COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4144, 22 January 1916, Page 6

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

NO QUORUM AT MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Cook County Council was set down for yesterday. There were present Crs. T-Jex-Blake (chairman), F. J. Lysnar, G. E. Jones, R. C. Murphy, and O. Matthews. As six members were required to form a quorum the statutory meeting could not he held. Accounts for the month amounting to £3159 were passed, and it was then decided to sit this afternoon, at 2 p.m., to consider ordinary business. A special meeting will be held next Saturday to consider-the petition of County shopkeepers praying that Thursday should _be the statutory closing day for county shopkeepers, to bring them into uniformity with Gisborne. For years Wednesday lias been the closing day for country shopkeepers, and if a special day is not requested the Government would appoint this day again. This does not meet the wishes of all the shopkeepers, lienee the petition. OVERSEER’S REPORT. , Mr J. J. Keane, County overseer, submitted the following report: Contract 464, erecting of a bridge Bartlett’s Crossing: As only a small quantity of timber has been delivered 1 on the site and the is still out of the district—address unknown —I would be glad of the Council’s instructions in the matter, as -the-time of this contract expires on the 15tli February. Contract 466, metalling Totangi road: Good progress' is being made with this work. Contract 502, metalling Pakowhai roads (G. Brocklebank): Work on this contract is. now proceeding satisfactorily; the contractor has two lorries with tracers employed on the work. Contract 519, metalling Tologa to Mangatuna: Satisfactory progress is being made, 666 cubic yards of spawls and shingle delivered for the month. Con trace 521, improvements Waimata to Ankihi: Completed. Contract 533, erection of bridge Riverside road: Preceding satisfactorily. Contract 534. metal repairs Makauri, mam road and College road: Practically completed. Contract 535, formation lutamo A road: The contractor has the woi k well in hand and should com pi. te ’t during the coming week. Contract 538, carting and spawling stone Jackman’s Creek: As the contractor considered the creek too rough to cart over, I have agreed to take stone from McDonald’s Creek at the same price. Contract 539, metal depots Gray’s quarry : Completed. Contract • 540, metal depots various: Work proceeding. Contract 541, metal repairs Kaiti and Whataupoko: Work on this contract has progressed steadily during the month, 950 yards delivered to date. Contract 543, breaking stone Waerenga-o-kuri. Gorge : Proceeding slowlv, the contractor is having some 1 difficulty in getting suitable men for the work. Contract 544, broken stone in depots, Waimata: Good progress has been made with this work, most of the spawls have been carted out, and a fair percentage knapped, a start will be made next week putting the metal on the road. Contract 545, metal depots Arai Valley: Proceeding. Contract 546, quarrying and breaking Gentle Annie and Bayly’s: The contractor has made a start. Contract 547, metal repairs Bushniere road: About 300 yards of shingle _delivered and spread. Contract 548, carting metal Hangaroa road: Pro ceeding satisfactory. Contract 649, repairs Ngakaroa road to Graham’s: Completed; 191 yards of shingle delivered on the road. Contract 551, quarrying and breaking stone Wae-renga-o-kuri : The contractor has about 60 yards broken; when complete this stone will be carted on to the bad portion on the road, between the hotel and Cameron’s hill. Contract 552, formation and metalling Rirersjde road: The contractor will be making a start in a few days. During the month the surfacemen throughout the County have, been engaged on formation, general maintenance, removing old slips and improving bad bends, etc. A grader party is at work on the Tiniroto road, rounding up and making a few short deviations to improve the grade. A grader party is also employed in the Tologa district on the Hauiti-Wigan road. The road roller is at present employed scarifying and rolling a rough portion on the Patutahi road; bad portions on other roads will be dealt with later. Specifications have been forwarded to the district engineer, for approval, for the expenditure of £350, £ for £. metalling Hauiti to Wigan. Plans and specifications have also been prepared for work to the value of £4500 on the new Inland road, Tologa end. These will be orwarded or approval early next week. With regard to the expenditure of the Muriwai to Morere grant £IOOO, £ for £, I would be glad of the Council’s instructions in the matter. In reference to Chalmers road, on which I was instructed to report this road runs from the road near Mr Jobson’s (Willows Settlement) to Te Hapara, and since Mr Machell made the road across the swamp, it is being used considerably for stock purposes, etc. The distance from the road to the swamp is 1 mile 26 chains. The first portion of oO chains is through good ground, which is formed up, would stand without metalling; tlie second nortion of 4o chains is through sandy ground, covered with grass. If this latter portion were formed up it would require a coat of shingle, otherwise it would soon become almost impassable. I estimate the cost as follows: —First section, forming 60 chains at 30s P er chain, £9O; second section, forming 46 chains at 355, £BO 10s; metalling 46 chains at 20 yards per chain at rfs per yard £368; culverts, £3o—total, £568 10s. In the event of the Council not proceeding with the work tins year I would recommend that tlie worst holes on the sandy portion be filled in with clay or ;SOil at a cost of about £ls. According to instructions, I have prepared an estimate or a road and the necessary bridges, from tlie Pouawa river lo the Pakarac river (Pakarae riding). Tlie summary of the estimate referred to showedSection h £794 ; section 2, £2748 3, £<4J ss; section 4, £4079 -total, £8362 10s. Total distance of 10 nines 13 chains: