CLIFTON COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1922, Page 8

CLIFTON COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. PAST MONTH’S WORK. The monthly meeting of the Clifton County' Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. R. H. Pigott (chairman), F. C. Jones, T. McKenzie, S. Sutton, C. H. Barnitt, R. Mounsey, H. A. Foreman. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dawsett) reported fod the month as follows: Tikorfingl Riding.—ln the early portion of the month the Nikorima Road metalling received some finishing touches, and had some additional rolling at the eastern end. The tarnation contract on the Otaraoa Road is now being proceeded with, and hopes are entertained that this necessary work will be completed before next meeting. Tte various hill sections recently metalled are in fair order and condition, and considerably relieve those using this route. The usual maintenance and repair work has been attended to. Waihi Riding.—Amended land and engineering surveys have been completed, gmng access to the beach at Onaero, with the result that the estimate has been considerably reduced. The original cost was estimated at £350 and the amended cost is estimated at under £2OO, made up as follows: Land £75, formation £5O, fencing £6O, culverts £5. The improvement to the, Ohanga Road formation has been satisfactorily completed, and the metalled hills On the Inland North Road have been rolled, blinded, and efficiently pocked with earth. On the Mataro Road extensive lengths of formation have been ploughed, graded and culverted, and arrangements will be made with settlers to maintain the improvement at a minimum of cost. Urenui Riding.—The formation on the Kalpitari hill was completed, and the metalling commenced, but the constant wet weather has prevented any material progress being made. The grader was in use on the upper sections, but has since been transferred to the Pukearuhe district. On the Piko Road the contractors have made a start with the earthwork portion of their contract, and have considerable quantities of gravel quarried, but carting tas been out of the question. This also applies to the Okoke Road tmetal. On the upper portion of this road a .arge and troublesome slip has occurred and will take some days to remove. On the Pukearuhe Road I have arranged to obtain 100 yards of boulders at the northern end and 150 at the southern end; also to shingle the access road at Wai-Iti at satisfactory prices to the council. Owing to Mr. W. J. Freefh’s anxiety in connection with his access road, I have forecasted the council’s intentions, and both survey and plan have been completed. The grader is now in this district and will be used to do any necessary work if weather permits. The quarrying and carting of metal from the native reserve for the main road is* still proceeding as opportunity offers. The temporary bridge and the approaches at Mangamaeho have been ma’ntained. and any average load can negotiate the turns without much trouble.

Uruti Riding.—A large new and necessary culvert has been put in adjacent to the Uruti factory, and the main road slips have received attention. On the Uruti stream a cut is being made to relieve the threatened damage to the road and turn the water in’o its original channel. Between the Pehu Road and the Waltara low level bridge, numerous slips and wash-outs have occurred, some being of large dimensions. In addition a tunnel has partially collapsed, causing considerable inconvenience to traffic, but arrangements were made locally to reinstate the road as early as possible. On the Mangahia Road the drain cutting, fascinlng, and otter improvements have been completed. The widening near the 29-mile peg on the main road will now be proceeded with. The contract for quarrying 1000 cubic yards of boulders at Uruti has been signed, and work is expected to start forthwith. Ngatlmatu Riding.—The roads generally m this district are in a very creditable condition, and give little cause for complaint. The grader is now in operation, and will be used with discretion, according to weather conditions. On the Rako Rako Road nothing further has been done. The main drain still requires lengthening and deepening to make a good job of the work. The approaches to the Mangamaire bridge are to receive early attention. That portion of the county between the Purangl Saddle and the Waltara river was transferred to the Inglewood County on March 31, as previously arranged. As a result of this transfer of territory tre roadmen's sections will require re-casting. Mokau Riding.—The anticipated sanding has again been impossible on account of the weather, and much work, caused by the very Inclement weather, requires doing on all roads in this riding. A suitable and capable man should be detailed for each road for a period sufficient to put each route in a serviceable condition. I made application during the month for subsidies, etc., due by the Government, amounting to over £9OO, and these, I understand, have been already paid. The report was adopted.

