TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Mt Benger Mail, 14 March 1934, Page 2

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the above was held in the County Council Chambers on Friday able moon. Present—Crs. R. C. Hall (chairman), W. Cameron, I). McLennan, J. Bennetts, R. Cl. Cotton, E. 11. Murney, 1. D. Revie, J. George, and J. K. Simpson. The Chairman made reference '.o the death of Mr Baugh (County surfaceman), Mrs T. McNeilly (wife of Mr T. McNeilly, county surf-.reman) and Mr J. K. Brown, an ex-member of the Council, and me v that a letter of sympathy he forwarded to tlie respective families. The motion was carried hy members standing in silence. The draft of the by-law prepared by tile county solicitor dealing with tin* dis})osal of cocksfoot on the rot; i!e was approved and will come up fur continuation at die next ordinary meeting. FINANCE.

The T’o.mty Clerk (Mr lit. F. Batchelor) reported that receipts for the eleven months ending Februarv 2sth totalled £42,811 18s (id,

expenditure amounted to £41,280 os (id, leaving a credit balance of Cl I,mil !2s. The receipts for February were £10,717 Uis lOd and accounts for payment were £0320 Os 4d. Tin* rate collection for 1933-34 was 77 per enn, Main highway claims amounting to £9i9 7> 4d and unemployment elaim.s for £T>93 were outstanding. The tinancia! statement was approved, several of the councillors speaking in appreciation uf the very satisfactory position disclosed and of 1 he manner in which the ratepayers had paid up arrears. (’((R RES POM WINCE,

The secretaries of the Dunedin and Lawrence Returned Soldiers’ A-suciations w rote suggest ing that for the jmsition of ranger, etc., re.unied service men should, all things being eipKil, he given preference,- -Received. 'the manager Otago Fanners' |t V*-operal ive Assn, advised that his company was this year paying its license fee to the Tuapeka ('mm y.— Received, Mr H. F. Sim, lieriot, in reply to tin- Council's letter re anctionei r's license fee for current year, advised that he could not alter his allocation of this for the current star.- Received.

1) MeXeilly, late inspector under Joint By-laws, wrote stating that ■ here be a refund of all licenses eolleeted by the ('mined under the Otago Counties Joint By-laws in ngard to vehicles plying for hire as there was nothin}; in the bylaws bringing them under that section.- Received. Thus. Hall, Highways Board reor Si-ntat ive, asked to be advised ■ f the Council’s decision in reyard to the use of horses for grab r work on main highways.— !u ccived. The Tapanui Borough Council which contemplates tar sealing, the borough section of tin- Kdie-K-AieNab main highway said it would be grateful for the services

of till- County engineer in tin* prepa rtion of specifieaiions, ole.- liequest granted. Tin- Tauranga County Council -.elicited the Tuapeka County’s support of a motion in the direct - ion of permitting counties to grant mmiic relief to ratepayers similar to that given for the 1931-32 perioti.—Received. The Valuer-deneral forwarded circular advising; the method that will in future he adopted by tin department in connection with applications by owners lor revaluations. —The Chairman authorise! to deal with any applications which came in.

Mr W, A, Bodkin. M.P., forwarded copy of the Prime Minister’s reply to deputation that waited (Mi him at Millers Flat recently in regard to the Beaumont-Millers |.'j a | r oa<l. Mr Forbes pointed out that the road when handed hack to the county from the Public Works Department, was equal to, if not better than when taken over by the Public Works Department and said that he was advised that inadequate maintenance had much to do with the present condition. This he said was the Council’s responsibility, and he suggested that the ratepayers should take the matter up with the riding member. —After Cr Simpsen had explained the position it was resolved that the member for the riding and (Xleorgc, with the engineer, wait on the Minister of Works when he visits this district.

.Mr A. Swanwick complained of 1 he condition of the WetherstonesJsl ue Spar road and asked that it he gravelled from the foot of the hill to his house. —Referred to member and engineer to deal with. The Dunedin City Electrical engineer advised that a start would be made immediately with the metalling of the Palls-Waipori Township road,—Received. J. E. Peat, Beaumont, wrote asking for permission to graze a road adjourning his property, pointing out that it was not a thoroughfare.—Referred to member and engineer. M, A. Mclver wrote in connection with his previous application for road access to his claim and suggested another route which would evade the swamp area. —To he informed that the Council has no money to expend on this road at the present time, but they had the authority of the Council to fix it up for themselves. A Teviot Riding ratepayer complained that a family had camped on a roadside which deprived her of the privacy of her own property.—After some explanation it was resolved that the clerk write to the campers advising them of the complaints and asking them to shift. Ernest W. MoKeitch complained of the condition of the road lead-

ing to Forsyth station from his property, —Engineer to attend to the road.

