RAGLAN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 334, 30 August 1898, Page 4

RAGLAN COUNTY COUNCIL.

VALUATION OF TIIE RAGLAN CUONTY. Thk following table was submitted by Mr W. I. Conradi at the last sitting of the County Council :

ISO" 'IB9B Increase Decrease Whangape £55,543 £00,932 £11,389 ' Waingaro.. 54,072 72.054 18,012 Karioi .. 51,910 04,795 12,385 TeAkau .. 47,88.'! 38,705 Onewhero 25.202 50,058 22,450 Karamu .. 18,014 19,803 1240 Pirongia .. 17,479 17,547 OS £274,303 .€331,244 £00,050 £9llß Total increase, £60,941. 1 These figures are the actual rate-hook figure!) (less exemptions). Rate at i'd possible £IOOS 2s 4d, on rate-book valuation. Possible subsidy at 10s, £522 16s 6d. Under New Local Government Bill, taking the population as at last census, i.e., 1545, the subsidy would be £347 12s 6d, or an actual loss of £175 3s lOd. Valuation Roll : Waingaro, £97,554 ; Onewhero, £92,201 ; Karioi, £81.337 ; Whangape, £77,321 ; Te Akau, £41.349 ; Karamu, £25,496 ; Pirongia, £22,704 Total, £437,962. engineer's report.

The following report was submitted by the Engineer : I have the honour to report on the works in hand as follows :—Waingaro : The Kahuhuru Bridge and approaches, with metalling and fencing, is completed, and the contractors (Messrs Coate and Co.) have made good work throughout. Waiugaro-Te Mala : Works on the Waitetuna Beach Road are still in abeyance until the weather is suitable for carting the gravel. Iu connection with these contracts, I may mention that a large quantity of the gravel has been washed away from the spit, and I am not sure whether there will be sufficient gravel to finish the work until I visit the place. Caterer and Shea finished one of their contracts on this road. The rotten rock put on at the junction is a failure ; the stuff is no good to make a road with. Their hard metal is a good sample, and measured 3yds more than specified, for which they were paid at schedule rate. They requested that the swamp contract should staud over for a few weeks, and under the circumstances I thought it advisable to hold off the work until drier weather. W. Saunders has completed the earthwork on his contract and broken about half of the metal. He. also wished to discontinue, and I agreed, as it would smash the road up to cart stone and it would spoil the road to put metal down in its present conditiou. Vernon and Co. are well on with the Okete deviation, the earthwork being nearly completed. T. Kendall has the contract near Maxwell's old whare well in hand. Kauroa-Pakaka : All the contracts are well iu hand, and should all be finished within a month.

Raglan-Waipa-Waitetuna Bridge Contract : Thrown up by King, and accepted by Johnstone Bros. After the contractors raised the stringers at west end to level, the whole of the original sheeting, piles, &c. collapsed, bringing away a portion of the bank. I had, therefore, to arrange to protect the approach by putting lOin. sheeting one wing and 6in. the other, with necessary wing piles (3); also sheeting the trestle from bottom up, cost £7. The earthwork will be gone on with as weather permits. A. Collins finished the metalling contract and had put en a fair quality of rock. The earthwork was not done according to specification, and, as the metal had been put on, I arranged that he should put on an extra chain of metal, in lieu of a reduction. This he did. The shed at Waingaro landing has been removed, and the derrick fixed up. the whole contract being put through iu a workmanlike manner. Flushing will be required to prevent heavy rains beating through above the two doors, as there is no spouting on the building, and I have arranged with H. Sutton, who was in the first contract, to fix it.

I have had the puriri culvert at 3 stream repaired at a cost of £l. Raglan-Waitetuna Road : There is another culvert near Mangatawhiri junction that should be attended to, some lift, of the upper end having been burnt. It will cost about £3.

The ttoue culvert at the west side of the mountain also requires attention. About two yards of masonry have fallen from the lower eastern corner. 1 would suggest that four or five yards of heavy stone be placed at ... the outfall, the masonry replaced, aud a slab tail-race be put in, say 10ft. long, so as to prevent the same thing occurring in the future. This work is- necessary, as, if not attended to, the whole structure will go piecemeal. Churchill : After some telegraphing tiic Minister placed the authority for the expenditure of the Churchill £IOO in the Council, and 1 drew up specitications for repairs, submitting tirtho Chief Surveyor (Auckland), who has approved of same. The work provides for new punt stage throughout, partly renewing the decking of ami caulking and tarring boats and new anchor piles, also new turning gear. I did not touch the approaches, as there was at host meeting some talk of altering the site, aud Crs. Lawry and Whiteside were instructed to look into the matter. I estimate the cost of the specified work at £75. Tenders close on Wednesday, 21 tb.

Huntly Ferry : The terry-man wrote to me to the effect that the rope was in a bad state, so I overhauled it and found a portion of one strand completely gone, the wire is also frayed in places and is pretty w jll worn throughout. I would advice that a new rope be procured and

that it should be larger lh=>n the present one, it beintr too light and a menace to the riv?r traffic. The rope at present in use may last some time yet, but it it ay go at any time of flood. Slight repair's have bee.n done to the eastern approach. 1 propose to get the balance of grant, moneys and nny available rate money (which I presume will be small) laid out and tenders in as early as possible, so that the work may be completed in summer and consolidated before next winter.

I be Ivnglnn licensing money is in hand for works there. The Wbatawh.ita bridge is not being attended to as per specification.

J. Cogswell asks tor a release from his surfacing contract, and M.Harsanthas agiecd to surface portion of main road same as last year. W. Leather has also agreed to do the work at Huntly f or £5 as offered by the Council. Mr Park, who has started at Kaifiwhaniwhi, is supplying 20 planks (riuui) to Whatawhata badge", and \V. Higginson will take delivery at landing and stack in secure position.