MANGAMAEHO BRIDGE. A deputation from the Uruti Ratepayers’ Association waited on the council in reference to the Mangamaeho bridge. The spokesman (Mr. Boyes) said the bridge was considered to be low, and that'it should be raised three or four feet. On one occasion the bridge was under three fleet of water, and such freshes frequently occurred. The deputation represented 36 shareholders of the Uruti dairy factory. The factory had recently been burnea (town, and the material for the new factory had to be carted over the bridge. Mr. Smith said the bridge was quite inadequate for the traffic it carried from a large district, the sharp turnings on either side being very difficult to negotiate. Cr. Sutton said the weather had been abnormal during the autumn, and this had accounted for the state of the Mangamaeho hill and the flooding of the bridge. Had the weather been normal he did not think there would have been any complaints. When building the bridge the council nad done its very best .under the circumstances. The chairman said the council was very hard put to it in the matter of finance. Many settlers in the district from which the deputation came -from had not paid their rates, in common with other districts. They had other calls for urgent works, and it was not possible to meet all without the funds. The engineer said it would probably take about a week to raise the bridge, and the cost would be probably about .£6O. The talk that had been going on about the bridge was. a perfect farce. Other bridges in other districts were in a much worse position. z It was pointed out that loads of 8 to 10 tons were continually going over the bridge. The bridge had been rushed up to give the settlers communiea--tlon. and the best was tnen made of the job. The engineer considered the cost a secondary consideration, the inconvenience caused to traffic, etc., being of primary importance. Cr. Sutton said that last month it had rained for 2o (lays, and the bridge was submerged only three times, and then < nly for a few hours. Councillors suggested that the turns on the road at each side of the bridge might be straightened. The chairman said this was only expending money on temporary work, as a new bridge would soon be erected. A motion by Cr .Barnitt that the road be widened by taking off the corners on each side was lost. Considerable discussion ensued as to whffthex* or not the heavy traffic regu-

lations should be enforced, but no conclusion was arrived at. GENERAL. C. W. Bryan. Uruti, wrote offering to find the labor to re-erect a bridge leading to his property if the council supplied sufficient concrete pipes'for the work. —It was resolved tbit . the council could not undertake to supply such crossings to private property.' P. Cole, Motonui,. put in a claim for royalty of 6d per yard in the future on metal Which he alleged the council was carting off his beach frontage at Waipapa.—The matter will be kept in view. Mrs. Kendall wrote offering to supply the labor for painting the bridge on the Minfi-Mokau road, near Ahititi, if the council provided the materials.— Left in the engineer’s hands. Mr. T. M. Ball, resident engineer, wrote stating that £9OO, being ,a £ tor £ subsidy, on the MaJigamaeho stream, had been approved, and that the coun-r oil might now submit proposals for the work. —On the motion of Cr. Jones it was decided that the chairman wait on the Minister of Public Works and the Minister of Finance with regard to the bridge loans and with a view to securing an advance of the whole £lBOO for the Mangamaeho bridge. It was decided that the council extinguish its antecedent liability by raising a loan, as provided by the Local Bodies Finance Act. On behalf of Messrs. Jones and Burkitt, of Main and Upper Uruti roads. Messrs. Govett, Quilliam and Hutchen wrote asking that the council lower the culverts recently constructed so as to allow of the escape of water which, was backing up on the complainants’ property. —Left to the engineer. The inspector of health notified that he had inspected the Onaero dairy factory in consequence of complaints, but at the time of the visit had found no evidence of a nuisance. The matter would be kept under observation. H. Larson. Pehu, wrote asking whci the £2OOO loan for the Tangitu deviation was raised. He intended to “stir things up,” .as they had about 50 bales of woo’ lying in their shed which they had been unable to cart out. —No ; etion was taken in the matter. The matter of repairs on the Tui Road, for which a sum of £9 was reported to be available, was to Um awabtr.