EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1922, Page 2

EGMONT COUNTY.

THE PAST MONTH’S WORK. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The Egmont County Council met at Opunake yesterday. Present: Crs. S. Campbell (chairman), C. A. Trotter, R. Ferguson, A. F. Chapman, J. S. Tosland, M. O’Brien, R. C. Watson. Cr. Green was granted leave of absence. The overseer (Mr. lan Campbell) reported: I inspected the portion of Pungarehu Road referred to in Mr. Greenway's letter. I estimate proper forming, etc., would cost £5O. In company with Crs. O’Brien and Ferguson, I inspected the metal on the beach on Mr. Wilson’s property, Arawhata Road. There is, practically speaking, an indefinite supply of good, clean boulders. Oeo Riding.—General maintenance work has been carried out. on the Main South Road. Clay blinding has been done between Taungatara bridge and Watino Road. The grade of the south end of Taungatara bridge has been cut down, and the north end has been . .sed. The first two miles on the Wahino Itoau from Eltham Road is in a very bad state. With Cr. Ferguson I inspected a site for crushing on Mr. Coxhead’s property at the junction of Oco and Opunake-Stratford Roads. There is a good supj/iy of suitable stone available, but substantial repairs would have to be done to Opunake Road to stand carting over. Opua Riding.—One mile of clay Winding has been put. down on tbe Main South Road. I would draw the council's attention to the state of Opua and Namu Roads, as they are almost too far gone for the ordinary patching. The Mangahume bridge has been repaired, and is now in a fairly satisfactory state. 600 yards of metal has been put through the crusher on the Waiteaka Road during February, Seventyfive chains of road have been scarified, metalled, blinded, water-sealed and rolled.

Rahotu Riding.—Ten days’ work has ueen done on Main louth Road, clay blinding, patching and general maintenance work. Metal crushing at Ngarlki Road was completed on February 7, and metal has been run out with lorry to convenient places on various roads as opportunity offered. Metal patching has been carried out five days on Upper and two days on Lower Kabul Road, also water-tabling and general maintenance work. The bridge on the north side of - Oaonui dairy factory requires attention, the ends having sunk through caps rotting and collapsing. The centre pier is sound, and causes a high ridge in the middle of traffic way. The crushing plant was working for seven days at Wi Kupe’s, Pungarehu, crushing 446% yards metal, and at Symons’, Pungarehu Road, for six days, crushing 272 yards of metal. This has been deposited at various places on the Main South Road.

SETTLERS’ REQUIREMENTS. Mr. Geo. Grey wrote on behalf of R. Brbich, offering without prejudice to pay one quarter instead of one half of the expense of cieannig the drains on his frontage, as asked by the council. The letter pointed out that nothing had been done by the council for many years towards cleaning these drains. It was resolved, on the motion of Crs. O Brien and Tosland, that the council could not see its way clear to depart from the practice followed for many years.

Kaitapapa wrote pointing out that he had done wort on the Tauru Road to the value of £6 3s. The gap, he said, was done in 1921. He would like to get Die road fixed up, as it took two horses to take out 400 pounds of milk every morning.—Left, in the hands of the overseer and Cr. Chapman to interview Papa. J. S. Fox (Okato), in further reference to his reouest for drainage along the varrington Road, replied that the Taranaki County kept the drain cleaned out on the Carrington Road, and the Egraont County Council should do likewise.—lt was resolved that the letter lie on the table. D. F. Greenway thanked the council for promising to effect some improvement to tbe Pungarehu Road, and he suggested that some formation work should be done, a distance of about six chains beyond the present metal, where it was practically impassable either summer or winter. • BRIDGE WORK. The State Advances Department notified payment to -the council’s account of £lO6O on account of the No. 3 bridge loan of £5OOO. Cr. Tosland considered that now money was available the council should take steps to push on with the most urgent bridges. He suggested that a committee should be set up. WIREMU ROAD. The resident, engineer (Stratford) forwarded a circular letter regarding the curtailment of expenditure. The letter has already been before other local bodies, and has been published. In a further letter the resident engineer stated that he was unable to say definitely what was voted by Parliament, as he had not yet received a copy of the appropriations as passed, but it was fairly safe to assume that the items were not altered. They were not all available for expenditure, however. The iteim “Wiremu, £1350” was only sufficient to cover liabilities (Le., there was no new money), while the item ‘‘Okahu. £47s’* must be reduced by £74, being the amount of liabilities. As far as he knew, the other items were correct. The Okahu Item, being a straight out grant, would be dealt with by the department, unless there wap any special reason why the council should expend it. Cr. O’Brien said that this would be a great disappointment to everyone. However, as the Government had stated that it would consider urgent cases he thought the question of "the canal” should be brought before the Government, This Would .only be a small job, costing £l2O, and an additional £l2O would effect needed repairs between the Arawhata and Ngarlki Roads. The council should, he urged, apply for, say, £4OO to be expended out of next year’s grant. He moved that the county apply for £4OO for the purposes mentioned, and that the overeeer report on the position.

Cr. Tosland seconded the resolution, which was carried.

Cr. O’Brien also brought forward the question of expending the £4Ol available on the Okahu Road.—-It was resolved that the overseer and Cr. Chapman should visit the road and 'report on the work that is urgent.

Messrs. Siadden and Palmer forwarded a survey of Wiremu Road between the Ihaia and Kiri Roads, showing that the work done was in places off the road line. Mr. Locksley (the contractor) waited on the council, and after considerable discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Crs. O’Brien and Chapman, that Crs. Ferguson, Watson, Tosland and the overseer meet the contractor on the job, with full power to act. GENERAL. A letter was received from the Otago Hospital Board, asking the council’s support in opposing the increase of the audit fee from £2 for a. day of 6 hours to £3 3s for a day of seven hours.—On the motion of Crs. Trotter and Ferguson it was resolved to bring the matter before the member for the district, with a view to obtaining a reduction. The Valuation Departmnt notified that it would be impossible to have the new valuation of the county made in time to take effect this rating year. The Department of Labor (Wellington) notified that the provisions of any award or industrial agreement, or any agreement entered into under the Labor Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, shall not apply to or affect any local authority or public body in respect of relief works carried out by special resolution of such local authority or public body.

The action of Cr. O’Brien in purchasing a lease from the Harbor Board on behalf of the council at the upset of £2O per annum was confirmed.