AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 10 April 1913, Page 6

AKITIO COUNTY COUNCIL.

ORDINARY MEET!XG. (Jin Our Special He [in iter.) Close on twelve hours were taken up last Saturday by the cliairma.ii and councillors in dealing with a very lengthy order paper. Four deputations were heard, twenty-eight letters were dealt with, and seven long reports were considered. Two of the->e repdrta dealt with the past and proposed expenditure on roads, and the Council will hold a spr-cial meeting in May to .further discuss this phase of the Council's finances;. The County Clerk submitted the balance-sheet for the year ended 31st Muirch last, which showed a debit balance on the general account of £1530 12s 7d. To this amount has to be added a Mini of £350 respecting unpaid accounts. The estimated debit balance for 1912-13 was £llOO, but Mip Can-icil considered the year's working satisfactory, n-s a very bad winter was experienced. There were presont—The County Chairman. Crs i)ickins, Ferriek, 1511ingham, Smith, and Murray. Cr Burling wasViaihsent. The following correspondence was dealt with: From the District Engineer, Wellington, two plans of bridges Waterloo and Lookout.—On the motion of Or Smith, seconded by Cr Murray, it was resolvid that tenders be called. The Council stated that it was in sympathy with the Government's proposal to'establish depots at Auckland, Wellington, Ohristchurch, and Dunedin frr storage of Au&rtaliam hardwoods for local body requirements. Cr Ellingham stated it seemed a step in the right direction. The Government's offer of £IOO for Middle Hill Creek was accepted. The Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department intimated by telegram that authorities re bridges could be anticipated, and would be forwarded as soon ay possible. This permits the Council to'advertise for tenders for Waterloo and Lookout (being two important bridges subsidised by the Government) situate on the PongaroaAkitio.road—the main road'Teading to the Coast. The District Engineer, Wellington, stated by letter and telegram that two important alterations would have to be made in the class of hardwooa, viz., Australian turpentine piles for hardwood piles amid that Tasmanian stringy bark could not be used in connection with the Akitio river bridge. The contractor also wrote that he intended using totara for piles, and asked to use totara string bark for many other parts of the bridge. As the Department telegraphed that totara could he used, the Council will now ask the Department why it had on, a previous occasion written objecting to the use of totara in bridges. The Council also passed the following resolutions: (1) That the request of R. McKenzie and Co. be nofc granted ; (2) that the contractor be kept to the specifications and that he be notified that Tasmanian stringy bark could not be used as requested; (3) that the Department be written to, asking why hardwood is unsuitable and turpentine must be used, although hardwood appears in the specifications for Akitio river mouth bridge and again hart! rood is specified for Waiotiaki bridge and as both bridges in question are crossing tidal rivers (note Department have mot asked for any alteration in class of tim-ber-far Waiotiaki, which- -wag let at same time as Akitio bridge). Further, why is "stringy bark'' specified for, the tender- let, 'but now the Department will not permit" stringy bark being used? (4) why hardwood was specified without making due provision in the first place for toredo and that the alteration was asked to be made by the Department when the Council had accepted R. McKenzie's tender—and further that totara can b© obtained at a smaller cost than hardwood, and as the successful tenderer was allowed to use totara for the principal piles, the .other tenderers, having read the specifications as "hardwood only," are at a disadvantage. Cr-Ellingham gave notice of motion, "that the Council make provision for the proper supervision of bridge." Messrs Seaton, gladden and Bavitt, engineers, Wellington, gave the following estimates: Akitio river mouth bridge, £3970 16s; Waiotiaki, £2464 12s; Mangahewa, £2758 10s.—Received. From Mr James Martin, stating that he would wait on the Council in. connection with i-eporting progress re metalling contract and Akitio Coast protection wall contract. The Council resolved to give Mr Mai-tin a further progress of £145 on contract No. 147 and £9O >on. coa&t contract. Mr Leslie W. Fletcher applied for permission to erect a gate across the road until the sth October next. As the Waihoki road ratepayers were agreeable, the request was favourably considered, but on the understanding that a first-class gate will be hung for six months only. The request of the Mara deputation to do metalling to the extent of 30

