WAIKOHU COUNTY COUNCIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14837, 14 February 1919, Page 3

WAIKOHU COUNTY COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Council was held to-day. Present : Ore. J. B. dark, E. J. Williams, O. H. Bridge, R. D. Dymock, C. Gaukrodger, and A. A. Fraser. An apology was received from the chairman (Mr. L. B. T'ullock). Cr. Bridge was elected to the chair. Messrs. F Hansen, of Motu, and E. Bain, of Matawai, applied for a renewal of their billiard saloon licenses. The I police report for the past year was satisi factory. — Granted. Mr. H. S. Briant drew , attention to the state of the road, at the junction of the Koranga and Moanui roads. — Work already attended to. Contractor P. O'Brien applied for/ an increase in the rate per yard *under -his ! metalling contract. The contract was let last season, and the contractor I claimed that he had been put on to do i work necessitated by the floods, and that since then the price of labor and horse feed had risen. — Received. ii Mr. W. L. Rutledge, on behalf of ! himself and other settlers at Moanui, petitioned the Council to apply for a grant to open up their road for the wool waggons, and 1 that failing getting a grant steps to be taken to raise a, loan for the purpose. — Decided' to apply for . a subsidy. I The district railway engineer wrote I stating that he av.is having the windmill and pump at Puha put in order. — Received. Mr. E. Adair wrote on. behalf of F. Pattullo's estate, asking that the Rnnga- . tira supension br'dpe be put in repair. '■ — 'Held over until next meeting. Mr. G. H. Morice wrote, statin? that he was informed that the Cook County Council will agree to the transfer of his property S.G.-R.70 to Waikohu County if the Waikohu County ' will agree to pay 75 per cent, of his general rate to Cook County Council until such time as the proposed new Taumafca road is available for wheel traffic. — The oon.dition suggested by the Cook County Council was agreed to. • \ ; ; The Sanitary Inspector, Mr. C. H. Ferris, wrote statin? that he had served notices on the owners of premises at Rakauroa and Matawai in accordance with the recommendations of the District Health Officer. — Received ; it was decided! to advise the inspector to se r that his instructions were carried out promptly. : Mr. R. D. B. Robinson, hon. correspondent of the Royal Humane Society wrote asking for a donation to the funds of the Society. — Received. The manager of the Gisborne "Engineering Company wrote inviting members of the Council to attend a public i meeting on Saturday next to discuss a [ scheme for the development of hydro-elec-i trio power from a source in Waikohu I County. — Decided to accept the invitation on behalf of any councillors who can attend in a private capacity. The Minister of Internal Affairs wrote stating that it has been decided to hold a conference in Wellington during the month of May to discuss town planning and housing schemes. — Received. Mr. R.. Boyd, jnr., wrote inquiring about the expenditure of his "thirds." — The clerk was instructed to inform Mr. Boyd as to the scheme under which his thirds are being expended. The Riccarton Borough Council forwai'ded a copy of a resolution protesting against the Epedimic Relief Fund being administered by any Department or Board under the Minister of Public Health. — Received. i The Waihi Borough Council wrote stating that Mr. Cheal, chairman of the Auckland Railway League, was willing to tour the line of the proposed East Coast Main Trunk railway at his own expense and address the residents of the various districts on the question of pushing on the constructin of the line. It was suggested that Mr. Chenl be asked' to address a meeting in this County. — Decided to write Mr. Cheal to address meetings at Motu and Te Karaka. Mr. W. Hamilton Irvine, hon. secretary of the. Gisborne Chamber of Com. merce, " forwarded a copy of a resolutin passed at the annual meeting of the Chamber for, consideration. The resolution was to the effect that a Vierilance Committee be appointed in eaoh County to watch the trend of legislaion affectine the district and when necessary to select delegates to lay their representations before the Minister concerned. — A vigi-. lance committee was selected, comprising the chairman and Crs. Bridge arid Dymock. Messrs. Coleman and Beere, on behalf of Mr. William Morris, suggested that the Government valuer be asked' to assess the compensation payable in respect of land taken for the Kaiakanaia road. — 'Agreed to. Mr. T. B. Spence, manager for Messrs. Bloomfield Bros., wrote certifying that Merihi Ngore has been drawing vent' for land' in the Pakakeawhirikoka block and has been the reputed owner of the land for several years.- — The clerk was instructed to ascertain the procedure for assessing compensation for native land'. The clerk of the Opotiki County Council wrote stating that that Council could not agree to the proposed alteration of the Countv boundary in the Waioeka district. — Received l ; it was decided to petition the Governor to set up a commission to adjudicate on the proposal. Mr. J. B. Cuthbert, forwarded, plan of cottage site on the Wharekopae block, and' stated that he had carried out his instructions in selecting the boundary, but the vendors wish to have the eastern boundary altered in a manner which would increase the area to be taken. — Left to Cr. Williams to arrange a boundary suitablejjto both parties. A letter was received from settlers in Fitzgerald road, asking for repairs to the road and! culverts. — The engineer was authorised to attend to a bad culvert, and the clerk wag instructed to .point out to the petitioners that the road could not be kept in order as long as their cattle axe allowed to wander on it. The Undfer-Secretary for Public Works wrote asking the average cost per cubic yard of road metal in this county. — Information to be supplied. The secretary of the Te Karaka Town Board wrote asking the council to endeavor to obtain better terms for the board for Inspector Ferris' services, the terms asked by the Cook County Council being considered rather high. — The clerk "W4|6 instructed to consult We Cook County*hairman in the matter. Accounts amounting to £3414 18e 7d were passed l for payment. Tbe County Engineer, Mr. A. Benham, repotted:— Motu Riding.— Satisfactory work Is being done In connection with the maintenance contract on Motu Valley road; the contractor for the Motu front road maintenance is also making considerable improvement, In his length. Contract 231, Makaretu deviation road, has been satisfactorily completed, and has been passed by the Public Works Department. Contract 234, metalling on Motu front road, is being proceeded with. Contract 251, Hlhiroroa metalling, has been commenced, the contractor having got about 50 c. yds. of boulders out. Contract 254, widening and metalling Otoko-Maka-retu road, work proceeding satisfactorily. Contract 256, erection ot Makaretu bridges, tenders were called for this work and held over until this meeting. Contract 257, metalling Otoko-Makaretu road, this contract was let to Mr. Honey, but has not yet been commenced. Contract 258, cleaning Waioeka road, this work Is nearly completed. The groyne at Poututu protection work Is nearly completed, and Is very satisfactory. The grader team has completed the reforming from Walhuka to -Hihiroroa Junction and has shifted Into Karaka Riding. No. li bridge on Motu Falls road hB& been satisfactorily completed, as has also the bridge by Wright's on Motu Front road. The council's team Is at present Improving the junction of the Motu Front and the Motu-Matawai roads. Both the end piers of the bridge over the . Waikohu stream at Rakauroa 'are very unsound, and require renewing. The railway over bridge at Rakauroa is being attended to by the Railway, Department. No tenders were received for carting metal for Clark's Flat corduroy, so I propose calling fresh tenders for quarrying and carting from Snow's quarry. Material has been ordered for the roadman's cottage at Rangirlri and a start *bas been made on the carting. Ngatapa Rifling— The council's team has nearly completed opening up Taumata road for light traffic and will

