EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1922, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. PAST MONTH'S WORK. 1 •Hie Egmont County Council met at Opunnke yesterday. Present: Crs. M. O’Brien (chainman), S. Campbell, R. C. Watson, J. S. Tosland, R. Ferguson, C. A. * Trotter, G. Gibson and H. Young. The chairman, prior to the commencement of business, welcomed the new councillors, Crs. G. Gibson and H. Young. Both, he said, were prominent residents of the district, and he hoped that they would take a prominent position on the council for the good of the whole county. Cr. Gibson, speaking for Cr. Young also, said he could say that they were there to look after the interests of the whole county. Though naturally they would pay attention to their own riding, they were broad-minded enough to recognise that the whole county needed attention. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The overseer (Mr. lan Campbell) reported that he had inspected the Stent Road, where approximately 70 chains required scarifying and re-facing. Three hundred yards of metal would make a. satisfactory job. He suggested straightening the creek to do c away with two culverts. Owing to suitable pipes not being available, the crossings at Rahotu Hall and the post office had not been done, but the pipes were now on the ground and a start would be made as soon as possible. Mr. F. C.” Smith had practically completed the work on the. Lower Pungarehu Road, giving access to Mr. Greenway’s property. Oeo Riding Northern.—The crushing at Punehu bridge has been completed, 616 yards having been put through the crusher. Of this 406 yards had been placed 'on the Watino Road, covering 47 chains, which had been scarified, rolled and water-sealed. The balance had been placed on the Watino, Eitham and PjLtiki roads for maintenance. Four days metal patching had been dene on the Elthaiu Road, the approaches to Punehu bridge widened out, etc. The concrete bridge on the Oeo Road should be counpleted in- about two weeks. The Oeo Road had been cut up a good deal through carting bridge material, etc., and this would be repaired when the bridge was completed. g Oeo Riding South. —The metal on Munro and Kehely’s Main South Road contract crushed out 516 yards. Of this 400 yards was placed on 27 chains beyond the Ouri bridge 16ft. wide. Twenty-syc yards had also been crushed from a rocky point taken off the Puketapu hill. Fifteen chains had been refaced and blinded with screenings near Mr. Pettigrew’s, and the balance was put oaMuin South, Patikf and Skeet ■ roads for maintenance. General maintenance was done on the Pa tiki and Puketapu roads. Opua Riding.—Gener.nl maintenance work, cleaning water-tables, culverts, etc., repairing and patching has been carried out on the Main South and Eitham roads; also two days cleaning ditches, etc., on Ihaia Road, and two days’ metal patching bn Lower Wlaiteika. Road. Urgent repair work was acne on the decking of Mangahume. bridge. Seventeen days’ work has been done on the Opua Road. Five days' work has been done on the Main South Road. Rahotu Riding (Southern). —The riding foreman and two men were working on the Upper Kabul Road patching holes with pit metal for 18 days. As the weather and material available were unsuitable the work has been held over pending Instructions. Repairs had been done to’ the bridge on Upper Pariliaka Road. At present, with ordinary traffic, the bridge is safe. Rahotu Riding (Northern). —W. MacLeod made a start on his contract for delivery of pit metal for the Ruakere Road late in the month. The foreman and two men have been for 15 days on the Main South Road patching and re-facing metal, cleaning watertables, etc.

