COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4422, 7 March 1883, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The following' repor s were presented at the meeting today : —

stteveyoe's eeeoet.

I have the honor to submit the following report on County roads and works for month of February, 1883 :—

Hastings Hiding.—The road from Waikawau to Hastings is not in a good state, and one man should be put on for fourteen days to cle-r slips, widen portions, and effect other repairs. Nothing has been done during the month on the Hastings and Mercury Bay road. The only work done in the riding during the month has been on the Thames to Tapu road, where two men have been employed, but the heavy traffic (carting metal for Thames Borough) has cut up the road very badly, and unless this traffic is put a stop to during wet weather, the road will continue (o be bad, and a large expenditure will be necessary to keep it open for the ordinary traffic of the settlers. ■ Waiotahi Jiiding.—Very little work has been done in this Kiding, with the exception of clearing slips and maintaining the Waiotahi Creek road.

Kauaeranga Riding.—Two men have been employed during a portion of the month, principally on the Karaka Creek. The contractor for clearing slips and widening the Upper Karaka road has nearly completed his contract. Parawai Riding. — The cutting at Rewai's Hill has been partially cleared, and drains and water-tables have been attended to during the recent wet weather.

Otunui Ro.d. —A contract for the erection of a battery at Otunui baring been entered into by one of the mining companies there, and the contractor for the carriage of the machinery having chosen to convey it by the Kauaeranga route, I hare removed the men authorised to be employed in the Waiotahi, Kauaeranga, and Parawai Hidings to the Otunui road, for the purpose of catting off bends and otherwise improving the road between Kauaeranga Valley road and the battery site. . .

Totara Riding.— No men have been employed in this riding. It is, however, necessary that men should be employed in clearing oub drains and water-courses, and repairing bad portions of the road.\ On the Ohinemuri main road there are portions at the present time almost impassable, and should the wet weather eon'inue, the coach traffic must be suspended. The worst portian of this road is at theKomata swamp, which was ' completely under water during the late rains, the drains being inadequate to convey the water from the ro.^d.

Ohinemuri Riding.—The damage done by the flood has been specially reported on. On the Katikati road men have been employed in repaiiing a portion of the damage done by the flood, and rendering the road fit for horse traffic. A little work has been done on the Te Aroha road, and the coach is still running between Paeroa and Te Aroha. The Rotokohu swamp was flooded, and the road in the low portions was covered for about two days. The road drains require to be cleared out and the surface enlarged and extended. Both of the roads to Waite* kauri are iv very bad condition. On the junction road something should be done at once to render it passable, as the traffic will be much larger, the Paeroa wharf havinp been carried away.

On all the main roads of the County more men should be employed for main tenance and repair. At least one man for every four miles of road wouid be necesv aary to clear drains and watercourses and effect repairs to road. The number of men at present employed cannot possibly do the work of maintenance and repair.— Alex. Aitken, County Surveyor. SPECIAL BATING DISTRICT. The report of the Council in Committee re the creation of specal rating districts was as follows:—"That Special-Bating Districts be created, and declared by the Thames County Council in pursuance of •The Eoada and Bridges Construction Act, 1882,' as follows :— So.- 1. All that portion of the County of Thames on the proper right bank of the Waihou river, and within the water shed between the Hikutaia stream and the Kauaeranga river, No. 2. The whole of the Ohinemui Biding, excepting that portion on' the left bank of the Waihou river."