EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1921, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. PROPOSED ROAD LOAN. 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, and R. C. Watson. In connection with the council’s application for a loan of £BO,OOO for tar-sealing, etc., the deputy-superintendent of the State Advances Department stated that until the application was before the members of the board for consideration he was unable to say whether or not it would be entertained. At the pi esent time the maximum amount which might be advanced to any local authority during any one financial year was £5000,-and under no circumstances was a definite undertaking given that a certain sum would be available each year. The council's attention was also drawn to section 60 of the Local Bodies Loans Act, 1913, which enumerated the purposes for which the department was authorised to lend money. An application for metalling could be considered only in cases where the metalling was being done for the first time. In the case of widening the roads, the new portion of the road could be unetalled and the whole road sealed with tar, but any work in the nature of maintenance or repairs would not be englDle. Cr. Tosland thought the council should take steps to obtain the ratepayers' sanction to the raising of a loan. Whatever little they got from the State Advances Office would reduce the interest. They should not do new work out of overdraft. The chairman thought they should place the matter before the ratepayers immediately and obtain the Government’s sanction to obtain the money elsewhere if necessary. Cr. Green favored having authority to raise the loan; £5OOO would enable them to procure their plant. Cr. Tosland said that they should have a return prepared of the roads that were not metalled and formed. These would have to be attended to later. It might therefore be advisable to obtain the £BO,OOO elsewhere, if necessary, and leave the way open for the £5OOO to be raised from the Government later for the development of these other roads. The clerk doubted very much if tte Government would give them permission to raise money for road purposes at 6 per cent, or 6% per cent. They must try and get it from the Government. Cr. Green considered that the limit might be increased shortly. The Government could obtain a loan for local bodies cheaper than the local bodies could. The Government had consistently starved local bodies, and would have to mend its ways or be changed. Cr. Tosland moved that a poll of the ratepa jers should be taken so as to be in a position to raise the loan under the Government Loans and Local Bodies Act when the opportunity occurred. This was seconded by Cr. Green, and carENG INKER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. Pease) reported:— Geo Riding (Northern). —The Oeo Road has been patched, and the grade on the hill immediately north of tte Stratford Road has been lowered and the gravel used on the road, which is not metalled here. It is proposed to do additional work at this point immediately, as a portion of the road is almost impassable. The short length of Wiremu Road has been patched. Patching has been done to the Stratford Road. Oeo Riding (Southern).—Tte Taungatara Hill, on the Main South Road, has been cleaned up. The length between Mr. Andrew Alien’s property and the racecourse entrance has been patched with the best pit material, obtained from the cutting on tne I’unenu Hill. Opua Riding (Southern). —A considerable length of the Eltham Road has been clay blinded. The slip at the western abutment of

the Mangahume bridge has been temporarily made good, the old and rotted ; wooden wing wall on the down stream side has been shored up, the vegetation cut away, and the bank! refilled with material close at hand. A 121 n. • pipe culvert has been put in on the Lower Uaiteika Road, replacing a collapsed wooden one. The contractor for the felling and I clearing of a portion of the Wiremu Road i has again commenced work. Opua Riding (Northern). —On the Main South Road, a fair amount of clay blinding has been done. A little patching has been done. One day's patching has been done on the Nanni Road. The contractor is getting out the 100 yards of boulder stone on the Opua Rahotu Riding (Southern). —Patching and water tabling has been done at various places on the Main South Road. Five days’ work lias been put in on the Ngariki Road, mostlj’ at the top end, where the hills were reformed? The Upper Kahui Road has Deen patched. The road by tic- bend below the factory has been reformed and rounded up for a distance of 6 chains with about 35 yards of pit metal. The Kina Road has been patched. One day’s work was put in at the pipe shed making etwo 9in., three 12in., three 18in., and eight 24in. pipes. The second lot of eight 3ft. diameter pipes have been sent up to the top of Kabul Road for the new culvert at the top of the Parihaka. Road; also 14 x 4 timbers and Bx 4 decking for the repairs to the Waitaha bridge, on the same Rahotu Riding (NortheriD. —The Main South Road has been patched v.Were required for its entire length. Patching has been done to the Cape Road, and the Lower Parihaka Road has been patched. Patching has been done to the Newall Road, and an old wooden culvert has been replaced with a line of 12in. pipes. Bridges.—The work of building the new reinforced concrete bridge, on the Eltham Road,, over the Taungatara. River, is proceeding satisfactorily. Ti e abutments have been completed, and the centering for the arch ring is in position. As soon as the steel work for the arch is fixed in position, the work of concreting the ring will be commenced. The committee appointed to deal with the Collett crusher have decided that a new chain of a. different pattern be obtained, and the existing buckets fitted to it. They also decided that the lakge crusher be not used for travelling about, except it be taken to where a considerable amount of stone had to be crushed at one place. OEO RIDING REQUIREMENTS. Crs. J. S. Tosland and R. C. Watson submitted a lengths’ report of the roads in the Oeo Riding as inspected by a committee set up at the last meeting of the council. The report stated that the Watino Road was in good order, except about 30 chains; bridge construction work at Taungatara was progressing splendidly; a. portion of the Eltham Road, from the Taungatara bridge eastward was becoming "saddled," but the engineer considers that with necessary patching it vvould last another year; the Oeo Road was very rough, and about 50 yards of crushed metal would be required to patch it; the Oeo Lower, Nopere, and Skeet Roads were in good order; a portion of the Main South Road should be tar sealed, and a portion, between' .1. Pettigrew’s and the Ouri bridge, would be better for renewal, as it was almost worn through; the Puketapu Road was in fair order. With a desire to centralise they recommended as follows: Oeo Northern 400 yards, Watino (Northern) 300 yards. Main South Road 400 yards. Portions of other roads required attention, but as 50 yards was needed for patching, it was considered advisable to do the whole road, though it was in debt. The Watino Road was next given preference, on account of the poor quality metal. The Main South Road tender might be modified. New bridges were immediately required on the Kini Road, and if material was availably af- | ter the completion of the Taungatara bridge, a footbridge should be erected over the Punehu River, on tire Opunake-Stratford Road. In the next list of new bridges a. permanent liiidge for this stream should be included, as this road should, when completed, become a public highway. When visiting the OpunakeStratford road, they inspected the river boulder deposit there. Should money later necome cheaper and the motor lorry system instituted, ti is site would undoubtedly make a first-class depot. They also recommended that a culvert on the Main South Road, between the Watino Hoad and Taungatara, should be widened. A mile of the Wiremu Road in the riding was unfilled. As soon as possible the development of the road should be proceeded with, as the road here joined the OpunakeStratford road, and when finally completed, encircle the luoumeln.

