MANGONUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 14, 30 July 1925, Page 2

MANGONUI COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER’S REPORT, PUBLIC Vt ORKS The District Enginneer has asked for the survey and plans of proposed deviation and culvert at Well’s corner, Victoria Valley, as ths present culvert has collapsed. This work will be pul in hand at once. Surveys of the catchment area at Waitapu Creek, Pukepoto, and W hites Bridge Victoria Valley also be treated as urgent for the purpose of bridge and concrete culvert areas as may be suitable. Flooding of Unahi road and control of flood water on adjacent land will be dealt with in the expenditure of the £ for £ grant. Authority £ioe Oturu road has come to hand this work has been completed and a claim for payment will be made. Cr. Evans and myself propose a tour via the West Beach to Te Paki, Parenga, Houhora and intermediate country in the next six weeks. All authorities for main highways maintenance are to hand and the organisation of this work is fully arranged excepting the Mangonui section. As Taylor’s tender for crushing and delivery was not accepted by your Council, no satisfactory arrangements have been made.

Accompanied by Mr. Thompson and Tracey I made a thorough inspectionof the gravel supply of the back river from Apeturewa Road to Mr. W. Wrathall’s and find the gravel of a most inferior quality and very limited in extent and is quite unsuitable for the proposed work which has been approved by the Highways Board. I wish to draw the attention of your Council to the fact that you are the administrating authority of a national road programme in your county and the Council is responsible to the Crown or Highways Board or its efficient management, and according to the efficeiency of such management will depend the assistance of the Board. The District Engineer last March reprimanded me severely for allowing the rubbish that was used in patching the Or-uru-Mangonui Road, and I told him I gave no authority for such material or for the work which was done. As such conditions reflect on me personally outside of your County I must ask that you be guided by my advice and arrangements where Government money is involved, and as the department officers and I agreed that the specified metal is the most suitable and the contract price tendered by Taylor for crushed metal delivered is within my estimate, I ask that you reconsider your decision of last meeting and allow me to proceed with the work at once, before the crushing plant is taken to Waikainga by the Public Works Department. Metal cannot satisfactorily be broken by hand to gauge and the only horse teams suitable for speedy delivery are owned by Mr. Berghan who has personally advised me that he will not touch the work, further, better results are obtained by truck haulage which has been exemplified by our light trucks here. RE STUART’S CONTRACTS AND CORRESPONDENCE.

This matter is entirely beyond me and I am not prepared to deal with it except in the completion of his present work. At Mr. Stuarts request I agreed to settle matters in dispute by a “Round Table” Conference before two arbitrators, one to be appointed by either side, either side to be bound by the decision of the arbitrators.. The decision after 2 hours investigation was given without hesitation in favour of your Council. Mr. Stuart refused to accept the ruling. The Fairburn crushing contract was measured up for progress payment and a certificate issued by me and handed to the treasurer accompanied bya statement of contra for benzine, and etc, supplied Stuart to carry on his contract. Certificate and statement were handed Stuart to peruse before payment and I understand he refused to honour his contra for supplies telling the treasurer he would have to sue him for them. Such conduct is outside my limit of patience and I refuse to have any further dealings with the contractor relating to past contracts except before a properly constituted Arbitration Court or an S. M. or in camera with your Council and the county solicitor. A letter from the chairman of file highways Board dealing with highways construction programme within the County has been received, in which the chairman states that either he nor the Board can finalise our requirements until the whole of the highways proposals are in hand and advises that surveys of most importance agreed upon with the District Engineer be proceeded with and questions the possibility of full contribution being made on roads that have been once metalled. I have to advise that Mr. Waite who has been in charge of the Machinery Sheds has tendered his resignation giving 4 weeks notice from date, his intention being to seek more lucrative employment and scope for his ability.

GENERAL.

A letter was received from Mr. J. Stuart claiming damages for breach of contract in connection with his crushing contract at Larmer's quarry. He outlined the conditions of contract. A further letter was received from Mr Stuart asking the Council to reconsider its decision of last meeting re his Fairburns road crushing and carting contract. Councillors, he said, appeared to be under the impression that he had worked the crusher prior to taking the Fairburns contract, which was not the case. He asked that the matter be referred to arbitration. The claims were referred to arbitration,

Mr. D. Banks being appointed arbitrator on behalf of the Council. On the motion of Crs Banks and Wrathall it was agreed that the Council could not see clear to employ any clerical assistance in the engineering department at present. Steps are to be taken to have Spain’s road legalised in order that a Government grant of £s*o may be expended thereon.