chains on Erickson'a Hill and the balance in that vicinity on the Waikereru road was granted. The Council after going oa.re-fnlly into the question stated that the Mara ratepayers deserved first consideration so that they may have an outlet in the winter and that the greater number of Waikereru road ratepayers would benefit. Further, the Mara .ratepayers contibuted to the Huia road loan. The County Overseer was asked to *tate hiy approximate estimate, and he stated "- chains from Lassen Creekwould cost 9s per cubic yard, and the .Wchains of burnt papa would cos't 7s (id per vard (Erickson's Hill). Messrs Cable and Co.'s offer of £ll2 for terminal wheel* and balance of gear for Karaka Aerial I'ineh, Rakaunui. was accept d. The other offers wore , l-l:M and tlnU The. Council did net support the Waimate County Council's request that steps lie taken to obtain an alterati'..". to law so that 10 per cent, may be added to rat.s two months after demand of rateji instead of 6 months 14 days. As the chairman pointed out. rate* could he sued fori 14 days after demand, if required. The Inspector of Noxious Weeds reported that Lot-. 1!) and 20. Marainanga. were being cleared from time to time of noxious weeds. It was resolved that the County Chairman. Cr Ellingham. Cr Burling, and the County Clerk meet the Pahiatua councillors'at Makuri on the 14th April, at noon re adjustment necessary of the Makuri-Pahiatua commission account. It will lie remembered that recently the Akitio Council discovered that it was paying for U miles of very bad road which was not included in the commission compelling the Akitio Council to pay to Pahiatua County one-quarter of the share o-f the upkeep of the main road Ponga-roa-Makuri-Pahiatua. The Council did not accede to Mr W. Rutherford's request that 10 per cent be not added to his rates. The wasies allocations (summarised) were: Road maintenance and construction. £174 18s 7d ; land fund, £75 14s 2d: loan. £lO 18s;'amount paid prior to 31s-t March. £33 ss; total, £329 15s 9d. Accounts were passed amounting to £940 Os 6d, plus £IOO to J. Martin. A rettirn re expenditure on roads for the past yeai' showed the amount expended wag £sll 12s 7d, atnd allocaed £4450. The proposed expenditure on roads for 1913-14 amounts to £4210 (includes land fund and general). The Overseer's report was adopted, and bridges on Waipatakaka road are to be attended to. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The Overseer reported as follows: — Contract No. 189, Pongaroa-Master-ton (Wright).—The metalling contractors for above work are making very 'satisfactory progress since March 10, 557 cubic yards of crushed metal has been placed on road and_a second payment amounting to £1272 7s 3d i s aui thorised in addition to £SO (first progress.) x „ Contract No. 1889. Glenora Road Metalling.—The contractor is pushing on well, 1360.cuhic yards having been put on road to date. The metalling Should be finished within two weeks. Contract No. 174, Pongaroa-Mas-terton, etc., Akaroa Peak.—Contract No. 174 is not progressing satisfactorily. Five teams are now working. A five horse break wa s only employed for H days. Contract Metalling TCorepo Aohanga Valley.-—This work has nowbeen completed satisfactorily, and 'first and final payment of £22 10s is now authorised. Contract No. 187, Protection Work, Akitio. —This contract has been started, and timber from Wellington is on site. A first progress payment has been authorised, subject to further inspection of timber. Grading.—The grading of roads has been pushed on as expeditiously as possible, with the result that the following roads have been completed since the last meeting of tlve Council : No. 1 Grader, Manuhara, Parangahauta, Huia.and River Road, Pongaroa, Akaroa and part Kaituna; No. 2 Grader, Marainga and Spur Roads. Waiotaki Slip.—ln company with County Chairman and C. Smith, T inspected the slip on top of the 1Waiotiaki Road, Akitio, and a result of inspection now ask the Council's permission to tap water on upper side, to be carried away by pipes for a distance of 3 chains, thence by open drain, 4in by 6in to sin by Gin in depth on lower side of road at an estimated <cost of £3O. I would also recommend that willows be placed in the gully in the spring, to save further scour. Green's Quarry, and Waione Road.'

—T inspected this metal pit in c»mI pany with Councillor Dickon's, and beg to report that metal i s in evidence on the lower level more than the level already worked, arid permission is asked to expend £5 to make a thorough and further investigation, as the present indications are favourable. I have had the place cleaned up as instructed. The surfaceman having left Waaione Head, I have secured 'suitable man who will start work, on the 7th in-st. Waioakura Slips and Grant. —Widening and clearings lips on Waiokura Road has now been completed, and the balance of grant, viz., £l2O, should be received at once, as the Inspector will shortly again visit this road. Pipe-making Plant. —As instructed when in Pahiatua, I made inquiries re pipe-making plant, and the Pahiatua Borough have one on hand which I inspected. Karaka Aerial Tramway Line. — Terminals for Karaka have been ordered and .sketch plan forwarded; and the gear should be received any dav within the next week or so. Waikereru Metalling.—The Waiowaka Creek has been inspected on Mr Lassen'g property, and there is a portion of good stone, but the bulk of metal would require screening or washing before depositing ' same on road. Pongaroa-Masterton Road. — The culvert on Rakaunui Road, near creamery, i s now being attended to. Mt. Cadmus Road.—-I visited Mt. Cadmus Road, and beg to report that this is in a very neglected state. The culverts are 'blocked, and several large slips on the road have occurred, the lower portion in several places having been scoured out by storm water. The road in question has not been used for wheel traffic for any great length, as the fences are still across the road. The cost of re-opening the whole length of road for wheel traffic would he verv costly. Sugar Loaf Grant.—The Sugar Loaf Road grant has not l>een completed, and awaits the inspection of the Public Works Department. King's Road.—This road has been attended to, slips, water holes and culverts having been inserted out of land fimd.