EGMONT COUNTY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 10 February 1926, Page 6

EGMONT COUNTY.

ALEETiNG OF THE COUNCII,

THE MONTH’S OPERATIONS. The monthly meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunalce yesterday. Tliere were present: Councillors W. C. Green (chairman), J. -A. •Pettigrew, T. H. H, Sinclair, E. _A. Collins, G'. Gbson, ,1. S. Tosland, rl. Donald, .7. Hickey, and J. Young. ROADS AND BRIDGES. The engineer (Air. F. M. Corkill) reported as follows : Alain Roads Reconstruction. —The metalling and grouting of the length of road from Rahotu to Nga-riki Road has. with the exception of a small gap temporarily left at the Pungaereere stream, been completed. Hie Oaoiti Road to Oaonui Road section has also been completed as far as this can be done until the proposed deviation at the latter river is completed. Work was started on the Oaoiti to Ngariki section on January 2b. The total length metalled and grouted during the January period was 70 chains, making a total length completed under this contract of 220 chains.’ This result is not up to the progress expected, >a* there has been considerable bad weather and time lias been lost through the moving of the Acme crusher to near the Heimana stream, where it will be used for the metalling of the Opua to Opunake town boundary stretch. Tlis section was commenced on February 6. If tlie weather experienced is favourable the whole length from Rahotu to Opunake town boundary, with the two gaps mentioned; excepted, should be completed by the end of Alarch.

Bridges.—The concreting of the Teikaparua bridge (Warea Rbad) has been completed and the formation and metalling of the approaches is in hand. The concrete work on the Namu Road culvert is also complete. On the- culvert on the- Fltham Road near Alangahume the- whole of the floor slab has been concreted and the walls have been poured up to- a height of four feet. Only one tender was received lor the Alangahume bridge (Filtham Road) and, as this was very considerably above the estimate, I recommended that it not be accepted. The district engineer has approved of this work, and also the Waiaua stream- bridge on the Wire-mu Road being carried out by day labour. These two works will be the next two jobs for the two -bridge gangs. All three culverts between Opua and Heimana streams have no floors. These culverts are also narrower than the 1G feet road. I propose to widen and floor them at once.

lhaia Road Sealing.—This work appears to be turning out fairly well, and , 1 have, recommenced work, though lor 1 the past two weeks the weather has | again interfered with progress. A. tlis- j tance of 110 chains has been done. The - horse-broom is notv in use and is speeding up the work. It should be clearly I understood that I recommend the con- j tinning of the one-coat work only on the understanding that a second coat will be applied as early -a-s possible after the winter. The first coat cannot be expected to last longer than one season, and some of it will almost certainly require recoating this year. Opua Road Extension.—No tenders have been received for this work.

Kahui Road (Upper).—H .Munro has completed his contract on this road except for the maintenance period. Maintenance. —The main roads have been -patched and blinded throughout. Tlie dry weather has caused -a, good deal of ravelling and the recent rains are showing up the inequalities in the surface.

Newall Riding.—O'nly the foreman and one man are here' employed (for financial reasons). The Nerval 1 Road has been thoroughly patched. Rahotu Eliding.—The re-coating of the Upper Kahui Road was continued, IS chains more being done. The. Upper Parihaka Road has been heavily patched for the first time for a. very long time. Work is now in hand on the Opourapa Road. Optra Riding.—The. Upper Arawhata has. as usual, had the whole of one man’s time. The Lower Kina has had a lot of work—<l6 chains being remetalled with pit metal and the remainder patched and rolled in. Jn this work considerable assistance has been given by Or. Jas. Young and Mr. Len Young, who carted out 68 yards of metal, and by Mr. P. Fleming and his son, who assisted in the pit. In the southern half of the riding the men have been on the Ihaia Road all the month, where, when not tarring they have cleaned out 99 chains of drains. A separate gang is not at work on the 131tliam Road.

000 Riding.—‘Patching on the Kirk and Upper Oeo Roads lias been done and draining and reculverting the length of tire latter road to be carried out. At- Taiingatara (Main South Road) a further 678 cubic yards of metal were, crushed and used for metalling of the Hone and Patiki .Roads. I recommended to the chairman that while the plant is on the former road the road’s allocation for the coming year should also he spent. With his approval this isi being done. A length of six chains on the Puuehu hill was also scarified and re-rolled with a little new metal added. IHAIA ROAD LOAN.

Replying to the council’s inquiry respecting the Ihaia road special loan of £SOOO, the Deputy Controller and Auditor-General stated that the audit office knew of no statutory impediment to the settlers raising the extra 10 per cent of the loan nor to the council meeting any excess expenditure out of riding revenue, but that the interest on the additional £SOO could not- be charged against the riding as proposed. It would he necessary to provide the money by means of special rate as a collateral part of the principal loan.

The charimau said it was unfortunate that the £SOO could not be raised in the manner the council had thought might he possible. Having gone so far with the work it would he a pity if arrangements could not he made for its completion, and apparently the only course was for the settlers to authorise the additional £SOO and leave it for the council to arrange later for the further £4OO required to complete the second coating of tar. Cr Hickey explained that previously the ratepayers had objected to being saddled with a rate for the extra amount.

Cr Tosland suggested that a meeting of the ratepayers concerned ho called to consider the position. He agreed that every effort should he made to complete the work, and said (hat its discontinuance would he tantamount to building a house without providing for the roof. The chairman further explained that with the accounts for the month tho whole of the available loan money had been expended, and in view of tlie Finance Committee’s recommendation that general expenses be reduced to a minimum, further amounts could not, be furnished from other sources.

