WAIKOHU COUNTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10564, 18 April 1928, Page 2

WAIKOHU COUNTY.

Meeting- ok the council.;

.The monthly meeting of, llid .WaU koliu County Council yesterday wd® presided over by the chairman (Mi T. JJ. Spence). There were dlsp present: Messrs H. J. F. Tombleson W. B. Harding, M. Doyle, A. AFraser, H. H. Dods and G. H. Morico. ( .. A request, for an- explanation ol Llio,, increase from -id to Id in the £ in the Mounui special, rate and the council’s intentions as to spending £IOOO of the Mqtu Valley loan money on the -Mounui section of the road was received from Mr. TV. G. Evans.

The clerk was instructed to explain that the increase, in the rate was due tu a reduction in the valuations, and that the Balance of the lo'an money had not yet been raisA plan of the section proposed to be purchased from Mr Renner for u cottage site was- ■ submitted. Or Morico and the engineer, were, deputed to see Mr Mount regarding suggested alterations in the plan and report to next meeting. The Rural Counties’ Association advised that the proposal made by the Dominion Federated Sawmiilers' Association to collect the . timber levy on behalf of the . counties had been abandoned. —Received. The Matawai Settlers’ Association wrote explaining that a report which appeared in the press on March 19 concerning, the. quality of .metal being used on the main highway was published without the knowledge or approval of the association, and was inaccurate. The remarks made at the meeting. were the reverse of any reflection on the council’s staff. — Received. The medical officer of health advised that under section 13 of the Finance Act, 1927, fines inflicted for breaches of regulations administered by' local bodies could be paid over to sucii local' bodies.—Received. The chairman, No. 4 District Highways Council, advised that the following roads in Waikbhu County had beeii accepted as main highways: Patutahi-Ilere (7 miles) and Miitawai-Koranga Bridge (12 miles). —lt was decided to write to the chairman of the District Highways Council, asking why the portion of the road from the Moanui Junction to.Koranga Bridge had been given preference, over the Kanakanaia and Puha-Whatatutu road. The Minister of Public Works notified that the council’s request for grants for the relief of unemployment were being carefully considered. —Received. The Registrar, Native Land Court, forwarded a cheque in payment of rates on Puha 2C3 Hock and asked that a memorandum of discharge of lien be issued under seal. The council empowered the chairman to apply the seal to the-discharge. The’ District Public Trustee advised that the office of Sinking Fund Commissioner for the Motu Valley Loan of £3030 had been accepted. —Received.

The New! Zealand .Ironmasters’ Association requested that the council adopt a general policy of purchasing within New Zealand all Supplies and machinery which can be (obtained locally.—Received. The tender of Messrs Monk and Co. at 2s 6d per cubic yard wag' accepted for carting shingle to the Te Karaka railway station. The tender of Mr G. Bell, iun., at 5s per cubic yard, was accepted for the metalling of Kanakanaia road. The question of metalling the Koranga road towards Mr Williams’ homestead was left in the hands of the engineer and the member for tlie riding. It was decided to instruct the dog tax collector to report to the couiicil all eases of persons who failed to register their dogs. It was resolved to request tlie Hospital Board to give favorable consideration to a proposal to grant a subsidy for a resident. doctor at Te Karaka. In the course of general business it was mentioned that trouble was likely to ensue from the 'existence of a slip on tlie Mangahamia road, and tlie engineer, with the member for the riding, was authorised to have the road re-established if the work could be done at a reasonable cosl.An intimation was received front the Public Works Department that a further section of the road below the Motu falls bridge bad been transferred to the control of tlie council.

