COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7390, 17 February 1902, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The County Counoil met on Saturday. Present : Crs Winks (Chairman), MoLean, Boddie, Maunder, Buchanan, and Watson.

CRUSHER.

Booth, Maodonald, and Co., wrote, stating that they had cabled for an Austin crusher for the Council, tbe price to be £310 landed at Hawera, and the machine to be subject to the approval of the Council's engineer. The machine is expeoted to be in Hawera within four months at the outßide.

The action of the Committee who

instructed the Olerk to order the crusher was confirmed.

BAD BOAD.

Mr Murray, the Government Boad Surveyor, wrote regarding- bad state of ElthamWaitotara road.

Or Boddie said Mr Twigg had done what was absolutely necessary. Considerably more than the road was entitled to would have to be spent, but the road was a main one. The question of the re-adjustment of boundaries would soon have to be considered.

Mr Murray will be thanked, and informed that the matter has received attention.

KLTHAU BOBOOGH.

W. J. Tristram, Town Clerk of Eltham, wrote forwarding resolution ot the Eltham Borough Counoil, urging an early adjustment of accounts.

Cr Boddie said from the tone of the resolution one would think an injustice was being done to the Eltham Council, while, as a matter of fact, a considerable sum would come to the County Council. It was not often a debtor was so anxious to come to terms with a creditor.

Cr McLean : They have forgotten all we have done for them.

A statement will be forwarded after meeting of Committee.

B. Burgon, Okaiawa, wrote that the work on his road was completed. He still urged his claim for damage caused to one of his oows through a broken culvert.

Cr Maunder explained the position. The Chairman said tho Counoil could not admit liability, and Mr Burgon will be notified to that effect.

foreman's report.

The Foreman (Mr T. Twigg) reported the satisfactory completion of oontraots for metalling Hu road and Burke street, Eltham. The report continued : — The contractors for metalling Mangawhero, Ingahape, and Old Anderson road are making fair progress with their contraots ; also contractors for . supplying stone on the Normanby-Okaiawa and Nurmanby-Hawera roads. The contractors have not commenced their contract for metalling Noonan road, but notice has been given them to proceed nt once. I have had the road roller working during the past month about seventeen days ; ten days on the Main South, Palmer, and Duthie roads, and seven in the borough, and I expect to roll again for the borough next week, lie Hawera road, I have inspected it, and consider it would cost from one to five hundred pounds to make it of any servioe to the public, as there would require to be an overhead railway bridge and a large amount of filling before anyone except Messrs Packman or Death could make any use of it. They have gates on the railway line a few chains from the road from either side, so they can ride across to the Main South road if the fenceß were opened, but it is not a matter of road, but simply one of putting two fences and a road batween neighbours. The same thing cropped up some years ago on the same road, and the Counoil spent about £60, which has been of no use to anyone. I should recommend that they be given one month to come to some arrangement amongst themselves, failing that, a month more to erect fences and remove gates. I have to report the bridge at Booker's, on the Eltham road, is in a very bad state, owing to piles being too light to stand the end pressure. They require beams halfway down from pier to pier, to prevent the bridge collapsing at any time, so I have ordered timber, and hope to have it fixed up in a few days. The report was adopted. TENDERS.

The action of the committee in accepting tenders was confirmed.

Tenders acoepted were : Lake road, W. Bedding, 7s per yard ; Hunter road, F. j. Muir, 4s Gd yd; Hastings road, Thomas Perry, 4s yard ; Ahipaipa road, W. Hooper, 4s 4d yd ; Palmer road, Julian and Cockerton, 7s crushed, 3s stone ; Main South road, Tarrant Bros., 4s 6d yd ; Normanby-Okai-awa road, Tarrant Bros., 4.3 Gd yd ; Wbareroa road, Walker and Cobb, 6s 8d yd ; Mountain road, A. T. Bilbie, 3s 9d yd ; Bawhitiroa road, A. T. Bilbie, 6s yd. Contracts Nos. 95, 100..101, 103, and 105 were left in the hands of the Foreman.

Cr Pearoe was granted leave of absence.

Cr Maunder said if the 10 per cent, addition were made payable in February there would be less difficulty about getting in the rates.

It was decided to give notice that summonses will be issued for all unpaid rates.

BYE-LAWS.

The question of bye-laws cropped up. The Chairman said as no new legislation had been passed the Council was in the same box as it was before.

Cr Boddie said something would have to be done. The Counoil must do something to protect its roads.

The Clerk said he had been instructed to consult with" Mr Welsh. The latter had been busy with District Court work, but would be able to give the matter consideration during the week. ELTHAM.

Cr Boddie moved, That the Engineer be authorised to expend £20 in anticipation of loan moneys for forming and grading Collingwood and other streets in Eltham. The loan had been hung up for some time. Cr Watson seconded the motion, which was carried.

AHIPAIPA ROAD.

Cr Maunder reported that settlers on the Apipaipa road felt that the money expended in repairing the upper portion of the road consequent on damage caused by cartage of water pipeß for the borough could hardly be considered ordinary expenditure. Some of the settlers were willing to contribute towards cost of improving the road.

Cr McLean said as the settlers had not raised a special loan they had no cause for complaint. The milk traffic was causing damage to the roads.

It was decided to allow the matter to stand over till something definite is heard from the settlers. The Counoil rose.