COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2874, 2 May 1878, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Report of Board of "Works.

The following, report of the Board of Works was presented at the ordinary monthly meeting, of the Council to-day. The remainder of our report of the proceedings is unavoidably held over :

Bepobt : In the Hastings riding two men have been employed in maintaining the roads and- tracks; and-the contracts on the Tapu road will be .completed in about ten days, when the road will be available for vehicles from the Borpugh boundary to the*flat in the occupation of Mr Morgan Davies. Two men have also been employed in repairing the sleigh traok up the Shellback creek,,; to the vieinty of the Old Siam claim," to' enable Vie miners in that locality to get. their .flnarti to the batteries. The application of the manager .of the Moanatairi G.M. Company for aljsupply oLwater for the rock drill now [in jise m-the Kuranui Hill Tunnel has been granted. The • traffic on, the Waiptahi •_ craejc road is the services 7of twoAmen:being required to keep it in repair; "The petition from J. B. Mason and other resi dents in the Collarbone creek for the construction of a road from the Karaka to the old prospectors' claim has been con. sidered, andyour Burveyor%eplrats dosii of the work would riot exceed'^£loo^ and from: 12 to 15 men are engaged in; minine; in that locality. The "goldfields roads and tracks in the WaiotahFriding are;in good repair. .Kauaer.anga riding.— Timber has been supplied ; tp Kennan and .-party:> for constructing ; a "connection between., the Karaka tramway and their battery. The: contractor; for extending.the Karaka rbadtp Greenville's battary is getting: otiwell'with his work. The petition of certain ratepayers resident inj Bill street has been, in obedience to instructiotis, reported on by your surveyor, who has 'estimated the cost of makisg the.required road at £65 without 1 inetalling, and with metal at £185; iPfira- ] wfu .Riding.-—Men have ..been .employed, during the past month in repairing and improving., the : roads, J foptpaths,c ahdj drains in' this riding." The"cori'tfactdr^fbr' cutting Eewai's hill has nearly'completed his contract, and the road is regularly used for dray : and other traffic.;;-Tense's have been .•••; called -for ieieciitin^the work required ,dn^ the Kauaeranga^ fValle^ road without the- limits of ]?ariiwai iHighway aria* it would, b^i of lit tie w no liervice without making these portions situate within.the dislrictj \tiai'y'pxir ::Jßp.aifd;. therefore recommend that certain cuttings, at points indicated by .your surveyor, should be at once proceeded with, ; and,th? tenders called for the work. Ohiriemuri mainroad—Only ;a limited number pfij Maprisf haye ,been ; ren«ajfed; upon ■■■:, this road at Hikuteia and Kerikeri during the past month, and a few men have also been engaged agreeably a resolution of Council in reducing gwd^Bnts; and filing swamp and %$$ lyjniip|pK3»rtious of the road. All ■ ; nearly completed, f and ■th^tfpceisar^cul. veris "are made arid in[position. ; The road from Para^fai^^ to;Puriri "is ,jip#^ iriuchiused for yehiclem,y and' pedestrian,, traffic,^ -and seems much appreciated by the general public and |the out settlers. That portion •between; contracts lVo?.16 and 17being in their ppise^sibn is undertaken by the ; fltikutaia- Nrtives. rolid^— It ? was arranged that the execution pjf this road should be entrusted to the Ohinemuri natives, but your JBioafd: regrets the persietent obstructions of the Komata Maoris will riot permit the work to proceed. Paeroa-Mackaytown road. —A considerable amount of wort-haQ been rdbne by Native owners on this road, and the iiithorised deviation is nearly completed. Kati Eati road.—rThe; contracts jet oh this road are not finished^ but^irheh the \ rough timber bridges are constructed this portion of thevroad will fee available ;for traffic. The : line would be greatly improvedby cuttingjaway! some few of the sharp turnings, arid thereby making the curves easier and better for traffic.. Instructions haye been issued for laying off additional work, for which tenders may be invited at an early date. Te Aroha road.—A large number of Natives have been employed during the past month on this important road, and a considerable length will soon be quite passable. An attempt to make that portion of this road between Eotokohu and Waitaki was frustrated by the armed in terference of the Komata Natives. This system of Native resistance to the execution of public works is not only extremely vexatious, but also entails considerable additional outlay. In a recent visit to the Hon. the Native Minister, your Chairman forcibly represented'the serious losses the Council arid public sustained thereby, and youf Board is gratified tp announce the Government fully realised the situation, md issued an authority for the Council to deal with such Native lands as; 'were required for roads under the provisions of the "Public Works Act." Your Board} greatly appreciated this mark of, confidence in the ability of the Council to;deal with this difficult, matter. This, much needed power will, no dou.btjenable the Council to : adjust the'^fflJi^iltiea^whibh" have arisen in resp^ctrto'fhe'Epmata and Puke Paeroa'roads. An"•iat i £»*#ting .re-: port from the Inspector of^jpiforks. at* Te i Aroha is aitached. At^ipefciogs" of your Board held on Jiie l§t& land; 27th ult., the following account; were examined and passed ;— \-~:'■ > ■■.'.::. i > • ? . -.■•■ '- '^-■"■&r-:^^ d. Ohineinuri main road ...1277 17 3 ; Kati Kati works ... : r46 0~0 Tapu works ...' ... ... 169 10 0 Other accounts ... ... 46 17 6 Ohincmuri main road, bridges '. : and. other wprks .v ;-..,. 389 19 3 ■•'' ■'> 'S--.'= "'■■■■■"; •-. '^:::-X:''~'£is^%^o(Here folioWß a statement of; various accounts passed, in all amounting to £2673 17s; Gji);-^Alex. Bbodiß, Chairman. > ', To,; the .report was „ attached a satiEfactbry report ofthe^progress made on the ■ "Te'ATOha^rpad. •■';--?*; -v;>:;: ■ ■;?' ;'.. t- 1 \ v:' '■ ":r '