INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1922, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Meeting Of the council PAST MONTH’S WORK. The Inglewood County Council met yesterday. Present: Councillors A. Corkill (chairman), R. Stuart, J. Hunter, G. Capper, J. Grieve, E. A. Laurence, and A. E. Cowley. The consulting engineer reported: Motukawa Metalling.—l understand 604 yards were deposited on the roadside, and the contractors are engaged in breaking this down to 2% in. guage, about one-half of the total quantity being already dealt with. Autawa and Pita Road Formation and Metalling.—Authority was given for this work tn proceed during the fine weather. Only a short run was obtained when the weather broke, and the work has again been stopped. An application was made to the resident engineer for the balance of the authority issued, amounting to £665. Mangaone Tunnel, etc.—This work was inspected on two occasions, and no further progress being made, the contractor was Informed that the council expected. him. to complete the works according to the plans and specifications. Mountain Road.—Application was made to the Public Works Department’ for a subsidy for metalling with a dressing of bitumen that portion of the road lying between the Durham Road and the Maketawa Stream.

Toi Toi Road.—'This work is now practically completed according to specifications and alleged verbal agreements and understandings "with the contractor.

Norfolk Road West Drains, etc.—About 48 chains of drains Eave now been completed, and in addition about 70 chains of clearing, und 25 chains of formation. The contractors have been instructed to use all material available to improve the formation and bring up the grade." Richmond Road Metalling.—This work proceeded up the limits of metal provided in Tuck’s pit, which realised 531-yards and covered about 33 chains. Metal supplies are in evidence at the southern end gnd in sufficient quantities, but provision must be- made to provide all settlers with metal- access who are contributors to the loan proposals. BEDFORD ROAD BRIDGE. A. E. Laurence waited on the council with reference to the erection of a bridge on the Bedford Road, north of the Surrey Road. He said he and another settler had agreed to raise a small loan for the work, provided the council granted a £1 for £1 subsidy. He proposed that concrete piers should be put in, the superstructure to be built of timber. In view of the nature of the stream, a permanent work was more desirable than a temporary structure. The chairman and Councillor Laurence were deputed to go into the matter and have estimates prepared. NORFOLK ROAD LOAN.

W. Officer waited on the council with reference to the metalling of Norfolk Road West. He said the intention of the council was to metal the road for only a certain distance, and he wished it to be metalled to the top end, an additional distance of 30 chains. Officer said he would not be prepared to participate in the loan unless it was taken over the whole road. Officer was informed that the council would not agree to a loan unless it was taken over the whole road. COUNCILLORS’ REMUNERATION. -According to notice of motion, the chairman moved that the following resolution, passed early in the year, be rescinded: “That councillors’ travelling expenses as from April 1, 1922, be as follows: 1/- per mile one way, and that the chairman’s travelling expenses be reduced by £25.” The' chairman said councillors had a good deal of travelling to do in Inspecting work, etc. He intended to move that the minimum allowance of councillors for expenses be 12/6 per day. This would bring them on a level with the lowest-paid employee. Councillor Capper said that when he moved the motion, which it was now sought to rescind, he had in view the financial position of the council. He thought that when the employees’ wages were lowered the' councillors’ remuneration should also be reduced. Unless the matter were left in abeyance for the time being, he would vote against the motion. The chairman said there were many capable but poor men who would decline nomination for election to . the council because they could not afford to attend the council’s work at the remuneration at present being given. The motion was carried. Councillors Capper and Grieve voting against it. The chairman then moved that the minimum allowance for expenses be 12/6 per day, and 1/6 per mile for travelling over six miles. Councillor Hunter moved as an amendment that the allowance be 10/- per day and 1/per mile over six miles.

The amendment lapsed for want of a seconder and the motion was carried. Councillors Capper and Grieve again, voting against it. ADJUSTMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The clerk of the Clifton County Council wrote stating that, the Clifton Council was agreeable to adjust the Purangi merger on the same lines as the previous adjustment. Enquiry was also made as to when the Clifton County could expect payment of £847 17s lid, due in connection with the merger of March ’5l, 1920. The Clifton County was short of funds," and would like an early settlement. The chairman said the prospect of raising the necessary money to meet the liability w<s ‘favorable. It was decided to write to Mr. R. Masters, M.P., soliciting his help in approaching some financial institution with the object of raising money to pay off the liability. GENERAL. The monthly financial statement, submitted by the clerk, showed the following amounts expended in the various ridings, the amounts available for expenditure during the current year being given In parentheses: Main roads, £1467 (£1532); North Riding, £231 (£482); South Riding. £lB9 (£941): East Riding, £42 (£208) ; West Riding, £690 (£387); totals, £2552 (£3552).

W. Dean asked that the council open up a creek running across the Derby Road, as a blockage was preventing drainage from his property. He also asked that A. Dodunski be called on to open up portions of the same creek, to allow the water to drain away.— Left in the hands of Councillor Laurence, with power to act. The State Advances Office notified that a 10 per cent, loan, supplementary to the Kaimata Road South loan, could not be granted by the office, the Local Bodies’ Loans Act limiting loans from the State Advances Office to not less than £5O. A. Gilbert, Richmond Road, wrote stating that rumors were ip circulation that ,certain settlers below Griffiths’ HUI did not want the metalling to go beyond the top of the hill/ He asked that, according to agreement, the metal should start from Simmons’ gate. *He also drew attention to the state of Callaghan’s Hill.—The matter was left in the hands of the chairman. Oh the motion of the chairman, it was decided to terminate the present Richmond Road metalling contract, the engineer to arrange for the cartage of sufficient metal to complete the work. It was pointed out that there was not sufficient money available to complete the work. The engineer said if the metal were .got out the additional funds required to complete might be raised and the ihetailing could then be carried on. Plans for the proposed Mangarakau and Bedford Road bridges were submitted by the engineer, who was authorised to interview the resident engineer, Mr. T. M. Ball, with the object of securing an assurance regarding the necessary finance. On the motion of the chairman, the general rate for the ensuing year was fixed at 5d in the £l, and the hospital rate at 2-3 d in the £l, the rates being the same as last year. The tender of H. E. Anderson, of £6O, for the erection of the Makino .bridge, was accepted.. E. H. and C. Mawson’s tender of 4/- per yard, for breaking 100 yards of stone on tho Hursthouse Road, was also accepted. The. chairman’s remuneration was fixed at £75 for the year. A motion of condolence with the wife and family of the late Mr. F. Kirk, an employee of the council, who lost his life in a stream near Inglewood recently, was passed.