TARANAKI COUNTY.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. PAST MONTH’S WORK. The Taranaki County Council met yesterday. Present: Crs. J. S. Connett, J. Andrews, A. Morton. J. Wooldridge, S. Vickers, and O. Penwarden. The overseer, Mr. G. Meredith, submitted the following report:— Plant and General. —During the month the ci usher worked 5% days crusting 594 cubic yards of metal at Perth Road depot, all of which has been laid on the Perth Road covering most of the weak places. The crushing plant was set up at Perth Road early in the month and has been shifted to the Oakura depot where crusting is now being carried out. The lorries and crushing staff have been engaged carting shingle from the borough dump and from Parkin’s depot, carting tar and bitumen from tnr depot, Smart Road, to Adan’s Hill, firewood from Hurford Road to tar depot at Allan’s Hill and broken metal from the railway pit to various roads in the Waitara riding. We have delivered 72 yards of shingle from the Borough dump and 64 yards from Parkin’s depot to the main, road in the Omata riding and 24 yards from the Oakura depot to Morris’ flat on the main road in the Okato riding. Metal Delivery.—96 yards of broken metal have been carted out from the railway pit, Sentry Hill and distributed as follows: Waitara Road 8 yards, Kelly Road 12 yards, Richmond Road 40 yards, Te Arei Road 16 yards, and Manutahl Road 20 yards. 48 yards of crushed metal were carted from Stoney River deopt and laid on the main road between the Dover Road and the Okato township. A total of 902 yards of metal and shingle have been shifted during the month. Mangorei Riding.—The foremen In this riding have been engaged cleaning water-tables, drains, patching, and general repair work. The Korito road is showing signs of weakness in places. I would recommend quarrying and br»airing three to four hundred yards of .metal in the Korito Road pit. Quarryman Phipps could undertake this work as soon as the quarrying is finished in the Henwood Road pi,t. Waitara Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out in this riding such as water-tabling, patching, and banking up metal on the various roads. There is at present approximately 400 yards of boulders out at the Mutton track depot. I would recommend hauling a further 400 yards. The roads In this locality are weak particularly the top end of Egmont Road. Omata Riding.—Foreman Seamark has been engaged patching, water-tabling and general repairs. He has also made a start stripping and quarrying metal in the pit on Mr. Wood’s property on the Hurford Road, and is now engaged patching, water-tabling, banking up the sides of metal and general repairs. There is at present approximately 300 yards of boulders spauled and ready for the crusher in the Frankley pit. The Cowling, Elliot and top end of the Frankley roads are getting very weak and will require a considerable amount of metal before next winter, a further 350 to 400 yards should be got ready In this pit. The crushing plant is now a very extensive
one and should not be set up for less than six or seven hundred yards.
Asphalt Work.—The tar plant is now in the Omata riding. A start has been made tar grouting the road from the end of the present tar and will be continued in a southerly direction to the lower boundary of the Omata riding, a distance of approximately 70 chains.
Okato Riding.—Foreman Hayes has been engaged with metalling and rolling on the Perth Road, rolling Haimpton and Leith Roads and general repairs and is now spraying tar on the main road in the Omata riding in Foreman Seamark’s length. Foreman Sefton has completed the formation work below Mr. Still’s property on the Wairau Road and is now working with crusher gang at the Oakura depot. Foreman Rusllng has been engaged spreading metal on the Plymouth Road and with the v?ual miscellaneous repairs. As requested, I have inspected Cumming Street, Okato Townslip, and find It requires ploughing and rounding up. I have instructed the foreman to carry this out as soon as possible.
Contracts.—Messrs. Green and Pentelow are making good progress with the quarrying and breaking imetal in the Plymouth Road pit. The contractors on the Upper Carrington Road earthwork are progressing steadily, the weather being much against this work especially i» that particular locality. The Kirihau Road contractors have made a start with the formation work. Foreman Jury is now engaged with the teams hauling boulders off the beach on to the Ahu Ahu Read.
