MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10497, 6 November 1912, Page 5

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting was held yesterday. Present: Grs. R. B. McKenzie (in the chair, in the absence ■of Or. Wilson), J. Henson, W. E. Barber, B. Gray, H. H. Hunt and W J. Phillips. Correspondence was read— • From Minister of Railways, stating he was inquiring for second-hand rails for Sandoh tram. Prom Kairanga County Council, forwarding .conditions on which Awahuri bridge is to be built. From Jas. MpKeivie, suggesting that Council call tenders for cleaning out Makowhai and branch drain from river to Taylor’s line, and offering where loan money was expended to find balance.—Offer accepted. Prom Robt. /B. McKenzie, on behalf of a number of Carnarvon settlers, asking that a loan be raised for improving. Lake iKoad. From Nathan and Co., stating that the tram line Which they proposed to put down 'to ' their factory at Taikorea would not be of sufficient strength to carry Council's trank-,,; From H. Beale, Rangotea,, asking Council to assist in - cleaning, out drains on Puketotara Native Block. From J: W. Watt, drawing attention to bad, culvert on Lee’s Line.— Being attended to. - From W. J. Shailer,, complaining of bad state* of Taikorea Road.— Engineer to attend. From Jessie Crabb and Thos. and O. Stuart, objecting to piece of road ait Awahuri being fenced off.—Objection upheld. From H. P., Saunders, Rongotea, complaining of being overcharged by the granger, also,' Of the quality of hay supplied while his. horse was in pound.—No action taken. , . ' From Palmerston North Hospital Board, stating that second instalment of levy, £l6B 7s 2d, was due. From Wanganui County Council, asking co-operation in urging Government to grant freehold to lessees of land on the small grazing run tenure.,—Held over until next meeting. From Geo. Edwards, stating he had completed erection of breakwinds on Lady’s Mile, Foxton, and asking for payment.—To be made subject to Engineer’s approval. The following alterations on rate 'roll were agreed to: —Hammond’s Trustees to W. S. Hammond, rural sections 263, 281, 283,, 284, 293, township of Carnarvon; same to H. G. Hammpnd, -rural sections 225-227, Carnarvon; R. Robinson to S. Musgrove, sections 4-6-78, Carnarvon; W. B. Clark to ’F. S. A. Lane, section 227, Rongotea; Ohas. Hopping to W. Darragh, part section 29, block 2, Douglas Block; R. B. McKenzie to E. F. and J. A. Sanson, section 56, block 2, Te Kawan, and also part [section 48; R, Mudford to J. W. Lucas, section 47, block 7, Carnarvon; Trustees in Mayo’s Estate to Jas. Penney,. lot 22, part section 268, block Moutere S. D.

It was resolved— That a new concrete culvert be put in on Lee’s Line. That question of purchasing another length of rails for the tram be left in the hands of chairman and tramway manager. ! That the Chairman, Crs. McKenzie, Gray, Hunt and Henson be a committee to meet’ Mr Nathan in regard to construction of tramway at Taikorea.

That the late E. J. , Riddiford’s trustees be informed that the Council are not able at present to raise a loan to construct proposed road through the Eawa Eawa property, and suggest that the Trustees have the road formed and metalled to the satisfaction of the Council and the Council will then take the road over.

That tramway manager’s suggestion to erect a shed over the present outside engine pit be adopted. That Mr G. E. Vile be paid at the rate of £4O per acre for land required for road diversion at Bulls bridge (this amount to include Government’s portion). That Whale Line metalling be completed to Mr Lumsden’s gate, 350 yards. That roads be open to stock between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. as from November Bth. LAKE ROAD.

The Engineer estimated the cost of improving Lake Road would be £IOOO, As there only five ratepayers in the area proposed to be rated for the loan some doubt was expressed as to Whether they would be prepared to face the music. The Clerk drew attention to Council’s limited borrowing powers under recent legislation, and pointed out that if a large loan were raised Council’s borrowing would be restricted to £6OO and £7OO for next twelve months. The Clerk was instructed to prepare the petition. TREASURER’S REPORT.

The Treasurer (Mr A. K. Drew) reported balances of various accounts as under General account, dr., £1768 16s lid; loan account, cr.', £491; net dr., balance, £1367 16s lid. Riding accounts—amounts available for expenditure.—Sandon £9 3s Id, Mt, Stewart £59 Is 6d, Waitohi £97 8s 6d, Rongotea £309 is 7d, Carnarvon £377 18s 6d, Kawa Kawa £33 8s 9d, Awahou £164 7s, Whirokino £ll6 13s lid. - TRAMWAY REPORT.

