EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1922, Page 7

EGMONT COUNTY.

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, and P. Brophy. Cr. W. C. Green was granted leave of absence.

The overseer (Mr. I. W. Campbell) submitted a lengthy report detailing work during the month. After reierring to work required on various roads the report proceeded:— Oeo Road Bridges.—The construction of the timber bridge is practically complete. I will be starting on the construction of the concrete bridge, weather permitting, early next weeK. Parihaka Road Bridge.—l inspected this bridge, which is in a very dangerous state. The top chord has rotted away in two places and dropped down at end of the truss. It is only held together by two straps, and should these give way the whole structure will drop. I have ordered a new top chord from Newall Mill, and when it arrives will have the work done.

Oeo Riding (Northern). —On the Main South Road some 40 chains of clay blinding has been put down T>etween Mr. Lambie’s and Oeo hill. Twenty chains o>f clay blinding have been done on Skeet Road.

Oeo Riding (Southern). —On the Eltham Road metal patching has been carried out during the month. Patching and re-facing metal has been done on the Stratford-Opunake road owing to heavy traffic cutting the road up. Metal repairs and patching have been done on Oeo Road.

Opua Riding.—On the Weiteika Road 520 cubic yards of metal have been crushed during the month; 45 chains of road have been scarified, metalled, rolled, and water sealed. The crushing plant has been shifted to Lower Waiteika bridge, crushing stone out of the river at Mr. Lahey’s to metal the lower portion at Eltham Road end. On the Arawhata Road Mr. Munro’s contract; has been completed. Two hundred and eighteen cubic yards have been crushed, 21 chains of road have been scarified, rolled, metalled and water sealed, and some 6 yards placed <on roadside for ma into nance. In the Rahotu riding various roads were repaired. RUAKERE ROAD. Cr. Chapman said that he had visited the Ruakere Road, and the settlers wished the council to proceed with raising the loan. He did not consider the council had treated the ratepayers fairly, as the loan had been applied for a couple of years ago and nothing had bee done on the road.

The clerk stated that the loan had been applied for in May, 1921, and had not been taken up, because it was too late to go on with the work.

On the motion of Crs. O'Brien and Tosland, it was resolved to take steps to “lift” the debentures.

On the motion of Crs. Brophy and Chapman it was resolved to call tenders for the boulders, closing at next meeting.

THE WIREMU ROAD. Cr. J. S. Tosland reported that he had visited the Public Works Department and discussed with the officials there the irregularities in the contract on the Wiremu Road. He suggested that the Public Works Department should take over the land where the road had been formed and have it gazetted as the Wiremu Road. Mr. Curtis, the deputy to the resident engineer, favored the suggestion, which he considered might be carried out. Cr. Tosland favored the council going on with the proposal to deviate the road. Members considered the suggestion a good one, and it was decided to act upon it. The first contract was left in the hands of the committee to deal with.

Cr. Chapman considered that Cr. Tosland deserved the appreciation of the council for his action. SETTLERS’ REQUIREMENTS. H. N. Kitchingman (Kabul Road) asked that repairs should be done to the upper end of the Kahui Road. — The overseer is to attend to and place the road in passable repair.

Later Mr. Willcox and several members of a deputation asked the councu to effect some repairs on the Kahui Road. —The overseer is to report.

Mr. S. Cassie, on behalf of the settlers on the Carrington Road, drew attention to the state of the Carrington Road, and also to the condition of the two small bridges on the road. These bridges were unsafe, and the recent heavy rain had scoured a large portion, of the metal off the road.—Left to the overseer. IHAIA ROAD LOAN PROPOSAL. A deputation consisting of Messrs. J. Feaver, F. Carter, J. Hickey, J. Sinclair, L. Wann, J. Tuwhaka, Chamberlain. I). Hickey, J. De Castro, and G. Bayliss, ratepayers on the Ihaia Road, waited on the council with a petition asking that a poll should be taken to raise £5OOO for the purpose of re-form-ing and tar-sealing the Ihaia noad.