Accounts passed for payment totalled £3379. . . _ A contribution ut £ii3o per annum for six years was , agreed to* by the Council as its share- qf the cost of formation and metalling ou the main highway between Rakauroa and Motu. The basis on which the council is to share the cost of the work with the Highways Board involves the board in an expenditure of £19,803 over tlie full period of six years.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The report of the county engineer (Mr A. G. Lucas) is as follows: , "Motu Riding.—The contractor for blinding on the Falls road lias not yet started his contract. Threefoot pipes were sent to the Motu front road to replace a small bridge that had almost fallen in. Several culverts are required on the Moanui road before winter, the plans, for the Falls creek bridge on the Mot-u Valley road and the Motu River bridge on the Moanui road have been approved and material will be landed on the site during the week. As soon as the timber arrives for the' Moanui bridge tenders will bo called for the erection. The contract oil the Matawai-Rakauroa mam highway is nearly completed. When this is done Sharp’s road will receive attention. Tenders could how be called for filling depots on the Motu Valley road. Maintenance has vbeen carried out as usual.

“AVailmka Riding.—The contractor for two miles of the main highway at. Gtoko is making good progress getting out spawls. Some formation has been done and crushing - of spawls commenced. The spawling will follow close on the new formation. I have put a -scoop team oil the Otoko hill to clean this up before winter. The grader gang graded in the inetal on the flat at Otoko village and took off a small corner. A portion of the Public AVorks deviation at Hutchinson’s has been spawled. This is rough at present, but will be improved when men are available from the crusher. As soon os the roller is finished at Matawai it will be brought to Otoko. Some 3ft pipes were landed for the Motu front road to replace , two i small bridges that are about to collapse. The contract for metalling, at Poututu is progressing. The contractor for metalling, 40 chains of t the Motu front road near the road- , man’s cottage has finished all .Hit ; the shingling on top of. .the spawls. • Tenders are called to-day for . 800 j cubic yards of river, shingle or Mahalci, to, be put on the Gtoko hill where necessary ; also 300 .yards for j Waikohu to go on the main high- j way between, the railway bridge and , the stock paddock. The" wing of the small bridge on the Hihiroroa road near Sherriff’s fell in and was renewed. A culvert was put in on Carron’s hill on this road. The urn- ; dor was engaged oii one of the Foiltutu deviations and some metal was put on the parts cut up last winter. , ; 1 a : “Waipaoa Riding.—Most, of the material is now on the site for the erection of the.: .Armstrong road cottage, and tenders will be called l'or

llw erection as soon g, wutertables on out. Rewero Executed to a rfrSfsrtiX Sul patches "hero SonSSai IS 8 STiouti uh SScr» (or .this t month. Sow WMj■*? J\wi) „d on Mungatu road » ■» » tesscdSiioo. ‘flr«ss three li; ; 6 Ijeen spanded Snd tl,o tiSSs forVhT'lcltycry.of jO***” Suhl.uTon mm 'tlrn conn^hounboundary creek biidgc , thing .is now cm the job exception of some of (s(j The contractor tor u cubic vards of spawl.s has main. a start and as -soon as he has the spawls out will start on his spaw.G Sig ; -Tho contractor has Snishcd Orr's K>ad, and Bruce’s road is Imlshecl all but the 1 0indin"- Tenders arc,called lor wdav for 700 yards of metal for the Kanakanaia toad, to. be *stnbutcd. as follow: Tg KrWs old SSl’ site, and 100yds to the depot at the foot .MCwwj hill, it is my intention to gariß the piece from Olsen s to tbcJoot the hill before metalling. The r Gaining metal will be put on .nere required from the foot of Kim&s lull to the steel bridge.. The gra. der gang is engaged cleaning up thread from No. 5 bridge to Te Ig-Ji-akvil Maintenance been car lied out as usual. "Karaka Eiding ; -A was let for the metalling of following: Ten chains at Holdsw orih s IO chains from the small bridge at McKay’s to Holdswortk s, 3 chains at Coles’ where the river came over Ret. year, and from the railway oro-nm, at Scott’s to Puha, and also the fill ing of depots. A new- culvert was put in n the Cliff road ana a 2ft culvert is still required about, halfway alon°- as the old wooden culvert will “not take the sludge thatcomes down. The drams a, Maipaoa are being cleaned out, - - culvert will be required at the. end of the large dram near the p-,ddoek. as the wooden culvert e'ollapYedp Owing to -pressure o work, I have- been unable to do anything at Dutnshea a bridge yet, this will receive attention during the month. The surfaceman has been engaged patching and cleaning watertables.” -