‘ RAHOTU RIDING REQUIREMENTS. ' The Rahotu Riding Committee (Crs. Green and Chapman), reported that they rf&d visited the various roads in the riding, and recomnier.ded that £5O be spent on the Upper Kina Road on ordinary (maintenance works; also that £2O be spent on the Wltiora Road on ordinary maintenance, the work to he done at once; that £24 be spent on the Turn Road, r.nd that tenders be called for tne delivery of 1000 yards of river-bed boulder stone near Wtiteawai Tanuhana’s, on the Ngariki Road, the stone to be crushed by the council’s employees and delivered to the Main South and by-roads when required, between Kina Road and Waitaha stream; that the draining of the Turn Road stand over until the Witlora Road is repaired; that the stone on the Purgarehu Road be crushed by the council’s employees, along with about 400 to 500 cubic, yards of stone belonging to Wi Kupe (provided s&tisfactory arrangements can be made for same), and that the crushed metal be delivered on to the Main South Road and byroads (where required), for maintenance; that alternative tendsrs be called for the delivery of 300 cubic yards and 500 cubic yards of river-bed boulder stone to the bottom of the Warea Road, and, if accepted, the stone to be crushed by the council’s men and delivered on to the Main South Road and byroads (where required), between about the Mangaone stream and tte boundary at Punifro; that later on in the season, when settlers’ teams are available, the crushed unetal at the bottom of the Bayly Road be laid down and rolled from the present good metalled portion downward, provided the settlers are willing to render some assistance with teams. REDUCING THE OVERDRAFT. Ct. O’Brien said that before proceeding with the allocation of road expenditure, -te would like to refer to the estimates, which proposed that Rahotu should reduce its overdraft by £2439, Opua by £731, Opunake by £4O, and Oeo by £l6l. He thought Oeo was being treated in an unusual way. The chairman said that now an additional was struck lr the Oeo Riding their overdraft would be reduced about equal to Rahotu. Cr. O'Brien doubted if a farthing would make that difference. The overdraft was now £16,784, and he moved that during the next four months the bank overdraft should be reduced to £15,000. If it were reduced another £2OOO during the following year they would be in a good position.

The chairman favored making It March 31, and Cr. Trotter seconded this. Cr. Green said that the only way to reduce the overdraft was to call in the rates. Out of £16.677 rates only £l7OO tad been paid so far. He moved that the rates be sued for within the next two months. The clerk said that the balance at the end of September 3d showed the overdraft to be : Oeo £5931, Opua £4057, Opunake £295, and Rahotu £6781. This was the lean half or the year, as next half year tte greater proportion of rates would come in. The motion was then carried. Cr. Green then moved that notices be put in the papers stating that rates will be sued for unless paid or arranged for by December 30.—Carried. IN SEARCH OF INFORMATION.

The committee appointed to visit the Waimate County and report on the road-making methods adopted there, submitted a most comprehensive report, and recommended that the council should commence tar sealing where possible, and should obtain the necessary plant to enable a start to be made with the work. However, as it was late in tne da.v, discussion of the three reports was deferred until the chairman has time to look into the matter, and will probably be taken at a special meeting. GENERAL. Mr. H. M. Bartie asked that about 6 chains on the Arawhata Road should be metalled above the Wiremu Road. He had, during the past year, expended £l5O on the road.—lt was resolved to vote £6O for expenditure on the road. Mr. Jas. Young waited on the council and complained of the damage done and the inconvenience and annoyance caused to settlers in the Oaonui district by cattle being allow •ed to stray on the roads, particularly in- ; stancing the annoyance caused by contrartors’ I bullocks.—lL was resolved that the ranger be instructed to impound the cattle, also that a I mat- be employed to range the other roads of i the county and impound stray cattle, the owners then to be prosecuted. Mr. A. McKeown forwarded a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of ratepayers held in the Teliana Hall, viewing with concern the high rate being struck in the Oeo Riding, and urging the council to take immediate steps to secure better results for the expenditure.—lt was resolved to inform Mk McKeown that tlie council was keeping the matter steadily in view. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote asking whether the council proposed to utilise the thirds due to the county, viz., £59 12s 9d. If proposals for expenditure were not made, the provisions ot the Public Works Act would be enforced where possible.—Alternative proposals have been submitted.

Messrs. W. C. Clement and Sons wrote accepting the council’s proposition in connection with metalling the VValteaka Road. They had made a start with the delivery of the boulder stone, and as they had only one team available, could not manage to get the 800 yards out by November 1, but would push on with tire work and get the stone out as quickly as possible. Cr. Ferguson brought up ' the question of carrying out some necessary work on the Kaweora Road.—Referred to the engineer to report at next meeting.