STRATFORD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1922, Page 2

STRATFORD COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. , July 15. The monthly meeting of the Stratford County Council was held to-day. Present: Crs. E. Walter (chairman), S. Pitt, M. Davis, J. Jacobsen, W. H. Were, J. T. Belcher, T. R. Anderson, J. O’Neill and J. H. Thomas. The engineer, Mr. J. W. Spence, reported for the month as follows: North Riding.—During the month the balance of the boulders on the Pembroke Road have been crushed, the refacing of upper )>ortion of the road has been completed, and the scarifying and rolling of the lower part is almost completed. The grader has been run over the Upper and Lower Pembroke, Monmouth, Kahouri, Beaconsfield, Stanley, Cross and Croydon Roads where the grass banks have been confining the water 6n the formation. The alteration in the grade on the Stanley Road hill has been completed. This work took longer than was anticipated owing to the amount of sandstone met with in twoi places in the cutting. The work of the Esk Road bridge will soon be out of hand, the finishing of the deck, guardrails and hand railing only remaining.

South Riding.—General surface work has been done $n the Warwick, Nash, Climie, Upper Bird, Robson, Waihapa, and Wingrove Roads. The timber for the small wooden bridge on the Skinner Road is on the ground, the work of re-erecting this bridge will be put in hand as soon as possible.

East Riding (Toko). —The newly metalled portion of the Ahuroa Road (west) has been rolled and blinded, eight chains of the Ohura Road near the Toko School have been scarified and rolled. Watertabling and patching has been done on the Ahuroa (east), Mangaehu (near the tunnel) and Waiwiri Roads. The grading and forming up on the clay portion of the Toko East, Manawawiri and Ahuroa Roads have been completed. The widening of the cuttings on the metalled part of the Ahuroa Road has been well carried out, the ratepayers giving every possible assistance on the work. The repairs to the broken portion of the tunnel on the Mangaehu Road have been completed, but on other parts the timber is showing signs of decay and being likely to give further trouble it was thought advisable to renew the weak places. East Riding (Douglas).—About 80 yards of maintenance metal have been crushed and distributed on the Douglas South, OhuraMangaehu and Mangaotuku RoAds. Forty chains of the Ohura Road have been sqarlfled, crowned up and rolled. Seventeen chains on the Douglas South, and twelve chains on the Ohura-Mangaehu Roads have been treated in a similar manner. East Riding (Hulroa). —The drag log has been run over the Douglas South and Mohakau Roads, on the latter road the water tables have been cleaned out, one set of six and one of five nine inch pipes have been put in and the drains near Mr. Gilbert’s property have been cleaned. Water tabling has been done on the Akama Rond and patching on the Makuri metalled road. The new bridge has been opened for traffic. The channel at the concrete bridge on the Douglas North Road, has been deepened and the wings of the bridge fenced. West Riding.—Patching and watertabling have been done on the Cardiff-Walngongoro, Finnerty, Hastings, and Rowan' Roads, and watertabling on the Palmer, Duthie and Opunake No. 3. Some of the banks on the Finnerty Road have been cut back to assist in opening up the view on this road. Owing to the stock traffic on the newly metalled portion of the Cardiff Road, the fillings have been broken down, repairs in the way of rebanking have been carried out. The crusher has been set opposite Mrs. Rawles’s property, Opunake Road. Some maintenance metal for the Brooks Road has been run out, but, owing to the break in the weather, crushing operations had to be suspended.

Mangaehu Riding.—General surface work has been done on most of the roads, metal carting and breaking has been carried out, the stone being required for maintenance purposes near Tutntawa. The .work at the Puniwhakau end consisting mainly of watertabling, scrub and fern cutting. The report was adopted. GENERAL. The Taierl County Council wrote asking for co-operation in urging the Government to make the cost of hospitals a charge on the consolidated fund.—Received. R. F. Thompson and A. R. Claridge, Toko, wrote asking the council to drain off flood waters from their properties caused by the blocking of a creek.—lt was decided to give the owners of properties concerned notice to have the creek cleaned out. Discussing the Inspector’s report, in which it was stated that a number of convictions for breaches of the lighting by-laws had been secured, the chairman said he hoped the inspector was’ using his judgment In bringing about such prosecutions. The law laid it down that the time for lighting vehicles was at sunset, but it was well known that there was good light sometimes after sunset. They did not want to be pulling people up just for the sake of pulling them up. The council decided to proceed with the reerection of the Gentle Annie Bridge.