Cr. O’Brien, who introduced the deputation, said that it was the duty of the council to keep the road safe for traffic. At present it was absolutely unsafe. If the road was tar-sealed a lot of firewood, etc., would be made available. He also pointed out that for the past seven years the ratepayers had had the opportunity of taking advantage of the £5OOO that could be borrowed annually from the State Advances Department, but had not done so. Both the settlers on the Kahui and VA area roads had considered the matter, and had decided not to apply for a loan.

In reply to Cr. O’Brien, the overseer said that the road was beyond patching. a.nd that £5OOO carefully administered would complete five miles. The petition, containing sixteen names, was then handed in by the deputation, and Cr. O'Brien moved that the council give effect to the petition forthwith. Cr. Trotter seconded.

The chairman moved as an amend ment that the matter he deferred until after the deputation regarding the objection had been heard.

Cr. Watson seconded the amendment and after further discussion the orig inal motion was deferred.

The chairman said that as chairman of the council he could not agree to the money being given to one road in the one year.

Cr. O’Brien: “You have no say in the matter.”

Later a deputation comprising Messrs. M. J. Mcßeynolds, J. McKay, M. Hickey, and G. 'Bayliss waited on

the council objecting to being included in the rating area. Mr. Mcßeynolds acted as spokesman, and said that they did not oppose improving the road. To show that he favored this, he offered to make a donation of £ for £ up to £5O with those who favored the loan in order to improve the road until such time as the council was prepared to go in for a comprehensive scheme of road improvement.

Cr. O’Brien withdrew his resolution, and moved that the council give effect to the petition forthwith, the sum of £■4ooo to be expended the first year and the balance the following year. Cr. Tosland supported, provided the first year’s expenditure was limited to £3OOO. This Cr. O’Brien agreed to. The resolution was seconded by Cr. Trotter and carried. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. Mr. O. Hawken, M.P., asked whether the council intended taking up the votes that were granted for this year's work in the county. He pointed out that money was scarce, and he won id therefore like to know as soon as possible. The clerk notified that the council had decided to apply for the Okahu (Ngariki to Newall) grant of £401; also £4OO for the purpose of making passable some very bad places on the Wiremu Road.

It was decided to interview the Minister on the question of grants during his visit to the district. THE OKAHU ROAD. A deputation, comprising Messrs. T. Willcox, H. N. Kitchingman, W. Fleming, H. Annis, ami others, waited on the council and asked that work should be carried out on the Wiremu Road. They pointed out the benefit that would accrue if the main road could be ■ relieved of stock traffic, and they asked that work should be done from Ngariki to Kahui, and from Kahui to Parihaka road. Considerable money saa been spent at various times, but owing to bridges having fallen in, etc., the road was now absolutely impassable. He pointed out, also, that if the* road was put through to the Newall Road it would provide a short cut to Okato and New Plymouth. The deputation asked that the council should “lift” the grant of £4Ol on this road.

The clerk explained that he had written to the resident engineer, who pointed out that £4Ol was available, and would be dealt with by the department unless the council could show special reasons otherwise. Members of the council considered, that the deputation should place the matter before the Minister on his visit to the district.

A case of special damage through driving cattle along the road was also mentioned, and it was resolved to ask the resident engineer at Stratford to take steps to stop the damage. GENERAL. Mr. Jas. Garcia was re-appointed the Egmont County Council’s representative on the Egmont National Park Board. The clerk stated that in accordance with the Local Bodies Finance Act, the balance owing the bank at the end of March last was £12,515 3s, and was known as the antecedent liability. This could be paid off in three different ways, one of which was to pay it off in seven yearly instalments. On the motion of the chairman and Cr. Tosland, it was resolved to pay the amount oft’ in seven annual instalments, or a larger amount if possible.