INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1922, Page 7

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

THE PAST MONTH’S WORK. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. The Inglewood County Council met yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill (chairman), J. M. Hair, A. E. Cowley, H. Jones, Geo. Capper, R. Stewart, J. Hunter. Leave of absence was granted Cr. Lawrence. In reply to Cr. Capper, the chairman said that the money for bi tumen-seal ing a portion of the Junction Road would be taken out of the general fund. The chairman reported: East Riding.-—With Cr. Topping. I have inspected most of the roads, and found them in fair repair, considering the amount of wet weather we have had. There have been two slips on the Purangi Saddle, which have left the road rather dangerous. I have arranged to have the matters attended to at once. North Riding.—Surfacemen have been employed cleaning water-tables, repairing and backing up metal. As most of the roads are hilly, all water-tables and culverts should be attended to before the winter rains set. in. South Riding.—General maintenance work has been attended to. Mr. Grigg has completed the formation on the Ratapiko and Mana Roads, also the work on the Kupara Road authorised at last meeting, and is now carting the hand-napped metal on Ratapiko Road. Kaimata South: The metalling of this road is now completed. Motukawa Road: As ordered by the council, Cr. Topping stopped all day labor on this road. West Riding.—Surfacemen have been employed cleaning water-tables, trimming and patching up roads generally. Firewood carting is causing considerable damage to several roads, and the by-laws prohibiting heavy traffic on the county roads during the winter months should be strictly enforced. In company with Cr. Stuart, I made an inspection of Dudley and Bedford Roads, and find that the firewood-carting has left Dudley Road in a very bad state of repair, and we would recommend that the council call tenders for 300 cubic yards of boulders. The approaches to the bridges on the Bedford Road north of Dudley are dangerous, and wings should be erected at these bridges at once. Main Roads and General. —The wet weather and re-grading the Mountain Road South have delayed the plant, as only 588 cubic yards have been crushed. The balance of the Mountain Road should now be scarified, raked in and rolled, also a few chains at Tariki. The road from Waipuku to Waiwakaiho would then be in first-class order, and should not need any repairs next summer. After the crushing is done on the Durham and Dudley Roads the plant should then go to the Junction Road East, where the boulders are already out for the necessary repairs. Many of the side roads are getting into ruts, and if these were scarified, raked in and rolled they would last for many years. This work could be carried on all the winter.

Ngatoro Stream Bridge, Junction Road East. —A start has been made with the re-decking of this bridge, but I find it is in a very bad state—almost beyond repair—and steps will have to be taken soon to raise a loan to erect a new concrete bridge over this river. It might be possible to get a better site than where the present bridge is erected. Early in the month the tanks were set up on the Junction Road West, In readiness for dressing with bitumen, but it Is only within the last few days that the road has been dry enough to make a start. After watching closely, I have now to advise the council that in future when calling tenders for supplies of boulders that they be spauled to a size to suit the crusher. It is a waste of time to have our men spauling stones when they ought to be loading the drays. And I further recommend that no screenings be paid for in the future. The council can then take out the screenings or otherwise, as occasion requires; the present system of taking out a percentage of screening on one job and none on another is absolutely unfair to the contractors. Notwithstanding the council’s definite instructions to keep a correct record of all pipes made and sent out to the various jobs, I regret to say that they have been ignored. I think a committee should be set up to report on: (1) The working hours of the staff; (2) the surfacemen’s lengths; (3) the question of supply of tools, etc.; (4) the custom of employees ordering and getting tools and other supplies without an order. The chairman’s report was adoptd. The tender of Mr. Ludaman for knapping stone on the Motukawa Road was accepted. BOUNDARY ROADS AND BRIDGES. The Taranaki County Council notified that it had agreed to the control of the roads as pegged out by the respective engineers, and was prepared to pay half the cost of concrete pegs and erecting same. As regards the boundary bridges, the council was agreeable to take control of the chain bridge over the Waiwakaiho River, Junction Road, and that Inglewood County Council should take over control of the bridge over the Waiwakaiho River, Carrington Road: and all costs Incurred in connection with the bridges would be borne equally.