It was finally decided to call the suggested meeting, the chairman and Crs Hickey, Young and Sinclair being appointed to meet the ratepayers. RATEPAYER’S OFFER. Mr A. McKeowu (Pihama), writing on January 28, requested that while the county fjlant was engaged on the Hone road the work be extended so as to include the road’s allocation of funds for the coming financial year. He undertook to pay in advance the rates for the year 1926-27, and stated that the work suggested would make iip for the amount taken from last year’s balance and would also complete for the next five years. In reply to the chairman, the clerk explained that the offer regarding rates could not he accepted, as such CQuld not he collected before they were formally struck. The engineer stated that a certain amount of work had recently been done on the road, but it bad been discontinued for the pi-esent. It was decided to reply, stating that the work was being held over in the meantime, and the riding members were appointed to inquire concerning the possibility of its completion. LOAN APPLICATIONS. With reference to a loan of £15,000 (being portion of the £20,000 bridging loan) by the Government Insurance Department, the financial agents wrote requesting information required to conform with legal formalities, and stated that as soon as this was supplied, together with instruction for obtaining the consent of the Minister, the preparation of the debentures would lie proceeded with.—The action of the chairman in authorising the clerk to supply the information and instruction was confirmed, and it was decided io request that the matter ho expedited; as the money was urgently required.

In reply to the council’s letter of January 16. the Government Life Insurance Department advised that the board would he pleased to consider an application for a further loan of £IOOO for metalling the Oknhu road.. The loan, if granted, would probably he at 6 iior f ent, with a sinking fund of 1 nor cent.—Tho action of the chairman in authorising the application was confirmed.

Letters received fropi the State Advances Office and the Public Trust Office notified, with reference to similar inquiries, that applications could not he considered at present. LOCALITY SIGNS.

Air. W. G. Walkley, secretary of the South Taranaki Automobile Association, writing on January 21 requested permission for the association to erect signs indicating the names of the principal rivers between the boundary of the Waimate West county in the south and Ware a in the north in the Egmont county. On each sign it was proposed to show the name b! the river and also the distance to the nearest town It was also proposed to show ' the names of the principal roads branching .from the main liighway. The council was asked to furnish the necessary particulars and also

to make suggestions us to the erection of warning signs at danger spots.

Permission for the erection of the signs was granted, and the engineer was instructed to forward the necessary particulars.

MOTOR ’BUS REGULATIONS. The Taranaki .Employers’ Association forwarded circulars dealing with the proposed motor omnibus regulations, and setting out reasons why the regulations should not be enacted in their present form. The support of all local bodies was requested in the matter. Oh the motion of Crs. Tosland and Gibson it was decided to support the protest being made by the association. APPORTIONMENT OF FEES, The Eltham town clerk wrote reminding the council that his council laid been appointed to arrange the distribution of motor lorry license fees in the No. 8 heavy traffic district at a meeting of Taranaki local, bodies held on May 29. 1925. Though sonie delay had ensued, all of the councils concerned had finally agreed to the proposed method of distribution, namely, oO per cent, of revenue returnable to be apportioned on a metalled road mileage and 50 per cent, on a capital value basis. In order that the distribution might be made without further delay, particulars of licenses issued and fees collected in the county were requested. An accompanying circular showed the number of miles of metalled road in the Egmont county as IGI and the capital value as £1,619,000. the figures being taken from the Government Statistician’s report for the financial year 1923-24. 'Hie clerk was authorised to furnish the required particulars. COMPI,IMENTARY BANQUET

Discussing the circular letter re- 1 ceived from Mr. Ira J. .Bridger Eltham, as chairman of the citizens’ committee set up to organise a complimentary banquet to.be tendered to the Hon. O. J. Hawken. M.P.. upon his elevation to Ministerial rank, Cr. Tosland gave the opinion that the council should be lepresented in recognition of the Compliment bestowed on the province by the appointment of one of its Parliamentary representatives as the Minister for Agriculture. He moved that the chairman be requested to attend the function. The chairman considered ’that in view of the present state of the county finances the expense of official representation should not be entailed. Cr. Tosland’s motion was carried, it being also decided that Cr Voting be requested to attend .the function should the chairman be- unable to lie present. GENERAL. The pound keeper (Mr H. Wiltshire) reported that a total of 41 bead of cattle and horses bad been found on the county roads during the month. A letter was received from Mr H, Wiltshire accepting the appointment, as inspector of hawkers’ licenses.—The appointment was confirmed. In reply to the council’s 'etter of warning against speeding on the county

roads. Messrs Gibson’s, Ltd. (New Plymouth). advised that their drivers had been instructed to comply with the bylaws.

Mr W. A. Lind, storekeeper (Awa~ tuna), writing on February 5; requested' permission to instai a, kerbside octroi pump at the store premises, subject to the necessary permit being obtained from, the Inspector of Eixplosives.—Permission was granted, .subject to the condition, mentioned. A similar application received from Messrs Hughson’s, Ltd. (Rahotu) was approved. An application received from Messrs Hughson’s, Ltd., for the formation of a road to give access to- the company’s new building and other necessary work was referred to Crs. Young and Gibson and the engineer for investigation. A circular letter received from tl.e Department of Internal Affairs drev attention-.to the Gazette notice oi January 7, fixing the amount of principal and interest payable in respect of advances for the erection of workers’ dwellings for p eriods of 251, 30 and 36 years at 6 per cent.