INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1922, Page 3

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. Stewart, J. Hunter, G. Capper, J. Grieve, E. A. Laurence, A. E. Cowley, and H. Jones. The chairman reported on the maintenance work as follows: The past month has been a very wet one and very little has been done with the plant. The continual wet has found the weak places In the roads, and a good deal of patching has been necessary. Unfortunately, when a wet spell comes, all the roads get into ruts at the same time, and it takes a little time to repair them. The surfacemen have been employed most of their time patching, as well as the casuals when not working with the plant.

Bitumen surfacing.—About GO chains have had the second coat. The wet weather has delayed this work, but everything is in readiness for making a start at Maketawa as soon as the weather is settled.

Crushing.—234 cubic yards of boulders have been, crushed for maintenance: 92 cubic yards have been used for new roads; 28 cubic yards on the Junction Road; 12 cubic yards on the South Riding; 32 cubic yards on the Mountain Road: 70 cubic yards in the West Riding, and some of this has been dumped for mainten - ance wherever required. Sixty cubic yards of metal has been carted from Maketawa depot to Kohete Road loan. This is all that can be spared from this depot at present. The balance will be sent out as soon as it is convenient for the plant to go to Maketawa and crush a further supply.

The report was adopted. The consulting engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported for the month as follows:

Norfolk Road West.—The contractor has been notified that he can now proceed with his work owing to the arrival of the necessary authority. Upon completion of the existing contract arrangements will be made to carry out further similar work up to the maximum of £6OO.

Mana Road. —A fair amount of stripping has been carried out, the access road formed, and a matter of about 200 cubic yards stacked in the paddock. The contractor has been notified that at least double the quantity of boulders already stacked should be paddocked before any crushing starts, to safeguard against unforeseen delays.

Rataplko Road.—About 22 chains have so far been put down, which requires some attention from the contractor, and I understand that certain quantities of metal are already broken down to size in the paddock and that also certain quantities are already spawled, but the exact proportions are not stated.

Otaraoa Road Formation and Metalling.—A mile of this road was laid off and levels taken and plans and specifications prepared, which have already been approved by the resident, engineer; but it has been decided, owing to the non-arrival of the necessary authority, not to proceed at present. Hursthouse Road.—One mile and 17 chains of this road lias been pegged and levels taken. Plans and specifications have . been prepared and forwarded to the resident engineer for approval, and tenders will be called in due course. The report was adopted. GOVERNMENT GRANTS. The chairman reported that he and the clerk had waited on the resident engineer at the latter’s request. The engineer advised that the council would be limited to a total of £5OOO for subsidies for this year, and be required rhe various votes to be plaoed in the order of their urgency.

The following list was submitted to the engineer :

Grants already paid since April 1: Autawa Road, £665; Kaimata South, £200: Mangaone Road, £200; Toi Toi Road, £500; Bristol Road, £150: total, £1715,

Grants, authorities held by the council: Mana Road (on account of £lOOO loan), £5OO Richmond Road (on account of £820), £400; Batapiko Road, £300; Mangaorakau Bridge, £167: Mountain Road, £500; Norfolk West, £300: total, £2167.

Works in hand, no authority Issued: Motukawa Road, £235; Kohitl Road, £500; Autawa Road, £1160; total, £1895; grand total,

Works not started, authority desired: Kaipi Road, £300; Hursthouse Road, £300; Otaroa Road (on account of £1500), £500: King Road (on account of £1000), £250; Norfolk West (on account of £650), £200; Norfolk East, £150; Bedford Road, £200; total, £l9OO.

With regard to t the Aut awa Road, the engineer had pointed out that this took the council over the £5OOO limit, but he would press strongly for the granting of the authority to complete the work. It was pointed out that for the works not started, and for which authority was desired, the council would finance the grants until they were formally approved by Parliament, but could not proceed with the finance until an assurance was secured that the grant would be approved.

On the motion of Cr. Capper, a vote of thanks was accorded tiie chairman and the clerk for their action in meeting the department. TARATA SETTLER’S REQUEST. Mr. Waite, of Tarata, waited on the council and asked assistance in obtaining access to his property across the Tarata river. He stated that at present he had to work the property by means of a boat, which prevented him taking agricultural Implements across. He understood there was a "paper” road of about 30 chains leading in from the Motukawa Road. So far nothing had been done on this road, which was known as the Kawau Road. About 15 chains of the road would be easy going, but the balance would be rather heavy. He also understood that, the road would give access to a gravel pit.

Councillors considered the request a reasonable one, and it was resolved that the If - gineer meet Mr. Waite on the site and report on the matter at next meeting. A CLAIM FOR ROYALTY. Mr. Metcalfe waited on the. council and asked for compensation in regard to metal carted across his road for the Richmond Road. He claimed 3d per yard for trespass, stating that the county employees told hlun that they would take steps under the Public Works Act to enforce their claim to go through the property, unless he agreed for them to do so.

The chairman stated that this was the first he had heard of the matter. He pointed out that the road had been metalled for the benefit of the settlers. He considered the contractors were responsible, as the council had given them no authority to cross the settler’s property.

Cr. Stewart, pointed out that royalty had already been paid on the metal, and he considered the ratepayers should arrange with the person to whom the royalty had been

It was resolved to pay £5 in full settlement qf all surface damage. Mr. A. Ferguson, contractor for metal on the Ratapiko Road, asked that the council should blind some metal laid down on the road. He stated that when he took the contract the imetal was not laid down. ■ The metal, which’ was hand broken, was so large llK’t the bullocks had difficulty in passing over it. He was prepared to'blind the road

with earth sufficient for his own purposes, but Jie considered the council should blind it with pit screenings. The council decided to send their surfaceman out to attend to the road, and gave permission for earth blinding. GENERAL. No tenders were received for the work at the Lepper-Carrington Road bridge.—Held over. One tender was received for the Mangaoraka bridge, but. was considered too high.—Left, with the works committee to deal with. A committee, comprising the chairman, Crs. Stewart. Lawrence and the engineer, was set up to draw up new general conditions of contract. It was decided -to press on the contractors for the Ratapiko metalling the necessity for pushing on with the work. The council’s solicitors wrote giving an opinion regarding the Taranaki Electric Power Board’s recent refusal to refund to the council expenses amounting to £54 14s 9d. incurred by the Moa Road Board in March, 1920, in connection with a report on the hydroelectric resources of the county obtained by Mr. H. Roche. "We are afraid,” the opinion stated, that the council can do SeeUQB 89 (ft)

of the Electric Power Boards Act leaves it to the discretion of the board whether it will pay the preliminary expenses or not. Moreover, we are doubtful whether the amount comes within ‘preliminary expenses.’ ” E. J. Ible wrote drawing the attention of the council to the neglected state of the Wortley Road near his residence, and asked that some relief be given.—Cr. Hunter said the piece of road complained of was in a disgraceful state. —The chairman said he had arranged to send a grader and a team to repair the road. F. J. Webb wrote asking that repairs he effected to the Junction Road from Purangi to the top of the saddle.—The matter was left in the hands of Cr. Grieve. The Publifc Works Department notified that authority had been granted for the following works: Mountain Road, tar-sealing, £560 (£1 for £1) ; Norfolk Road, draining, culverting and forming, £3OO (£1 for £1): Mangaoraka Bridge, £166 16s 8d (£1 for £2). The council decided to pay an account for £1 0s 6d, Incurred in entertaining the Prime Minister during his visit at Inglewood.

The State Advances Office notified that it had recently resolved to grant a loan of £550 for forming and metalling the Kaihi Road.