W. Wilson, Wet heivst ones, complained of damage being done to his fenles and annoyance caused by audering cattle.—Received. IMPROVED GRADING MACHINERY. The engineer read the report the Special Committee set up to investigate the matter of grader plant. They visited the Mackenzie County for the purpose of witnessing a demonstration of the Mackenzie County Council’s Catcrpillor Auto Petrol road grader planer and scarifier which has been in operation in that county for some months past. This machine weighs seven tons, gives a blade pressure of four tons, planes at over five miles per hour, is power controlled throughout, and being a non-differential machine can work with one wheel in a wet water table. The cost, including guards and fenders, canopy top and glass cab panels, light, muffler, odometer, puncture proof I tyres, Thin scarifier, multiple blade road planer for corrugations and 34 Inn. engine, all power controlled and built as one unit, | convenient and easy of operation for one man. The price for (in - dium No, 10 Auto Petrol grader is £1:201 2s 3d net complete. The Chairman and Crs MeDennan and Bennetts, who were members' of the committee, all spoke in eulogistic terms of the very

satisfactory demonstration of tin 1 operations of this new typo of gender given hy the officials of the Mackenzie County.—Ci's George. Simpson and Revie all spoke in favour of the suggestion that tie('ouucil should • •«iuij> itself with the most effective type of urader obtainable and they accepted the statement of the member of committee that the < '.rerpiliar Auto Petrol grader filled the hill. Cr llevie, however, sn«r«r«-stftl that in view of the high cost it might he advisable to wait for a tew months when a similar and equally efficient grader mitrht he ohtauiahie at considerably less cost. The chairman replied to this hy pointing out that the problematical savins hy waiting for say. six months, would be more than off-set hy tlm extra cost of operating ‘lo ir presi nt plant. <)n the motion of (rs Bennetts and McLennan the egineer. in co-

operation with the chairman, was authorised to take immediate step--to procure a Caterpillar Auto Petrol road grader. (JEN DUAL

it was resolved that the la'.e inspector be paid to the 10th l-ebru-arv, when his position as an officer of the Council terminated. (>n the motion of Crs Uevie and McLennan, it was resolved that the widow of the late Mr Baugh (Comity surfaceman) be granted a sum of* £ls as an appreciation of In r late husband's work for the county.

Tin- mtgineer was authorised to carry out tin* ivooiuli!inning of ill, various bridges referred to in I.is report alter conferring wit a the councillors interested. Mr Grant. engineer, advised that he had received two Govern)i,ent •Trail’s for Teviot Hiding, viz, £s(l (£’2 for £1). for Wright s road, and £SO (£1 for £1) fur Beaumont station road. The accounts for the morOh ot February amounting to £OO2O were passed for payment. AITOI.\7ffiM.EMT Old KANTI EH. No fewer than 110 applications were received for the position of county inspector and ranger. The selection ot a suitable candidate was made in committee and after a number ot ballots had been taken Mr deft Cowie proved the successful applicant, and was formally appointed to the position.

ENG INF HR’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr F. D. Grant ) reported as follows for the month of February:— Bridges. Furl lie r painting of the steel work of Millers Flat bridge was carried out, a further span being completed. The contractor for Shingle Greek bridge (Clarksvillc-Spriag-vale main highway) has made fair progress and has now the reinforced concrete deck in place and should complete the work shortly. As instructed 1 inspected Bowler’s Creek No. 4 and Crookston Flat bridges. Both these riding aemmt main highway bridges are on curves and dangerously narrow, and require widening. Bowler’s Creek No, 4 bridge requires redecking also, and the cost of this in hardwood and widening would be about £SS. Crookston Flat bridge requires an extension of tiers and width of eight feet in reinforced concrete and steel at a cost of about £9O. The cost to the county is one-third of these amounts.

There are a number of other highway bridges which require widening for safety such as Stewarts, Black Jacks, Flodden and others.

