PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 10 November 1926, Page 10

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. At the ordinary meeting of the above council yesterday there were present: Crs J. ‘Gibbs (chairman), W. G. Belton, J. R. Taylor, R. S. Scown, H. Sutherland, W. 'Back, H. Johnston, and W. H. Watkins. ENGINEER ’S REPORT.

The engineer reported as under: — Main Road and General.—Very good progress has been made bv the contractor on Burke’s gorge. The portion to be done by the county has not gone ahead very much owing to the labour being required elsewhere. The short piece of fencing required on Mr Pearce’s frontage has been carried out. The fencing on the Whenuakura hill has been commenced. The breakaway near the Whenuakura river on the Patea side of the bridge carried away badly about a fortnight ago. I have now made arrangements to take more land on the top side so as to be able to widen the road out that way when required. On the Waverley side of the bridge damage was done owing to there not being sufficient culverts. This has now been made good, and one new culvert has been ,put in, the pipes for a second one, which will be put. in later, being also on the ground. A sample, truck of the Kapuni metal came to hand and was tested. It has been decided to give the metal a trial for the season. Two trucks of shell rock also arrived. This was used for strengthening the shoulders of the bitumen road. The Highways Board has recommended that this work be carried out throughout the whole length of the main road, and I recommend that the council consider this question at this meeting. Otoia West.—The grader has graded up the metal on the Ball road from the Main road to the Alton gorge. The approach road to the Otoia gorge lias also been improved by scooping down one short steep hill. Grading has also been done on the Upper Kakaramea road, and the grader is now on A. Pearce’s road. On this road gorse has been cut back where necessary, and metal is now being carted out from A. Pearce’s pit for patching. Otoia East. —A commencement has been made on the work on the Maben road from the bridge down. Two or three bad slips and breakaways have been reported on the Maben. road. I have not ,yet had opportunity to inspect these, but I understand they will take a considerable amount of work to put them right. Waverley Riding.—An inspection has been made in company wit.l the councillors for the riding, of Wnterland’s, road. It has been decided to metal a length of this road. Gorse has been cut back to provide a side track. ’The grader has finished the roads at the back of Waverley and lias now commenced on the Kohi district roads. Moumaliaki Riding. —A small bridge has been put in on the Village Settlement road, and a culvert removed and replaced. Elsewhere water-tabling and general surface work lias been carried out. There have been several slips during the month. Kaparn Riding.—Several slips have taken place during the month and have been removed. The roads are open for traffic. On the Moeawatea side a commencement was made with the watertabling on the Aharoa hill, but had to be abandoned owing to the weather conditions. Several bad slips have taken place further up this road, and the settlers have applied to the Government for Rood damage assistance. Plans for the Tawhiti bridge are in hand. The settlers ask that the decking for the new bridge be supplied immediately. This could bo used temporarily on the old bridge, enabling them to get, their, wool out this season. I recommend that this course be adopted. TARRED ROADS. WIDENING AT BAD PLACER. The matter of making the tarred portion of the main roads wider, in view of the danger and difficulty to traffic, was considered, councillors agreeing that there were some places which were exceedingly dangerous and which should be repaired as suggested in a letter from the Main Highways Board. It was stated that in many places the road had been worn down by heavy vehicles. Reference was made to the good results following the use of shell rock, and to the good work done in Hawera County down to Tongahoe. It was resolved that £250, which included 30a to £1 of subsidy, be spent, on doing the work with shell rock on the worst part of the road as required, and that more be done as necessary later on. In reply to a question, the chairman said' that, tar-sealing would go ahead as soon as possible. The engineer said that the programme of works had got behind somewhat, but they would do their best to catch up and go ahead with all speed. BOUNDARIES. A - resolution altering boundaries between Waverley and Moumahaki, as scheduled at a special meeting, was confirmed. LABOUR MATTERS. The Labourers’ Union in Neiv Plymouth wrote in regard to bringing the county employees under an aw-ard. It was agreed that no harm would be done by meeting union representatives. After some discussion it was agreed to ask the union for the nearest county award, and if it could supply one a committee, consisting of the chairman. Crs Belton, Scown and Taylor, and the engineer, would meet the delegates - at a conference.

GENERAL. The secretary of the South Taranaki Automobile Association wrote assuring the council that any posts erected on the roads -would not interfere with those already erected. ,Mr Harold Parsons, Whenuakura, drew attention to the deplorable state of the Hukatere road, which was now almost impassable. He said he. had put up with this for over fifteen years, paying his quota of maintenance of roads. He added that, soon it would be impassable for milk cart traffic. On the motion of the chairman, it was resolved to obtain a report from the engineer and to consider the matter of obtaining a grant from the Government. . , , A circular was received from the Minister of Railways urging the cooperation of all local bodies in the formation of district advisory boards. The council agreed to do anything possible to assist. The Native Trustee. Wellington, wrote to the effect that, under the provisions 1 of the West Coast- Settlement Reserves Act, land administered by him had reverted to the native owners as from June 30, and that the council would have to look to the Maori owners for payment of rates. A refund was instructed to be made to Mr W. A. Hurley, Waitotara, in connection with a lorry licence. In regard to the Moeawatea road, along the Whenuakura river, Mr R. Noilson suggested that, as no funds were available, the council should apply to the Minister of Public- Works for a grant, stressing that, it was an urgent work, which would take the best part of £IOO. It w-as agreed, that a grant should be secured if possible. It was’ resolved to call tenders for dog collars ’ and applications ;for the position of collector of dog tax. It was agreed to spend £l6O on the Waterlands road in the Waverley riding. The contractor at Kapuni advised that he could supply sixty yards of metal daily. The filling work required to be done to widen the Peacock cutting on the Lower Taumaha road, near Alton, was authorised, and the work was left to the engineer. In regard to lupins spreading on sides of roads, it was resolved that the engineer be asked to have lupins grubbed wherever it was seen spreading on the good land at the side of roads. Where the ground was sandpit would not be necessary to grub. The payment of £6l 18s lid, balance due on quota towards Pirauuui bridge, was duly authorised. A request from a settler oil the Mataimoana road for clearing of slips beyond the hill w-as left in the hands of' the engineer. The damage was due to water overflowing on to the edge of the road.