INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1922, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. THE MONTH.’S OPERATIONS. The monthly meeting of the Inglewood County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill (chairman), J. Hunter, A. E. Cawley, G. Capper, R. Stewart, H. Jones, J. Grieve, E. A. Lawrence, and J. M. Hair. In the course of his report on the general maintenance work, the chairman stated: The whole of the plant has had a thorough over-,, haul, and all worn parts have been replaced with new ones. The plant will be ready tor the season's work in a few days. Drivers Harris and Stringer have a good knowledge of this work. The Government inspector Is very satisfied with the condition of our plant, and some credit is due to the two drivers. Ninetytwo cubic yards of metal from Manganui pit has been laid on the west end of the Maha Road, connecting the present metal with the metal on the Ratapiko Road; cost per cubic yard, 14s 4d. Everything is ready to proceed with bitumen surfacing work, and a start was made. Mr. Skitrop stayed in Inglewood for a week to supervise the work, but. owing to the unsettled state of the weather we decided not to go on with the work at present. Cr. Laurence and I have arranged for a supply of coarse sand front W. I. Thomason at 6s per cubic yard from Maketawa stream, also from Rowan for 5s at Everett Road, dumped in a convenient place to get with lorries. Sufficient has now been dumped along the Mountain and Junction roads to complete the surfacing; also 16 yards at Waiongona. About 40 jjards more will be required to complete this work. The shiugie for this work is coming to hand very slowly, and we proj>ose carting the necessary shingle from Waitara for surfacing at Waiongona, es we think it will be cheaper than loading and railing. Grading has been carried out as follows: Kaimata North ISO chains; Bristol West 270 chains; Junction East 90 chains. The cost per chain of road w’as Is 9d. On the motion of the chainman it was decided to grant Driver Harris £5 for his services in overhauling the plant, and to continue full pa.v to Stringer during his term of holiday in the same connection. The consulting engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported on the condition of the Manganui and Chain bridges on the Junction Road, and suggested the repairs and renewals necessary. The ehgineer further reported as follows: Autawa and Pita roads metalling and bridges.—The metalling is proceeding satisfactorily. The Waitara river bluff is completed and the contractors are putting down as much as seven chains per day. The Mangamoehau bridge was inspected. The piers are of totara, and are sound. The main stringers are iron bark and also sound, although of smajl dimensions. The remainder is rimu and in various stages of decay, I arranged to erect a false pier on the north side and replace decks where required. Frost's and Ihlcin’s bridges.—These bridges, being mostly rimu, are in a worse condition • than the Mangamoehau. In the meantime, however, 1 only propose to renew the decks as required, and in the near future both will require to be rebuilt. The fears of the contractors as to the safety of .these structures centred chiefly ahout the old and decayed decks, and for this purpose 100 renewals will bo sent out, together with a keg of fluted spikes. Otaroa Road.—One mile of this work was laid off. starting at the boundaries of the Clifton and Inglewood counties, and carries the work to five chains south of the tunnel. The work comprises formation, culverting and metalling, and plans and specifications have been prepared and are ready for submission upon arrival of the necessary authority. To lay off more when the Government money is uncertain is not judicious. Mana Road Metalling.—About one thousand yards of shell rock are stripped, and the access road made, and the contractor has been requested to give the work greater dispatch. Ratapiko Road.—The contractor has resumed work, and has put down ahout five chains of broken metal this month. Negotiations are in progress to have the remainder of this metal machine broken, but. nothing definite has been decided so far. Makino Bridge.—This work is now completed. It was not possible to reconstruct tins bridge on the estimate supplied me. Although the cost has been increased, a serviceable jot? has now been made. The wings have been completed, the whole structure anchored, and the approaches formed to grade. When authorities arc issued application will bo made to the department in respect of subsidies for the following works: Mountain, Kohete, Norfolk West, and Motukawa roads. | Mangarakau Bridge.—These plans and specifications having been approved. I am now prepared to call for tenders as soon as the authority arrives. The report wa b s adopted. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. The clerk submitted a comprehensive statement of accounts showing the exact position of the general and loan accounts and covering a period of the last, six months. This was asked for by'the chairman in view of the recent legislation compelling councils tn live within their incomes. The summary of receipts and expenditure not foreseen in the estimates showed an estimated amount of £1262 19s 10d in hand to he re-allocated among the ridings ns follows: North £?>99 Is lOd; South £764 8s lid; East £192 15s lOd; West £122 ids. The balance available for the main roads account w.-i.s £797 5s lid. and it was estimated that £605 of this amount would ho required io complete the hituimen dressings already proposed on the Mountain and Junction roads. The main roads and North riding balances • nehtded Government grants not. yet lifted. The statement was Adopted, the clerk being ; thanked for its preparation. htdbo-electbic power. The Taranaki Electric Power Board forwarded a resolution disclaiming liability tn pay the cost of plans an 4 a report obtained by the Inglewood Council in 1920 on the hydroelectric resources of the county. The chairman and other councillors thought the account should have been paid. Prospecting had been done relieving the Power Board of the necessity of making further investigation. Tf the hoard would not pay this account how could they expect the constituent districts to have confidence in them? It was considered that, the Act gave the county power to charge the cost of prospecting to the hoard. On the motion of Gr. Capper it was decided to obtain a legal opinion on the question. GENERAL. With reference to the expenditure of gran* appearing on ihe estimates. Mr. R. Masters MJ?., wrote stating that in view of the fin weather it was desirable that authority be obtained as early as possible, which, while expediting the work, would have the effect of creating work for those who were desirous of working. The Taranaki Connt.v Council submitted a debit note for £3314 8s Id in connection with the adjustment of accounts as between the two counties, and stated that the Taranaki county was anxious to pay its quota, amounting to £l2Ol Is Rd.—lt was pointed nut that the accoflnt could not be paid before January. ; The resident, engineer wrote stating that the plans for the Mangaoraka bridge had been | approved, and that the work might he put in • hand as soon ns the authority was approved. Mr. R. Masters notified that the subsidy for , the Mountain Rond had been increased from . £2OO to £soo.—The chairman said he would like to thank the Minister of Public. Works ■ and Mr. Massey for this increase. It was ; really more than they had expected in view rf the shortage of money in the country. A motion of thanks was carried. IT M. Oxenham. T). K- Butler and ITerliliy and Butler drerf the council’s’ attention to the unsafe condition of a small bridge loading to tluir properties at Tarata, ami ashed tlmt o worn-out culvert ho renewed.—Cr. Grieve , was Instrlleted to report on the matter. _ . ( The Inslewood Borough Council wrote giving ; 11, approval io the proposal to endeavor to obtain a oontimwus telephone service in Inglewood.—The chairman said a petition for this purpose was being freely signed. j I- v-.s pointed out that nut of seven roads reecr.lng grants In tlir Supplementary Estl-

mates, three roads in the Inglewood county were included. The chairman said Mr. Masters, M.P., had done very well. H. Sinclair, Egunont Village, was granted permission to place a pipe line under the •oad. The chairman and Crs. B. Stewart and Lauaice were appointed a committee to make rrangements for the reception of the Premier on Friday on behalf of the council.