COUNTY COUNCIL.

Bay of Plenty Times, 3 August 1893, Page 6

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Council wa. held at 2 p.m., < on Tuesday. Present, Crs Brown, | (in the chair), Lally, Pratt, Killenj { Witherow and Lover. 1 The ininutea of last meeting were , read and coiifirmed and outward \ correspondence read and approved. Inward Correspondence. ' From Manti and Co.; account for 6a for fern hook, for day labour oni roads. The Engineer said he had lent all his own fern book 3 and as one more was absolutely necessary to g<t some work done he had bought thi*' one. Ur Lever moved that tbis account be not paid. If a man had not got tools he was not worth much. Last time they had an iron bar pasoed off on them and now. th y had a hook, by and by they would have a machine. There was always some plausible excuse, this was the thin end of the I wedge. Lap ed for want of a seconder. Cr Killen said he thought it might be better if the Council bought a few tools so that in cose of emergence men could be put on and if they hai no tools they could get them from the Council. He moved that one shovel, one spade and one fernhook be now purchased. , Withdrawn and Messrs Mann and Co's account passed for payment. From Colonial Secretary re County byelaws that it is not necessary to gazette them. From Colonial Treasurer enclosing cheque for £25 for Kaimai road. ■ From John Killen, covering estimates of cost of poisoned wheat, the same being quoted at £l per bushel. Cr Pratt thought the game was not worth the candle and that if the Katikati people thought it were necessary Mr Killen could give them particulars. From A. Barron, Wellington, ihat the application for a loan for Thompson's track will be considered along with others for public works. From Government Printer, covering copy of Noxious Weeds Bill. Or Pratt thought the Bill was compiled by some one who knew nothing about agriculture. He moved that a letter be sent to the Member representing this district containing the following resolution :— ' That this Council protests against tho Noxious Weeds Bill now beforo the House, as being of a tar too stringent, harassing and impracticable a character and altogether leprecates any preference being shown to Crown Lands which are amongst the chief offenders in the matter.' ' Seconded by Cr Lever and carried. From the Secretary, Public Works Department, that application foe a grant of £2,000 will receive due consideration. From the widow of the late Patrick Barry asking particulars of sections in this district once owned by her late husband. The clerk wss ordered to I supply the desired information. From Gf. Mueller/Commissioner of 3rown Lands, relative to returns showing proposed allotment of thirds. Financial Eeport.— Eates received unce last meeting £71 15s 4d. First installment of grant of Cambridge :oad, £25. Cheques paid since last neetiug £124 12s 3d. Balance due Bank of New Zealand on general account, £699 8s Bd. Thompson's Tra«k. — Cr Lally thought that- the Council shall be prepared with some sort of estimate is to the probable cost of f orming* the road, 'and he moved that Crs Witherow md Lever be authorised to go over the track and furnish an estimate at fche meetings of ratepayers. Cr Pratt seconded the proposition heartily but said it was another question what the value of their report would be. Carried unanimousty. Ec the date for holding the meeting, it was resolved that Saturday the 1 9th of August be the day, and the hour 2 p.m. A long and futile discussion* took place as to the appointment of returning officers for the polls in the different ridings, Crs Lally, Witherow nnd Lever desiring to establish a plan of their own. Ultimately on the casting vote of the Chairman it was decided that the previous arrangements should jiirevail, A letter from C. Dunne re a culvert to give access to his place was read and it was decided that he must pro yide his own culvert. Engineers Report for July, 1893. The Chairman, Tauranga County Council. Sir,— l have the honor to report as follows : — Maintenance Contracts. I have since last meeting made my final inspection of roads under contract for maintenance. In my opinion none of them have been carried out completely, but there are some of the contractors who have come near it, and to these I have issued certificates. Ar it would be unfair to the others to withhold the whole of the balance of the contract price, and as the conditions do not permit of my giving at this stage other than final certificates, I should like the authority of the Council to issue certificates for portions of the respective balances. Doubtless contractors would more nearly have complied with the specifications under oirdinary circumstances and I think some consideration should: be Igiven, and allowance made, for the exceptionally wet weather experienced during the past twelve months. On Messrs Shadwell and Hutchins sections more landslips have occurred and more springs broken out in the roadway than I ever remember seeing before in twice the time, entailing a largo amount of labour. With all respect to the Council I now desire to state fully my views of the

