the council to guarantee that amount, said that there would be twenty-eight householders interested in the telephone, and the council would not stand a very great loss, and the telephone would in time pay for itself. The settlers concerned were three miles from Midhirst. It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the North Riding members of the council to report at the next meeting. The chairman moved that a man should be employed as an inspector, his duties to include ranging, dox tax collecting, inspector for the county by-laws, and any work given him by the engineer, the inspector to be under the general supervision of the engineer. It was decided that the inspector should bring before the council the names of motorists travelling on the road without licenses. It was decided that the resolution passed by the council at its previous meeting, that the council should erect warning notices to motorists on roads near schools, should be rescinded. DRAINAGE BOARD FOR HUIROA. Mr. Fox waited as a deputation on the council and asked for the assistance of the council in forming a drainage board at Huiroa. Mr. Fox stated that, a meeting had , been held at Huiroa in connection with

the forming of a drainage hoard. The board would have a registered office and a paid secretary, and it was in this direction that the council was asked to assist. A drainage board would be a great benefit to the district by keeping the roads in order. The chairman said that in the Huiroa district, which was about 16 miles from Stratford, there was a good deal of good land going to waste. After discussion it was decided that, though the council was in sympathy with the proposal, it could not give any help. GENERAL. R. P. Staveley applied for permission to erect a cottage on the south side of the Climie Road inside the first bridge, in front of Mr. Sparkes’ property on the Climie Road, which was waste land under council control. It was decided that as the section was part of the public highway, a reply should be sent to the effect that the tenure that the council could give would be so insecure that the applicant had better look for another site.