COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4476, 17 February 1917, Page 6

COOK COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY. MEETING

A great deal of busines was transacted at the monthly meeting of tlie Cook County Council yesterday morning. The representatives present were Crs. Lysnar (chairman), JexBlake, Witters. Parker, Holden, Matthews, Tombleson, Jones and Reynolds. Messrs Nolan and Skeet forwarded deed of dedication of Sievwright Road and Richardson’s Avenue.—-The Overseer reported that the Council’s uuiiditions had been complied with and it was decided to accept dedication of the roads. Mr E. Fenton, secretary to the Cook Hospital Board, drew the attention of the Council to several diphtheria cases that had recently occurred at Makaraka and Tologa Bay, and asked for the Council’s inspector to be instructed to pay special attention to these places: A night soil service and weekly removal of rubbish at Tologa Bay was strongly recommended.—The Chairman said that he understood that the matters referred to in the letter had received attention. A letter was received from the Gisborne Harbor Board advising the Council of its future policy to preserve the rights of the Board by insisting on opening spans in all bridges.—Received. Mr E. Habgood claimed £2 10s and expenses 10s, alleged damages through the County lorry colliding with a mob of claimant’s sheep on January 10, killing one and injuring three others, which have since died.— The Chairman reported that he had made inquiries and said that the motor lorry driver was not to blame. The driver was backing away from the sheep when one was run oyer from behind. The Chairman was instructed to settle with Ml- Habgood. \ reply was received from the Hon. W. Hemes, Minister for Native affairs. stating that the Native Department had no funds out of which the road to the Mangatura Native School could be made. He added that the Native schools were not controlled by the Native Department but by the Education Department. He had referred the request to the Ministei ioi Public Works. —Received. The appreciation of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce for the Council’s successful efforts m making the beach road to Tatapouri effective for motor traffic, was carried m a letter from the secretary, Mr Hamilton 1 vine. The letter added that the Chamber liopel that the Council would at an early date treat other similar parts of the road to Tologa Bav in a like manner. —Received. The Chairman stated that the Overseer was attending to the matter. On behalf of Mrs MclldowieofTutangi station, the manager of the Gis borne branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency drew attention to the condition of the upper end of Ngatapa-Tutangi road. The letter stated that nothing had been done to the road for the past two vears beyond shovelling slips on in tile winter and consequently the water channels in most places, especially at the upoer end, were level v it' l the road and flooding ensues after heavy rain, and the traffic was making the condition of the road Tim Chairman reported that with Ci . Matthews and the Overseer Iffe had inspected the road. The County Council road was, m their opinions, in excellent order except m two places, which were being attended to. j Cr. Matthews reported that the side road was being attended to by a surfaceman. The Chairman said that the road wanted metalling. These was about three miles to do. liiere was a dip, and at this place the Overseer had put men on raising the road. For a clay road it was one of the best roads in the County. Cr. Matthews said that they were doing all they could in the way .of maintenance and the only remedy was to metal the road. Messrs deLautour, Barker, -Stock and Blair wrote forwarding contract between Mr Mayes and the Council for the re-erection and repairs to the Tologa Bay bridge, providing for repairs of the damage done by the second flood. The Chairman reported that the Committee appointed at last meeting had gone into the matter with the consulting engineer, and as a result had instructed the Council’s solicitors to prepare a contract for tbe work.— Received. Advices were received from the State Advances office. Wellington, informing the Council that the Board had decided to entertain the Council’s application for the following loans:—£4oo for metalling Taurau Valley Road, £ISOO for construction of Mahunga drain, Ormond, £3OO for constructing Li miles of Puninga Road.—Received. The Hon. W. Morgan wrote asking the Council to fill a vacancy on the Board of Governors for the Gisborne High School, which had occurred by the retirement by rotation of Mr A. F. Matthews, one of the Council’s representatives on the Board. Mr A. F. Matthews was unanimously re-appointed. Mr.' R. Arrakin, Tologa Bay, wrote that he had been unable to find anyone who would take the position of ranger at the Bay-. Mr J. P. Guthrie. wrote offering to take over the position in the mornings and evenings only, leaving it to Mr. Arrakin to take over the duties during the day. Cr. Witters objected to a Countyoverseer taking over the duties of ranger, and if such were appointed it should he as temporary as possible. It was agreed to appoint Mr Guthrie ranger for the time being. Approval was expressed by the Waikohu County Council in the appointment of Mr Ferris as sanitaryinspector, and that the Waikohu Countv Council was agreeable to pay one-third of his salary as previously proposed.—Received. The Hon. W. Fraser wrote in reply to the Council’s request to use the broken metal belonging to the Government stocked near Ngatapa. N(j‘ objections were offered bv the Deparlament providing the Council would undertake to supply the Department on equal quantity of metal of the same class when it was decided to resume railway construction works in the locality.—lt was .decided to accept the offer. . Reference to the maintenance of Taumata Road was made by the clerk of the Waikohu County Council. Mr Appleton wrote that his Council wished it to he clearly understood that the arrangement referred to ori dinary maintenance only and did not ! embrace in its scope the erection of new bridges cr the carrying out of new formation or metalling or other ! new work other than that incidental to the ordinary maintenance of the existing road. | The Chairman said that all the Council asked for was that the road ' should he maintained.—Received. Replies were received from Messrs J. B. Broadhurst and G. Stock, eon- . senting to act as the Council’s repre--1 senfatives on the Citizens’ Defence , Committee. —Received. - j An opinion was received from •Messrs'deLautour. Barker, Stock and Blair, as to whether tbe Cook 'County Council could now proceed under Section 119 of the Public Works Act, 1908. to obtain from the Waiapu Countv Council, a share of the cost of the re-erection of the Tologa bridge. The solicitors expressed the opinion, that the Council could not now claim any. share f) om the Waiapu Council. .The opinion said that certain formalities were required by the Act when one local authority proposed to obtain flora another-local authority a contribution towards the cost* of the construction of a bridge before the work was undertaken, and it was understood that such formalities were not complied with by the Count toil:: also that the re-erection, of - the bridge had -been commenced and .partly. completed without any demand being made upon the Waiapu Council - r ■ . -i* -X —. i

