EGMONT COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1922, Page 8

EGMONT COUNTY.

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL, EXPENDITURE OF THIRDS. The Egmont Counts’ Council met at Opunake yesterday. Present: Crs. M. O’Brien (chair- i man), C. A. Trotter, R. .Ferguson, G. Gibson, i V. Young, J. S. Tosland, A. Luckin, k. c, i Watson and S. Campbell. The Commissioner of Crown Lands forwarded I a schedule of thirds, amounting to £23 5s 4d, i for the period ending September 30, 1922, and : asked that proposals for expenditure be for- I warded as early as possible. The clerk stated that this was the third amount of thirds that had been allocated, i He suggested that they should defer the mat- , ter for three months, when a sufficient sum might have accrued to enable some work to be carried out. It was difficult to expend small sums satisfactorily. The chairman agreed with this, suggesting that small contracts might perhaps be let to returned soldiers. The overseer favored utilising the council's 1 own new men to do the work. it was decided that the chairman, overseer, and clerk draw up the necessary schedule. OKAHU ROAD. S. R. Oliver suggested that a portion of the grant on the Okahu Road should be expended In erecting a boulder bridge for light traffic ’over the Kopaeae River. This would not only link up the work already done, hut it would enable settlers to get out in case of illness, even if the river were in flood. At present it was impossible to get- out after any rain had fallen. It was resolved to inform Mr. Oliver that the money could not be spent on a bridge, but the council would endeavor to provide a ford. It was also rasolved to apply to the resident engineer suggesting that permission should be given to make the ford. Mr. T. M. Ball (resident engineer) notified that plans and specifications had been approved for the expenditure of £367 on account of grant for Okahu Road (Ngariki-Newall Road). ARAWHATA ROAD. H. V. Field (Arawhata Road) wrote offering to supply the council with 200 yards of boulderstone for the road, which was in a bad state. He also .qffered to supply another 300 or 400 yards. The chairman said that a deputation from the .Lrawhata Road was going to meet representatives of the council on Monday next. Settlers there suggested that they would put stone out on the road free of charge, provided the council would crush it and put it on the road. He considered that though the road was very much in debt, the council should accept the offer. It was resolved to'request Mr. Field to meet the council at the same time. OEO REQUIREMENTS. Crs. Tosland and Watson’ and the overseer submitted a report of the most urgent work required in tno Oeo riding. This Included 300 yards of metal to Opunake-Stra\ford Road, and 400 yards to Eltham Road; 100 yards maintenance to Patlki Road; 150 yayds to Oeo Hill, and scarify the road in front of ®Mr. Lambie’s; 1000 yards on racecourse fiat; and that tar-sealing be done on 172 chains of good The report was adopted, with the. proviso that work will be carried out. as far as the finances permit. Cr. Tosland then moved that the council give effect to the tar-sealing proposals in that report. This was seconded by Cr. Watson and carried. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The overseer (Mr. lan Campbell) reported that he had Inspected Gregory Road, Rahotu riding. The length of tlie road was 20 chains from the Lower Kahui Road to creek. Part of this had been formed at some time, but practically the whole length would require reforming and draining, and, if metalled, 200 yards of metal. He recommended, when the road dried up, doing the formation with the grader. A contract had been let for the sttpply of 500 yards of boulder-stone for Stent Road, Rahotu riding. This would be crushed and put on the road as soon as the Ngariki Road crushing was completed. He asked authority to iocrease this bj’ 50 yards in the event of 500 yards not being sufficient. He had purchased 320 gallons of restar for use in Rahotu,township, and intended scarifying and refacing the portions to be treated this week, so as to allow the traffic to work over it, and put. the tar on when the plant reached Rahotu. The Ta urn Road was too wet to do anything in the way of formation at present. He recommended countersinking with grader and forming up with the spoil, which would be as satisfactory as digging drains, and much cheaper. A contract tyid been let to H. Munro for delivery of 800 yards of boulders at Ngariki Road dump. Good progress had been made with the council’s plant shed. The benzine shed had also been completed. Oeo Riding (Southern). —On the Main South Road, clay blinding had been done and watertables cleaned out, whilst repair work had been carried out on the Patiki Road, and also patching on the Skeet Road. In company with Crs. Watson and Tosland, he had inspected the roads in the riding, to estimate expenditure, etc. Oeo Riding (Northern). —On the Eltham Road inetal patching, blinding and drain-cleaning had been attended to, and metal patching had been done on the Kiri Road. A drain on the Strat-ford-Opunake Road had, been cleaned out and a new two-foot culvert was required. Work had been done on the Watinn Road. Watson and Alehin had made a start with their w6rk on the Kaweora Road. H. Lockley had made a start with his contract oh the Wiremu Road. Opua Riding (Southern) .—Work was done on the Main South Road and Eltham Road, also the fencing of a paddock in Opunake, pipemaking, repairs to Ma.ngahunie Bridge, etc. Opua Riding (Northern).—Maintenance work had bene done on the Main South Road, also on Opua Road, and repairs to the bridge on Te Namu Road; whilst seven days was spent in Dommett Stret shed, malting and stripping concrete pipes.

Rahotu Riding (Southern) .—During the month 95 chains of Main South Road had been scarified, refaced with metal rolled, and Wattrsealed. When the metal at Ngariki Road dump and elsewhere had run out, he shifted the plant up to Rahotu Northern Riding, till the stone was crushed at Ngariki Road. Metalpatching and maintenance had been done on Übper Kahui Road. Rahotu Riding (Northern) .—Blinding and maintenance work has been done on the Main South Road. Patching and cleaning drains, etc., had been done on the Stent Road, Warea Carrington Road, Paora Road, and on Lower Pungarehu Road. GENERAL. The committee appointed by the works committee reported that tenders had been accepted as follow; Supply and delivery of SOO yards boulder-stone on platform at. crusher, Ngariki Road. H. Munro, 3/5 per yard; 500 yards on crusher platform, Stent Road, H. Munro, 4/f yer yard. The action was approved. The overseer was authorised to arrange for Another 100 yards for the Ngariki Road. A special rate of 1 l-145ths of a pennj m the £ was struck, to cover interest and sinking fund on the loan of £BOO, which the council is obtaining to erect a worker’s dwelling.