The report was adopted including the recommendation of the engineer to ouarry 400 yards of metal from the Korito Road pit, and to procure 400 yards of boulders from the Frankley pit; also that tenders be invited for 400 yards of boulders at the Mutton track depot (Waitara ric’-ng). THE WAIWAKAIHO WEIR. The general manager of the New Plymouth Borough Council wrote drawing attention to the dangerous condition of the weir below the bridge and stated that reports had been received that the shackle chains had disappeared. There appeared to be a grave danger of the weir being washed away. The chairman said it was only a few weeks ago that three public works engineers were out to inspect the weir and as far as could he seen from the bank the weir was quite safe. However, the council could make another inspection. TELEPHONE FOR KORU. The secretary of the Omata Co-opera-tive Dairy Company (Mr. H. Bailey), wrote intimating that at the request of the settlers in the Koru district the directors of the company had undertaken to guarantee the council any sum they might be called upon to pay in connection with the working of a telephone service in the district. On this condition the council agreed to give the required guarantee to the Telegraph Department in order to enable the lines to be erected. ROADING REQUIREMENTS. Four ratepayers wrote calling attention to the state of the Upper Albert Road. They pointed out that the old metal is fast weanling out and although the road foreman was doing his best to keep it in repair there now seemed to be no further material on hand to'carry on with. They hoped this would be provided, and that the road would be put in order. ft was decided to obtain a report from the overseer as to the condition of the road. A letter was received from Mr. W. Binnie drawing the attention of the council to the bad state of one place on the Upper Puniho Road, which,'he raid, was so bad at the present time as to be quite unsafe for horses or stock, and he asked the council to effect repairs as soon as possible. The overseer was empowered to effect repairs on the road at a convenient time during the summer. Six ratepayers of the King Road (Waitara riding) wrote asking th? council to take the necessary steps to raise a special loan for the purpose of metalling 4u chains from the end of the present metal. —The request was agreed .to. The contractor for the Kirihau Road work (Mr. E. J. Baker), wrote suggesting that a deviation be made at a point just, past Mr. Kevell’s property, and he pointed out that this would make a better road. The extra cost would be £95. The council approved of the proposal and the question of accepting the tender for the extra work was left to the chairman.
TE WERA QUARRIES. , In view of the high cost of opening up Mount Egmont quarry, on account of the present financial stringency, the Public Works Department wrote notifying that it was intended in the meantime to open up the limestone deposits at Te Wera for railway ballasting and read metalling purposes. The department remarked that as the financial crisis had no doubt affected the council’s position with regard to the quantity of metal required, they would be glad to know if the council was willing to take annually from Te Wera quarry the same amount as previously indicated in respect to requirements from Mount Egmont. The price was 9s fid per cubic yard on trucks at Te Wera* The department is to be informed that at the present time the council cannot see its way to give any order for stone. THE MAIN ROADS BILL. The New Zealand Counties’ Association wrote forwarding a copy of a resolution passed by the Counties’ Conference on September 29, in opposition to the proposed Main Highways Bill. The council was asked to take immediate action in the matter by telegraphing to the member for the district, and by resolution of the council. tt- u It was pointed out that the Main Highways Bill proposed that the Government .should take over certain arterial roads in nearly all cases running parallel with the railways, and it also concentrated all motor taxation, together with large Government monetary assistance, on such roads, as against the roads which in most cases were carrying the settlers’ to the railways. The resolution, which was practically unanimous, expressed the opinion of the association that it would be most prejudicial to the local government of the Dominion for the State to take control of the main roads. It favored a tax on motor tyres, and suggested that in lieu of the present system a subsidy of 10s in the £ be paid to rates collected by local bodies. ‘ The chairman, who was present at the recent conference, said the idea of the resolution was to conform as far as possible with the spirit of the Act proposed by the Hon. J. G. Coates, and therefore a board of control was suggested to define local main traffic routes in each county on which money would be spent. The council affirmed the conference’s attitude, and also decided to communicate with the member for the district, outlining the views held in respect to the Bill. GENERAL. A resolution was passed confirming the special order in respect to the Saunders Road loan, and special orders were approved in connection with the Cross Road loan (Kelly to Richmond) and the Hempton Road. The following special rates were approved in regard to the respective road loans: Upper Saunders Road, 2£d; Cross Road, 4Jd; Hempton Road, 11-16 d. As the result of a i report made by the inspector, certain persons in various parts of the county are to be notified to eut noxious weeds. A resume of the business transacted at the Counties’ Conference was given by the chairman, and a vote of thanks was accorded to him for his work.
Application was made by Mr. W. L. Russell for permission to take sand from the river bed at Waiwakaiho on payment of 2s per yard royalty, and the matter was referred to the chairman. Mr. Russell also applied for the rights of grazing on some of the council’s property at Waiwakaiho, and this was left to the chairman.
Mr. J. Martin (Mangorei Road) wrote applying to have the road off the Old Hospital Road leading to Messrs. Frost and Barnett’s houses metalled. He stated that he had purchased ten acres in this locality. —lt was decided to reply stating that the council could not undertake any metalling. The New Plymouth Borough Council wrote asking if the council was prepared to take over the license from the Harbor Board to remove gravel from the beach east of the Waiwakaiho River, as they had installed a chip crusher, and did not expect that the borough would require any further supplies of gravel from the beach. —The chairman was authorised to communicate with the Borough Council to ascertain if there was any possibility of securing chips from their crusher.
The State Advances Office wrote notifying that the board had granted the council’s application for a loan of £5OO for the purpose of forming and metalling the Cross Road between the Kelly and Te Arei Roads.
The general manager of the New Plymouth Borough wrote inviting the council to set out their proposals in regard to the upkeep of boundary roads, and the matter was referred to the chairman and overseer. The chairman informed the council that he had not been satisfied with the present conditions in regard to these roads, and he had proposed that the borough and county should come to an agreement to divide up the boundary roads by putting in pegs, and thereafter each council would be responsible for the maintenance of a certain part.
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Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1921, Page 7
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2,094TARANAKI COUNTY. Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1921, Page 7
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