tor any c-ontrbution to the cost for such re-erection. Cr. Lysnar said that the opinion was obtained at the request of the riding representatives who wished to ascertain the position. Mr O. Orton, Tologa Bay, wrote offering to loan the Council £SOO for special works. —Received. An application was received from the Turanganui Public Library 7 asking the Council to grant a subsidy towards the maintenance of the free reading room, pointing out that- the Government subsidy- would not bo granted for the current year.—lt was decided to place the amount for the usual grant, £lO. upon next y 7 ear‘s estimates. Mrs. Haddocks, Tologa Bay, wrote asking whether the Council would permit the amount of rates paid by her spent on the roads near her place. She added that she had been paying rates for 25 years, and during that time not one penny of the Council’s monev had been spent near her place.—The matter was referred to Or. Reynolds for attention. Mr A. J. Williams. Ngatapa, wrote for further instructions re placing a gate on the Hill Road leading to lus farm. , , Cr. Matthew reported that the road referred to was a side road on wliicli Mr Williams was the only ratepayer. He did not think that there would be any trouble in the matter. Permission was given to Mr williams to erect the gate provided the Council’s requirements were observed. , ~ , , Mr W I Petchell, lion, secretary of the East Coast Fellmpngers’, Ltd drew the attention of the Council to the state of the road or want ot a road, on the town side ot the company’s works. He understood that the * Borough Council vas shoi tiy starting the work of taking up the rails of the tramway, commencing from Patutahi Quarry and working towards Gisborne. The writer suggested that the County Council should arrange with the Borough and tlie contractor to bring in the ballastin o- which could be dropped from th line where required along the side ot the road. . , . Cr Witters said that when the Countv Council gave the Borough Council permission to lay the line it was agreed that the Borough should, supply a certain amount of metai each Year. Some was delivered. it was recognised that the Borough could not get sufficient metal for its own purposes. He thought that the ballast could be used in metalling the r °Cr" .Jones thought that the County Council had lost an opportunity in not egtting some stone down from the Gentle Annie Quarry before the lme " % wafdemded to leave the matter in the hands of Crs. Witters and Jones anti the Overseer to attend to. Mr J. Little wrote asking for Die Council to grant the East Coast Fellmongers’. Ltd., written permission to carry a pipe line under the Council’s road.—-The request was granted. Several ratepayers from Makauri petitioned for the removal of a small brick culvert between the Kia Ora 1 factory and Makauri Post Office. The culvert was too small. The Overseer reported that the culvert was quite big enough to carry off tlie surface water, but the trouble was due to flood waters. Even if a larger culvert were put in it would not relieve tlie conditions in flood Cr. Witters said that he i tally thought that the Government was the right body to obtain redress from, as tlie culvert was constructed by the Government many years ago. He doubted whether the culvert was laree enough, but he asked the Council If it saw fit to enlarge the culvert, to also take steps to enlarge the drain on the other side of the load, as a larger culvert vould Ift Through a large amount ot flood water. The Overseer stated that the opening up of a side drain and opening up two culverts would be effective. Cr. Jones said that before the Land Board enlarged the dram the culvert 1 was large enough to carry off the water hut now it was not so. He moved that the Overseer report upon the position and prepare an estimate of the cost of giving relief to **WSS& stated that along with Cr. Matthews and the Overseei. he had inspected the place, and considered that the culvert was sufficiently large enough to cope with suidiscussion it was decided that the Overseer prepare «*n estimate for the enlargement of the culvert; also for the enlargement of the drain on- the other side. The Sanitary Inspector. Mi u 1 01 ris, reported having made a house to house inspection, of the Tefi‘L area from the Taruheru to the-Wav kanae. and from Lytton Boad fo the Park racecourse. He said tha l ditions in a majority of places uoic •reiKsfictorv toitli the exception of the means adopted for ° e waste water. A system ot diamage in the unsatisfactory cases was recommended. In addition Mi ierri. also visited .the Waihirere Maori settlement and several places at Maio hika. The conditions of the iViaoii settlement were satisfactory. au . ® Waiohika certain 'alterations, were being carried out, as also u ere . the District Health Officer’s recommendations at a. house in Te Hapara. OVERSEER’S REPORT.