The Taranaki County Council also agreed that a limit should be placed on expenditure to be submitted, and they suggested that any expenditure in excess of £lO should first be submitted to the respective councils. Taranaki County Council also drew attention to the necessity for urgent protective work at the Lepper-Carrington Road bridge. Agreed to. The Inglewood Borough Council wrote in connection with the maintenance of two small pieces of boundary road between the county and the borough—viz., seven chains of the Mountain Road North, and four and a half chains cf the Windsor Road. The Borough Council suggested that each body should maintain the half adjoining its respective terriPAYMENT OF ANTECEDENT LIABILITY. The Pahiatua County Council asked support to a resolution that all local bodies throughout the Dominion should be asked to approach the Government, requesting it to apportion a part of the loan being raised on the London market for payment of local bodies’ antecedent liabilities. The chairman opposed the proposal, as the council would require as much of the loan as possible to help settlers on the by-roads. If they accepted any of the money to meet their antecedent liability this would be deducted from the amount they could obtain from the State Advances Department In any one year, which was now £5OOO. He moved in this direction. The motion was seconded by Cr. Cowley and carried. SETTLERS’ REQUIREMENTS. Messrs. J. W. Harding, Butler and Ryan asked the council to do something to the drain and road on the Norfolk Road in front of their properties. Mr. Harding said that he had paid £133 Ils per year in rates, and the road must be in credit unless the council had adopted a system of concentrating on main roads for motor traffic, which was unfair to settlers without metal on the byroads. Mr. Ryan said that nothing had been done to the unmetalied road during the fourteen years he had lived on the road. Settlers had turned out and metalled the Suffolk Road, and would help in the formation of this. There was about a mile to metal. The chairman pointed out that the council kept only riding accounts, and not road accounts, though he had advocated the latter. Replying to the deputation, the chairman admitted that they had ground for complaint regarding the by-roads, but when the county took over from the Taranaki County Council the main roads were in a deplorable condition, and these were the first call on the county rate, which had not been struck to the full extent. The main road from Waipuku to Waiwakaiho was now in a better condition than for many years past, and during the next two years they should be able to expend more money on the by-roads. It would cost about £6OO to metal the road, and he advised the settlers to go in for a loan of £3OO, and the council would endeavor to get the Government to give a grant of £3OO. POSITION OF THE COUNTY'. The clerk submitted the following statements and explanations to give information on tl.e transactions since the inception of the county. He stated: "The county started with a debit balance of £1375 from the Road Board (exclusive of any amounts from other counties). The period ending March 31, 1921, unfortunately increased the totai debit to the various rfAings to £4439, of which £2099 was advanced in anticipation receipt at loan moneys. Th* aaiuuut traaa-

ferred to ridings from the general account was £14?7. Ulis obviously did not cover the expenditure on the side roads. The period just ended brings the debit balance to £O4Ol, of which there is £1782 of loan money due to the general account, and general rates outstanding total £26459. This will leave a net debit balance of £5OOO in round figures for the two years' working, provided all the above is collected. The Balance then, of course, is liquidated as the antecedent liability account at tte bank is reduced, but until that time the ridings have to carry the debit. A sum of £7OO has been earmarked in this year’s estimates as the first instalment towards liquidating the liability. "The excess in the general account of expenditure over revenue for the year ended March 31, 1922, is £3871, and has been transferred to the ridings proportionately. This was due mainly to the purchase of a new dump truck at £1750, and approximately £lBOO expended on main roads above the amount estimated. Salaries exceeded the estimate by £172, made up with engineer’s one month's holiday on full pay, office assistant, and one month’s salary, £67 10s, paid on March 31, 1922, making 13 payments in the year. The expense of administration was all charged to general account, and when it is remembered that there were 12 special loan works in hand during the year in addition to ordinary routine, it will be seen that the period was a busy one for all concerned. New pliint purchased totalled £3352. Other extraordinary expenses included Taranaki adjustment £370, advertising special loans £lOO, statutes £2O, heaters £l7, office furniture £36. Practically all these amounts are non-recurring. The chairman and councillors’ travelling expenses totalled £274, bank interest £429, insurances £174, of which £34 was excess premium on last year. This includes motor lorries, accidents, fire, fidelity guarantee, etc. Approximately £9O has been paid out or admitted by the insurance counpany for accidents. A sum of £1373 was spent on maintenance on the side