BOUNDARY ROADS. The Eitham County Council forwarded an account showing the expenditure on the Auroa boundary road amounting to £453 14s 9d for the year, and they asked 1 the council to forward a cheque for half the amount, £226 17s sd. Cr. Ferguson pointed out that this expenditure considerably exceeded the annual rates, and should he a lesson to those who were anxious to ip£rge from, this county to other counties. Cr. Tosland pointed out that the Eitham County Council had transformed this road from a clay road into one of the best roads in New Zealand. The chairman agreed with this, and added that .the same happy results did not exist at the Puniho Road, which was a boundary road , controlled by the Taranaki County. It was as , bad as the Ihaia Road, he understood. WTREMU ROAD. The eh airman reported that he had visited the Wlremu Road with Mr. Ball, the district road engineer. Mr. Ball was very sympathetic and said that the department would do the best they possibly could. The £4Ol grant on the estimates for the Okahu Road, between the Ngariki-Newall Road, was allocated as follows: £5O for a concrete culvert between the Ngariki and Kabul roads, and £351 for filling holes and cleaning drains, etc., between the Kahni and Newall roads. This money was being forwarded to be expended by the county overseer. In addition £2O was granted to improve the drains on the XViremu Road, between the Ngariki and Kina roads ; £4O between the Kina and Arawhata roads; £ 130 for concrete culvert over the Rumania river in place of th§ ‘proposed wooden bridge; also £ 100 for “the canal.’’ This made a total of £290 new grants. Regarding the application for a grant on the Kahui Road, the district engineer hinted that he would be prepared to recommend a grant of £2OO on the Kahui Road. Should unemployment become more acute in the district,' he inferred that - the engineer would place a gang of men on the Wlremu Road. 'Hie chairman said that the engineer appeared anxious to do what he could to assist the council. It was resolved to forward a letter of thanks to the’district engineer for the interest he has taken in the expenditure of grants on the road. SEVERANCE. Messrs. Govett, Quilliam and Hutchen wrote forwarding declaration in connection with the petition of 32 ratepayers at the Warea end of the county asking that the boundaries be altered so as to permit of their properties beings, included in the Taranaki Ccunty. The clerk stated that the area affected was from the Puniho Road to the Waiweranui river. Thirty-two ratepayers out of forty-one had signed the petition. A commission would probably be held shortly. The chairman doubted if it wZre advisable to oppose the petition. It would, perhaps, only add to the expense. Facilities were provided for ratepayers to sever if they wished. Cr. Gibson did not think facilities should l>e provided to allow ratepayers to change from one county to another at will; there should be some permanency. No action was taken. GENERAL. Messrs. Quickenden Bros., Rahotu, and F. F. Barraclough, Opunake, applied for renewal of slaughterhouse license.—Approved. A. M. Sims (Te Kiri) asked permission to stack rata firewood on the roadside at Te Kiri.—lt was pointed out that the council had no authority to grant the request. Cr. Tosland complained that one of the dairy companies was carting firewood over the roads, in contravention of the heavy traffic by-laws. Other companies were complying with the re* gulations, and he thought there should be no exceptions. The report of the committee in accepting the tender of W. S. McLeod at 3s 6d per yard for metal on the Ruakere Road was adopted. Wilson’s Motor Supplies wrote to the effect that they noticed in the Press that it was the council’s intention' to dispense with the lorry driver during the winter, and presumably have one of the ordinary staff drive the lorry when required at odd times during that period. They pointed out that their guarantee on the lorry did not expire until July 25, and a condition of their liberal interpretation of the terms of the guarantee depended on a driver satisfactory to them charge during the guarantee period. yhey trusted the council would see the reas-

onableness of this and keep the point in mind when making the change. Crs. Gibson and Young were added to the works committee, and Cr. Gibson to the finance committee. C. L. Billing (Rahotu) asked that the Gregory Road should he formed and metalled from the Kahui Road to the creek, and also that attention should be given to the drain along the frontage of his section. He was willing to do the work at half price. The overseer reported that he had arranged for th© county men. to clean out the drains, Mr. Billing paying half the actual cost. He also suggested, laying the work off and letting a contract to form the road properly. and if doing the metalling in the spring. He submitted an estimate of the work. W. J. Gray (Okato) drew attention to The fact that the native village at Puniho was infested with unregistered' Maori dogs, and that they had been amongst his sheep. He asked the council to take steps to have the dogs destroyed. The chairman pointed out that it was a difficult matter to overcome. The settler had the right under, the Stock Act to shoot dogs worrying sheep or to lay poison after complying with certain conditions. Cr. Gibson said the dog tax in his district had not yet been collected. It was resolved to draw ’ the attention of the r«?istrar of dogs to the position at the Puniho pa and elsewhere v