Mr J. J. Kan=, County Overseer, submitted a report in which; he stated-I am having the old road between Tatapouri and Turehau opened up at a cost of about £100; this should he open for traffic about the. end of next week. . A channel iias been ; scooped out at. WVaingalce in order to divert the river, so as, to f■■ i" ■ |l!

prevent it encroaching on the road. 'The water is now running through the new channel and a stone weir 7 is being put in; when tfiis is completed, the road should be free from further encroachment.” Repairs to Tologa bridge. Contractor is proceeding satisfactorily wj,tli this work; 24 concrete piles have been completed and balance required are being made and will be completed during the coming week. The construction of two pontoons is also in hand, and men are engaged strengthening piers to be replaced. The span recovered from the river has been taken to pieces and is being straightened out and re-assembled. Owing to pressure of work I have not had time to prepare estimates for the bridge at Ormond or'crossings at MsingatoitoS. As the motor cycle used by Mr Short has been giving a lot of trouble of late and its upkeep is becoming very costly, I would recommend that a now one he purchased. A special order was passed in respect to the Taurau special loan of £4OO for metalling the Taurau Valley Road. The rate was fixed at -id in the £.. The question of the purchase of a motor car for tho overseer, Mr Kane, was discussed, and it was decided to purchase a 5-seater Ford. It was pointed out that a. car would be more useful than a motor cycle, because -when required the Overseer could take the councillors on tours of inspection when required, or take men out to urgent works. It was decided to apply to the Lands Department for permission to take metal from Rutledge’s pit at Tologa Bay. The County ranger reported that during the month 118 head of horses and cattle were impounded.