Unemployed, The average number of unemployed working per week under the Council’s committee’s control has been 189. allocated approximately as follows:—Prospeeing for gold 132 men, employed 'on County road improvement works 39 men, employed in the three boroughs 18 men. Claims. Claims on main highways amounting to £4,00 Os Id, being up to the 31st January, were prepared and submitted and have since been inspected by the Public /Works DepaWmjent. Unemploy-

rnent weekly claims totalling £667 9s up to the 17th February have been submitted, Grader Work on ClarksvilleSpringvale Highway, Etc. For the month of February, the horse team chiefly looked after 36 miles of highways at the south end with road drag assistance, costing £6 ss, and the power grader most of the month on 30 miles at the north end with no road assistance. The mileage traversed by each plant was about the same and the actual expenditure (running cost only) was horse leant grader £7O 4s 9d, and one man power grader £4O 4s 6d; the totals for the six months since the Ist September being: Horse team grader £479 1 ; s ,7d: one man power grader £266 I3s 9d. Waitahuna Riding. Surface repairs and grader work have been carried out on main highways. With the assistance of the unemployed and settlers the bottom course of local rock was broken on to the remaining bad clay sections of the Clarks Flat-Greenfield road, a new ford was cut to Barton’s and Wallace’s, and creek course turned at Bob’s bridge. Gravel repairs wore effected on Ml. Stuart road near Ml. Stuart School and about ten chains of Crane’s road, Waitahuna gravelkd.

Tin- contractor completed contract No. 125, gravelling 58 chains, mostly top coat gravel, on Bennington's and Ml. Stuart roads; and is making fair progress with contract No. 128—-top coat *rraveiling—oil ('larks Elat-Greenfield rood, which should h'. 1 completed short lv.

Waipori Riding'. Repair work has been effected where nocesary over the various Waipori roads. The contractor for contract No. 125, quarrying rock Lee plat has made slow progress, the set,tiers have commenced carting out the rook. The contractor for contract No. 122 Barton Creek bridge and approaches has completed his con- ■ rad. Gabriels’ Riding. (trader work and surface repairs have been carried out on the Hrowns-liabriels section of highway, some repair work and ruts tilled on the old Waipori road, repairs to Lynch’s road, and some gravel repairs to Wetlnrstoncs read.

Brown’s Riding. Cradei work has been carried our on Bellamy's, Cockleshell, Hunter's, Heatlieote, am! Edie n ads. and with the assitsanee of unemployed further metal quarriul for Edie’s road is being carted and broken on to bad clay securns of this road. The contractors for gia\filing on Webster's r.d Cockleshell roads will be eomniiu'ing work shortly as soon as other County contracts are complotcd. Beaumont Riding. The County and a hired lorry and the County plant have been carting maintenance gravel on to si minus of the McNab-Racks Juncion highway near Edicvale, and also maintenance gravel, and for dumps on to Mon Elat roads, at Harris's Elat, Jane's Hill, and Chalmers Hill. Surface repairs and grader work have been carried out on the highways and Tamhlyn’s corner and temporary ft iices completed, and culvert installed where washouts occur on the section of highway near Smith’s. Teviot Riding, Surface and gravel repairs have been affected on the Millers ElatHox burgh road and culverts repaired at Horseshoe Bend and Black Hill, a side cutting formed on the Bridge Hut’s road, and some grave! quarried fur repairs on Tima Burn road; some futlier repairs and improvement work have been carried out on Wright’s road.

Benger Riding. Surface repairs and grader work have ben carried out on main highways and water outlets cleared. The Government grant formation work on the Waikaia Bush road is in hand and will be completed about the end of the month. Crookston Riding. Grader and repair work has been carried out on main highways, the grading of the side of lieriot township street has been completed, a little gravelling may be necessary. The metal quarried at Aiteheson’s quarry is being crushed and carted on to Dunrobin road to metal 110 chains of mud road. A pinch on this road was- reduced and surface graded for metal.

Black Gully road was graded and a start is being made with the gravelling. Some metal has been quarried near the Sqylaw on the Ilukarere road for patching bad places, Tapanui Riding. Grader and light drag and scarifier work have been carried out on the southern section of the main highways, and some gravel dumps renewed, further widening at the Conical hills cutting, and patching on the southern highways. Some gravel repairs were effected to Cemetery road, and eicek widened near Parkhill road.