Qoatmi ssd& ani th^uto^Mi 0 f iis (^nti^iphab/ uhtes* thei SSjcil is prepaid to pay a, |air price for good work and to. insist on, contracts* bcimr qari^df^ft. -y!(/f!t..lU i]ta|l"]^yjv -*> t_to^irfrifcin& : the' 'ahove' sUlement I should ot : course be prepared w_th my reasons r which aro as Mlowtf^- or > ; **» $m ittit»«_jAi c roads were n^wly |ort_a)_Daiftsld \ M!en kept in goodoMorbVda^labb-lr. Durinjr the* : first year very little woi__ iWW required to keep them so and the system would appear satisfactory. Gradually the drainage suffered bat for the firtt year or two, to the uninitiated eye, this would not become apparent ; all thf time the swamp drains would be gradually but surely closing in and filling withsOk tbo roadway losing its form and this, followed by storm water tearing out holes and channels in the roadway. Embankments became, through traffic, follow in the centre, and as a consequence simply pools of mud and water. The diffiwlty then commenced and the preset., position is this.--If the maintenance specifications are made so as to be of any practical value, tonders will be high compared with previous rates. If the specific»t-0-iarjid not pro Tide for all the work necessary to keep the roads in good order, it Tcibjiot be expected that contracted* will execute them. Then on the question of w_u_t is necessary and what is unnecessary, fricy tion must ensue between the cbntrJSd J and Engineer on one side aiid the CbUnoil and Engineer on ti_e other. r-4A contractor has a grievance if more is demanded of him than the ietter of Jus contract, and the Council is naturally aggrieved to find the roads bficonuniannually worse. Thus the Engineer 5 placed in a false position and hfe onerbus but valueless services become an u£ necessary expense to the CbnndOl. *'- The above remarks apply ofaly- to maintenance contracts ; the contracts for new works, (with one exception, where the contractor was incompetent), have been faithfully carried out to the* satisfaction of all parties. Another cause of the failure ofthe contract system lies in the fact that contractors are in all cases settlers, who have a more important occupation, and who desire to . earn by this method an addition to their means, to assist them in ■■» developing their farms. This, if practicable, would be, very desirable for both parties, as the ObunciT would be legitimately assisting rafe- ' payers to develop the county but unfortunately it is impracticable, for atthe very time that the roads need most attention and when the bulk of the year's work must be executed, the busily " % engaged in planting and attending to his crops, and neglect of this work would result in the failure of his primary occupation. ■ ' £ I desire to state that in making the above report I cast no reflection ott afct person; the average contractor Is f Ju_ * industrious settler, striving toaefdeve the impossible when ho endeavors to catty oh, without assistance, two occupations simultaneously. I am of ofointeti ~~H_i_r * the system can only be carried on successfully on carefully drawn stiecilteati&ns that will provide for the e_MtfioS^Tall mecessary work, and this would cans* a;> rise in the tenders of from _& to dO>er . cent. This report is written in iio ? spir__ of opposition to views of Cottncfaky b_t is a sit_ple» straightforward statement that' I consider, my plain duty to lay before the Council for consideration, and I timst * if will be received as such, .; With respect to the contracts, tonders for which are returnable to-day*; ipj work that may be done on them will be of no service in improving thb state oif the roads for next winter; > and th« tft_.fi * will.have.paston the expiry of the term, when the Council could take other measutes. t 7" Bramble and Son's con tract.