HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11124, 17 January 1899, Page 4

HAWKE'S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL.

' Monday, January 16. Present Messrs J. N. Williams (chairman), C. Villers, E. Conroy, E. D. D. M'Lean, M.H.K., OK Bee, W. Shrimpton, John Bennett* aad T. M. Chambers. TENDERS. The Sollowing tenders were accepted : — Tula TuM bridge contract — J. Adams, .£4OB. Dog Collars— C. W. Davis, Formation of approaches Kuripapango bridge— J. Griffin, .£147 9s 4d. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was read and dealt with : — Treasury, forwarding subsidy on rates, .£1762 10s. Department Survey and Land, forwarding i£2so, aid to formation of roads in Puketitiri settlement. GK Bee, Meanee, drawing attention to the bad state of Brookfield-road. — Dealt •with in overseer's report. M. Walker, re the state of the road from Mangatai creek to his homestead at Maraekakaho. — Dealt with in overseer's report. J. H. Lowe, Chief Engineer of Railways, acknowledging the receipt of the Council's tracing showing the roads and railway lines near the wash-out at Waitangi. The matter was being considered, and a reply would be sent at an early date. — Received; SLAUGHTERHOUSES. The inspector reported that all the slaughterhouses under his supervision were in good condition except one, whioh was in a bad state, in which it wa» decided to authorise a prosecution. overseer's report. Mr Orr reported : — Meanee Biding.— The storm water on the Btli of last month cut two gaps through road line at the washout. Also damaged the load from Black bridge to end of Brookfield-road. Petane Biding.— Fair progress h being made witli the cuttings on Eskmount-road. Sanie work is required on the Glangorry-Kissington rood. CUve Hiding.— Bonds in good order. Puketapu Riding. — Thirds expenditure. Four bridges have been erected on Hughe's and Turner's road; also three bridges on Carswelland Bobb's road. Inangatahi bridge 1b progressing, Havelock Biding,— Waimaraina-road metalling contract will be proceeded with at an early date. Okawa Biding.— Moteo-road metalling contract is progressing. A surfaceman's whare is required at junction of Matapiro and Tunanui roads. Heretannga Hiding.— The painting o£ Omahu bridgeis progressing. Moroekakaho Biding. — Seven ohains of side cutting is required near Mangatai Creek; estimated cost £14. Erewhon Biding.— Ordinary surfacing repairs attended to. Port Ahuriri Bridge.— The fixing of the new piles in position have been completed! — Adopted, enoihebr'b report. Mr C. D. Kennedy reported :— • Washout, Waitangi. -I inspected this locality before Christmas during a fresh. The road was carried away in several places, and traffic interrupted for two or three days. The repairs cost about £50. Under the present circumstances a recurrence of tbis may be expected every fresh. I think it probable that within a very few years the overflow from the Black Bridge, the main cause of damage, will cease, also that the beach fronting the wasb out will be restored and driven back until the connection Ifttween the Waitangi and the lagoon at the washout is closed. There are several ways of dealing with the matter, viz. :— 1. Bridge and bants, costing „.,£1260 0 0 2. Low level connected waterway ... 750 0 0 3. Raised rund (without openings), ftbn large drain to connect with Waitangi above railway bridge 400 0 0 —The hitter method iB in my opinion preferable. Mmgataratara Bridge.— Owing to method of construction rendering it difficult to get at the tension rods this bridge had not been properly screwed up since its erection, somo 17 years ago, and the question aruso as to whether it was ad. Yisable to permit the passage of traction engine and tender. On your instructions I examined the bridge and had it screwed up ; since then it has safely carried a moving load of 15 tons. Kuripapaugo and PakowuiU Bridged.— Hardly any progress has been made with these contracts during the month, the delay in both cases being put down to the difficulty in obtaining carriage. The first arrangements made by the contractor for cairiuge between Napier and Kuripapoago failed. He is now making every effort to regain lost time t bnt must exceed that allowed by the contract, which expires at tho end of this month. I understand the Pakowhal bridge Is kept back because very few ships care to carry the long ironbark piles which have been lying in Sydney for some weeks. It has not been the custom of your Council to enforce penalties for infringement of the time clause in contraots, and it undoubtedly in many caseß would be unfair to do so ; still, in nearly every contract the term is exceeded and there is a danger of the contractors not troubling themselves about the time. In future contracts I propose, with your permission, to call tenderers' attention to these tacts and make a special notification that in future " time shall be considered the essence of the contract." Approaches to Kuripnpnngo Bridge.— A contract for formation of approaches has been let to Mr Griftiu, who was the lowest tenderer, at £147 ss. Middle-road Completion.— Ab instructed I have made an engineering Burvey of the unformed portions; two routes presented themselves, the lower one proving the better both as regards gradients and cost of construction, this line has been pegged ana graded and sketch plan and longtitudinal sections are herewith forwarded. Of the two lines marked off between the pegs 62 and 124 the lower one is the better, but the actual survey of both routes was necesßary before coming to a decision. The distance is 2\ miles, and I estimate the cost as follows :— 21 miles construction £375 0 0 Culverts and pipes £125 0 0 £500 0 0 A portion of old partly constructed road requires to be cleared from slips and the culverts attended to. — Received. NIGHTSOIL DEPOSIT. Mr Bennett said it was high time that the Borough Council's attention was drawn to the great nuisanca caused by the deposit of nightsoii near the Taradale road. The nuisance was becoming unbearable, and the Council should be informed that the County Council intended putting a stop to it. This was one of the most frequented roads in the county. A more suitable locality could easily be found. The people using that road had thought of presenting a monster petition to the Borough Council asking that the nuisance be abated, but the County Council should take action on its own account, and ask the municipal authorities to abate the nuisance. He moved accordingly. — Mr Bee seconded. This road was used by dairymen and settlers who brought their produce into town, and it was not a pleasant contemplation for townspeople that this produce had to pass the nightsoil deposit before it could be brought into town. — Carried. KOAD WANTED. Mr Chambers moved "That the road as laid off be taken as a public road by the County Council, through the Duart estate." The mover said he did not purpose voting himself, being a trustee in the estate. — Mr i3ennott opposed, contending provision should have buon made for this road when tho land was cut up.

