INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1922, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. PAST MONTH’S WORK. The monthly meeting of the Inglewood County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill (chairman), J. M. Hair, A. Cowley, H. Jones, E. A. Laurence, W. J. Topping, G. Capper. J. Hunter. R. Stuart. The engineer, Mr. Climie, reported: East Riding.—The metalling work on Autawa Road was pushed on during the fine weather, and there remains only about eleven chains of the first mile to do. When this is done a consecutive 2% miles of the road will be finished. The contractor for Tol Toi Road has also done well during the month, and nearly thirty chains have been metalled. Boulders sufficient for about half a mile have been carted out and stacked along the formation and the Motukawa Road. Approximately 200 cubic yards of shingle have been stripped, and this is now being carted out. To finish the work we will go to the shell rock deposit behind Mrs. Macßae’s house, there being ample supplies of this to do the work, and also to supply a quantity of maintenance stone for old metalled roads. The painting ot the steel bridge over the Mokara stream has oeen completed in a very satisfactory manner. A small wooden bridge higher up the road requires re-decking, and I suggest that some second-hand material be used for this.

North Riding.—The contractor for Mangaone North Road has completed all but about three chains of this road. The metal from the new pit has proved very satisfactory, and it has contained a very large percentage of stone. Notwithstanding rumors to the contrary, issued by bar parlor critics, a plentiful supply of stone has been found for metalling Richmond Rqad. To date about 1100 cubic yards has ’ been stripped ready for quarrying, and I suggest that the small crusher be set up close to the pit, and that Messrs. Jotnston Bros.’ offer to hire a traction engine at 30s for each day worked, be accepted, and that the offer from Messrs. Paul and Foreman to put stone through crusher, etc., and complete metalling at 12s 9d per cubic yard be also accepted. Mountain Road North has received a lot of attention this last month, and is now in very fair orde". It will be possible to leave this lengtlt for some time and go on with scarifying work on roads that are in more urgent need of it. Now would be a favorable time to call tenders for hauling stone for the northern end of tte above-mentioned length.

South Riding.—The total amount of metal crushed at the Maketawa site was 1274 cubic yards. Of this 907 yards were spread on the Koheto Road, 94 cubic yards on Tariki Road, 171 yards were dumped along Junction Road for maintenance, 16 yards were crushed for Mr. Thomason, and 32 yards for Mr. Buckhardt. Forty yards were used for metalling roads at crushing site. During the progress of the Kbhete Road work I saw that if we carted material for metalling the Ratapiko and Mana roads over tte last six miles of Tariki Road, it would mean that, this latter road would require to be re-metalled afterwards. I therefore spent four days personally searching for stone in the country adjacent to the first-mentioned road. Large deposits of good shell rock were found in the Maklno river, on Mr. Hancock’s property, situated about one and a quarter miles from the centre of the work on Ratapiko Road. A large gang of men were put on to make a road to this shell rock and to make a start quarrying, and given favorable weather teams should begin carting out stone to the crusher site about ti e 13th of the month.

West Riding.—l have arranged with Mr. Susans, Lepper Road, to get stone from his pit for the Hursthouse Road. The roller finished scarifying Junction Rond early in the month, since completing work on Bedford Road and about sixty chains of the Mountain Road. Work with the small crusher has

started, and the 300 cubic yards which were hauled by day labor from the Ngatoro Road, will be crushed and carted out to the worst places on the road. The contractors for formation” of Norfolk Rond have made a start and have shown good progress during the month. THE DERBY ROAD. A petition, signed by 44 settlers, was received th ough Mr. R. Masters, M.P., protesting against the proposal to close the Derby Road. Petitioners stated that if the road were closed several of the settlers would be unable to supply their own factories, and no less than 14 children would be debarred from attending the York Road School*. 4 Reporting on this road, the engineer stated that the cost of renewing bridges on the road would be £9OO. If the petitioners were agreeable to having their properties rated for these bridges there should be no difficulty in raising a loan. The chairman stated that the natural outlet for this district was by the Surrey Road, and the metalling of this road would better serve the purpose than the building of the bridges on the Derby Road.

It was decided to write to Mr. Masters, stating that it had never been intended to close the Derby Road, and that in the council’s opinion the district would be better served by metalling the Surrey Road. The settlers are to be invited to meet councillors at the county offices at' an early date to go further into the matter. FINANCIAL POSITION. The monthly financial statement drawn *up by the clerk showed the position in each Tiding as follows: Main roads.—Estimated expenditure, £4180; total spent, £5789 16s 3d; overspent, £1609 16s 3d. North Riding.—Estimated expenditure, £4lO 4s lid; total spent, £5BO 2s 4d; overspent, £169 17s sd. South Riding.—Estimated expenditure, £676 14s; total spent, £197 18s sd; amount available, £478 16s 7d. East Riding.—Estimated expenditure, £147 19s 9d; total spent, £l4O 16s sd; | available, £7 Is 4d. West Riding.—Estimated expenditure, £635 Is 4d; total spent, £4BO 8s 3d; avail- ' able, £154 13s Id. I The total amount overspent for all ridj ings was £1139 Bs. THE BRIDGE RATE. According to notice of motion, Cr. Hunnr moved: “That this council strike a '■ridge rate to pay interest on all bridges the county built out of loan money.” Cr. Capper wanted to know if Cr. Hun•»r meant that he would have all bridge -ales in the county consolidated. If this •ere done with the bridge rate it would •ave to be done with other loan works. He ‘nought the ratepayers should be consulted >efore anything was done. In reply Cr. Hunter said he was not in • favor of building all the bridges in the county, but he wanted -to see people on the by-roads enjoy the same privileges as (hose on the main roads. It was penalising the by-road settlers to have to build their own bridges and also pay for those on the main roads, which they might seldom use. The motion was rejected. GENERAL. The Health Department’s circular regarding plague precautions, and conveying a warning that March and April were the most dangerous months, was received.— The chairman said the Government had experts, and they should give some lead as to what should be done. It was resolved to write to the Minister for. advice in the matter. The Valuation Department wrote advising that it is proposed to use (he existing rolls for the rating year 1922-23. The revised rolls would be used for the following year.

The engineer estimated the cost of metaling 130 chains of the Norfolk Road at £6 10s per chain, a total of £845.

The ranger was instructed to prosecute owners of stock found straying on the county. roads. It was decided to call tenders for 100 yards of metal at the Lepper Road pit. On the engineer’s recommendation it was decided to erect notice boards on the Ngatoro and other wooden bridges, warning the travelling public that they are unsafe for heavy traffic. The usual fee for dog tax, 2s 6d for cattle and sheen dogs and 10s for otheq dogs, was fixed for the ensuing year.