shortly be moving to Mutuera road. The carpenters are at work on the roadman's cottage on the Cook-Semmens' length. With the exception of the Cook-Sem-mens' length (which has just had a change of surfacemen) this riding is in very good order. I have prepared a preliminary estimate for the formation of 13£ miles of Taumata road.

Mangatu Riding.— Contract 221: Palmer's bridge is now satisfactorily completed. Contract 237: Te Hau bridge is practically finished, traffic having been using it for the past fortnight. Contract 243.: Mangamaia deviation was let to M. Speller and a start has been made with this work. The work on Waipaoa river road has been satisfactorily completed ': by day labor. 1 ,have made 'an engineering .survey for widening about a mile ol '• auiaßjiia,. road, and? will call tenders as soon as the -plans .are completed. A council^ gang is at work on Armstrong's road* erecting the- small bridge and clearing- slips. lit made a rough trial survey of the end of ' Armstrong 'road and can get a grade of lMn U down through the bush to a point opposite Wheturau post office. As it is impossible to use the present road line owing to the slip, I would be pleased to receive instructions on this matter. The culvert near Mooney's on Kaitara road has been attended to, and I propose putting the grader over this and Smith's road as soon as they have finished in Karaka Riding. Maintenance metal has been spread on the Puha-Whatatutu and Mangatu roads. The decking of the land span ol" the midge at Puha is continually breaking through, so 1 have ordered material to reideck that part. A team Is still at work on Mangahamia, road, which has been kept open for the wool which is now practically all out.

Kanakanaia Riding.— Contract 245, metalling Kanakanaia road: The contractor is making slow progress with this work; no stone has yet been crushed, although about 400 'C. yds. of boulders are ready for crushing and the crusher Is set up. [ have made satisfactory arrangements i'or the supply of hardwood for Kanakanaia bridges, which should be here within- a couple of months, and the tenJer of the Gisborne Engineering Co. was accepted for the ironwork. Improvements at the six-mile peg which were field over from last summer have been jompletied, and maintenance metal has oeen spread where required. This road •s now in very good order. Most of the traffic planking and some of the decking of the steel bridge requires renewing; wiU put it in as soon as possible. Karaka Riding.— Contract 255, Ruanga€hu drain: Advantage has been taken )f the dry spell and the contractor has nade good progress with this work; the .0 chains of cleaning has been done and i start has been made on the deepenng. The grader party is at work on -.avenham road re-forming the road, .vhich should be completed in about ihree weeks. Maintenance metal has oeen attended to on the main road

It was decided to call tenders for metalling 15 chains of Clark's flat on Neal road.

The engineer was authorised to call tenders for the formation of a deviation on Armstrong road ? to carry the road through, to the Waipaoa. Repairs were authorised to the Kanakanaia steel bridge and a bridge at Rakauroa. The engineer was instructed to inspect and report on the Kaitarutahi bridge.