"The general rates paid (including arrears) total £8766, which leaves £2689 general and £1368 special rates outstanding. Special rates collected amount to £3438. The Government rate subsidy was £1192, representing £682 for 1920-21, and £55 0, being 75 per cent, advance on 1921-1922. license fees for the year amounted to £l7O 12s, which, with several others items totalling £4OO (including' £JIG for outstanding accounts for cement), represents the year’s revenue. Government grants on loan works totalled £1862 19.-. 4d for the year, and £lOO for the JSgmont South Road. Loan moneys received amounted to £4980, and amounts spent, including grants, was £7llO. The chairman considered that the position disclosed was very satisfactory considering the state in which the main roads were when taken over, the shortage of labor, and the strenuous times they had gone through. With plant available work could be done on the by-roads. The clerk stressed the necessity for keeping the riding expenditure within the allocations. On the motion of the chairman and Cr. Cowley the report was adopted. GENERAL. The resident engineer (Mr. M, Ball) notified that lie was agreeable to the council lotting contracts as suggested on the Ratapiko, Mana and Taltama roads The State Advances Department notified payment to the council’s account of £3OO. being the amount of the Norfolk Road West loan; £lOO Mana Road No. 2 loan; £lOOO on account of £2500 Autawa and Pita roads loan; and £9OO Ratapiko Rpad No. 2 loan. Mr. R. Masters. M.P., forwarded a reply from the Prime Minister in regard to tire desire of the council for the introduction of legislation permitting local bodies to set credit balances on loan account against debit balances on other accounts. The Prime Minister promised careful consideration. The statement of expenditure to May 2 showed that of the estimated expenditure for the year £712 Os 8d had been expeuceu on the main roads, leaving £2287 19s lid still available; £ 105 9s 7d had been expended in the North Riding, leaving £6OB 0s l*d available; £34 4s had been expended in th? South Rldipg, leaving £1097 0s 9d available; £36 0s lid had been expended in th.East Riding, leaving £215 5s 6d available; £47 3s had been expended In the West Riding, leaving £ 1031 4s «d available. The bank balance showed a debit of £1235 5s 4d. The Public Works Department (Stratford), notified that the plans and specifications had been approved In connection with the grant of £4OO (£ for £) for metalling two miles and ten chains of the Richmond Road, estimated to cost £lB5O, and also the grant of £5OO on £ for £ subsidy basis for re-form-ing, metalling and culverting one mile and 61 chains of the Mana Road, estimated to cost £l9OO.

The recommendation of the works committee to accept the tender of Mr. Ferguson for the supply of metal on the Ratapiko Road at 16s 6d per yard and on the Mana Road at 21s 6d. subject to the approval of the resident engineer, was confirmed. Cr. Crapper brought up the question of riding representation on the works committee, and Cr. Hunter was appointed to represent tte South Riding.

Cr. Cowley was given power to get certain work; done on the Ngaro and Ross roads. The consulting engineer was authorised to call tenders for necessary work at the Kohete Road.

The recommendation of the works committee increasing the clerk’s salary to £350 pef annum was a pproven.

Th© settlers on the King Road asked the council to take steps to have a poll on the question of raising a loan of £lOOO for metalling the road. They had endeavored to raise the loan by petition, but could not get sufficient signatures.—-Agreed to.