-r-tii mkking payments in this contract I unfortunately made the error of entering up the price as £22, when it should naVo been £15, and before the mistake Was rectified he had received 2s in excess Of his contract prioe. Cambridge Roads. -^-Tenders are ipyitod for the erectibn of a bridge at" Iffaii&fc* kaiwhiria and making a culvert^. Mataiwhetu. Plans and specification, are on the table. The specifications for maintenance frifc.i also produced. Te Aroha track.— l have inspected thii road and find it is in a very bad stile there are many dangerous places and tliis undergrowth of bush is almost mqetfaw „ across the track. The works immediately required to make the roads passdmVajte : —Repair bridge at entrance to Vtim ; repair ten small crossings of streams ; repair crossing of Rereatukahia Creek ; f clear vegetation both sides of road; widen the track in three places by 31 feet ; remove all loose stones, logs, stumps _ad roots and generally trim the road frota the entrance to the bush to summit m range. Subject to the approval of the Council, lhave arranged with W. Andrews and Thos. Boyd to execute tho al wye. works for the sum of £30. If approved I propose to mail the enclosed feer to them to-night, so that the woik tnay ije immediately commenced. R. C. Jordan, Cr Lally paid he could not absent to the engineer's statement thai the roals were in good repair at the time the contract system was iniatated. * Cr Lever said that if Mr Jordan understood road work bis. report was I very fine, but it wai absurd ifhe^he . said that the time men were jnpst wanted on the road was when ib| setters were most busy on their farms. He thought men Were most wanted on the rea._ in winter. Cr Witherow thought it was evident that the Engineer wanted to do away with the eon troot system aod put off metr that he wanted on day labour, Why didn't these men tender for the contracts? He put in tbe specifications things which could not be possibly caaried out. He would swear that there were men put on tbe roads now on day labour who were not worth 3s a day. Cr Pratt thought that from what Cr Witherow bad * aid * as he convicted out of his own mouth, as he admitted- that the specifications could not be carried out. The Engineer could not get the work done properly nnless the Counf cillors backed bim up. Cr Lever thought tliere would be nothing but litigation as loDg as they had such a maa as tbe present «q«

gineer who would not carry out his duty. It was nothing but a swindling job from first to last. A general discussion then ensued oil Ike ttftte el tbe roads and some C?s said certain contractors should be r^id, whom the Engineer said had not done their work, while other Crs said t|iat men should not be paid to whom the Engineer had gifen certificates. Cr Killen said that the Engineer was blackguarded for not issuing certificates to some contractors and was also blackguarded for issuing tbem to others. Cr Lerer said that they could not expect satisfactory work w hen they had ft man to look after them whom no man of respectability would believe, he would not believe him on oatb. Be Hutchin's and Shad wel l's contract it was resolved that it be paid. A number of other contractors accounts were passed for payment subject to certain deductions reccommen<M by the Engineer. Be the Te Aroha track it was resolved that tbe offer of Messrs Andrews and Boyd for this work, at £30, be accepted. Tenders for road contracts were then bpened up as follows, to the end of November, 1893 :— Taubanga-Thames Road. No. £ s. d. 31 H. E. Humphries ... 18 0 0 32 TeiCeti 25 0 0 32 Paul Merritt,(accepted) 10 10 0 33 PautMerfit ... 14 10 0 33 8. Earl & Sons, (accepted) 8 0 0 34 T. Leech ... 910 0 31 gr Earl & Sons/accepted) 6 10 0 35 J. Wilson ... * ... 15 0 0 36 H. Jenkinson, (Accepted) 10 15 6 Taubanoa-Maketu Boad. 38 NcarinaTutahi ... 36 00 39 Ci Ry«n> (accepted), 18 10 0 39 J*Bhanaghan ... 27 10 0 40 W. Hine 20 0 0 40 C. Byan, (accepted), 15 0 0 42 J* Levis, (accepted), 8 0 0 48 J I*t»i (accepted), 8 10 0 43B*ngi ... ... 20 0 0 t Tatjbasgi.Rotobua Boad. 44 girding 10 0 0 14 f • Kennedy, (accepted), 5 0 0 46 J. McArtbur.(accepted), 20 0 0 46 J. Coi 20 0 0 PtEs Pah Road. 48 D. Kennedy, (accepted), 5 0 0 48 j. Murphy... ... 8 0 0 RttAHIHt liO CottNT* BotfNDABt. 50 Te Keti 37 0 0 Tenders were then opened as follows for the Mangakaiwhiria bridge, v_jjjfa Mataiwhetu culvert on the Joseph Brain ... 93 0 0 Lundon and Robinson 85 0 0 J.C.Adams 82 2 0 It was decided that a'l the tenders were too high. This concluded the business.