ttia proper way to have done would have been for the settlers to have aßked for a grant-in-aid, but not to come to the Council and ask that the whole road be taken over. — The Chairman said that if they had had a definite expression from the settlers on the property asking for issistanee to get access to their property, then the request might have been more in order than was the application in its present form. — Mr Chambers said the road would be of public utility, and therefore should be taken over by the Council. —Mr Shrimpton said they were not yet iware that these people were ratepayers. 4 petition would come with more weight from ratepayers themselves. — Mr Chambers agreed to withdraw his motion. MISCELLANEOUS Mr Chambers moved that the middle wad, Havelock to Patangata, be defined md opened, and taken over by the Coun)il.—j62sO was voted to open the road 'rom Douglas's boundary to the main road on the top of the hill, in accordance with the engineer's plan. On the motion of Mr Miean it was Jeoicted that the engineer be instructed to make a survey for road between M. Walker's and the Whanaukino, conditionally before the survey is made that bhe settlers in the vicinity agree that they will ■ make no charge for the land, and that they will fence it off. The mover presented a petition from settlers and carriers in the Kereru district asking that this work be undertaken. The dog tax was fixed at ifce same rate as last year. The sum -of .£250 was voted for metalling the worst portion of the road between Patoka and Waipiina. Mr Bennett complained of the fact that noxious weeds on county roads were not destroyed by the surfacemen, in some cases settlers themselves being negligent iv this direotion. — The Chairman said instructions had been issued to destroy such weeds, and inquiries would be made why it had not been done. Vouchers amounting to .£IO6O 8s 3d were passed for payment, and the Council adiourned.