The Tramway Manager (Mr A. K. Drew) reported on the working of the tramway for -month of October:—The traffic was- good, and receipts exceeded the expenditure by £s6' 10s 7d. The chief items of traffic were: Merchandise 188>£ tons, manure 82)4 tons, timber 35,600 feet, metal 330 yards, fares amounted to £3 3s lid. During the month one of the springs of the locomotive Manawatu broke and had to be sent to the railway workshops at Eastown to be repaired. . Whilst the spring was there I took the opportunity to have a duplicate one made. I also got Mr Stewart to close the brasse's. Shelter shed for engine.— It will cost about £6O to erect a shed over the present outside engine pit. This is allowing sufficient room for the shed to be used for repairs work.

OYERSEER’S REPORT. The Overseer (Mr G. Hickford) reported upon the works in progress and works completed on road throughout county for month of October, 1912: — Sandon Riding.—We had almost completed repairs to top end of Ohaksa protective . works when another flood came down and damaged the protection lower down the stream which will require about five stonejjcrates to, repair the damage. This work is how being attended to and will be completed in a few days. Or. Phillips and I interviewed Mr Yile with reference to arranging

for the purchase of land for a road from Mr Yile. He considered. the value was worth what he had been offered, namely £SO per acre, but .was prepared to sell it to the county for the sum of £4O per acre. Mt. Stewart Riding.—Very little has been done in this riding during the past month beyond cleaning out watertables, carting a few loads of metaland filling in holes on the Redding-Awahuri road, Stewart’s line and Lee’s line. Three 6 and 0 inch'culverts are required to replace decayed wooden culverts on Lee’s line.

Waitoh'i Riding.—Metal has been carted and weak places patched on Taipo-Awahuri road. A drain is also being cleaned out and depeened on this road. Slips have been cleared away ■ and watertables cleaned out along Mt. Stewart cutting. A few loads of metal are required to fill in the ruts on Rowe’s line. / Rongotea Riding.'—The usual road maintenance work lias been effected in this riding, such as filling in ruts and holes and breaking ‘stones on Sanson’s, Jones’, Bank’s and Rongotea-Longhurn road. The fences round Rongotea-Longburu bridge protective works have been 'repaired and*put in order, and willows planted on the vacant patches of silt.

Eawa Kawa Riding.—The usual repairs have been effected,' in' the shape of breaking stones, filling in ruts and holes on Taikorea, Oonpef’s Kellow’s and Pyke’s roads; The drain along Milner’s line has been cleaned out. Lupins have been out back and repairs effected to the Palmerston-Foxton road. The heavy flax carting is doing considerable damage to Pyke’s road. Carnarvon Riding.—The Koputara road along the metalled portion is being cut up by thei heavy flax carting and will require from 50 to 60 yards of metal to repair the road.' We have already put down about 40 yards in the worst holes and ruts. I have also ' made arrangements to have the worst holes repaired along the formation towards the lake. The Lake road is in a bad state. 1 ' This road is not formed or metalled. I understand the settlers are willing to raise a loan to form and metal this road up to Mr Hammohd’s property. My estimate for forming, culverting and metalling this froad is £IOOO. Whale line, there is about 23 chains to metal'to complete fcfii road to the Sandon-Foxton road. Mr Lumsden has repeatedly made applications to get this road, metalled out to the tramline ; and tenders should be called for this work as soon as possible. Cr. McKenzie and I made an inspection of the Makowhai creek with reference to spending the balance of loan money on improving the waterway to the best advantage, but under the present circumstances it will be advisable to hold over the work till early next 'year. The ton end of Pukipuki road is being cut up by milk cart traffic along the unformed portion. Mr Kilsby should be given notice to clean his gorse along this road without delay. Awahou Riding.—During past month we have put out over 200 yards of metai on Foxton-Sandou road in this riding near Foxton. Since the man has been - taken off the Foxton-Beach road, the road has been cut into* ruts in places, and it will be necessary to put the man back on this road to keep it in order for a time. 1 The road machine has trimmed up several roads in this riding, and is now forming the road into Mi* Ross’s mill. Tenders, should be called for metalling the newly formed portion on the Foxton-Shannou road, which will require about 350 cubic yards Of metal in addition to the uncompleted contract of last year. With reference to unloading metal along the tramline, we put out on an average every year for road maintenance about 3000 yards. This costs approximately 5d per yard to unload, or a tofal of £62 10s. , This question of unloading metal has often been discussed and considered whether some other method could not be adopted for handling the metal -cheaper and whether tip trucks would be suitable for the work,. We have made inquiries from various firms and the Railway Department for informal tion on tip trucks, but so far nothing has been received that could be redomra ended. It is not an impossible matter to provide or make tip-trucks for carrying metal, it is a question whether it will become cheaper to the county. Ouf present trucks could be fitted up . and divided into two separate parts inside and made to run on small rollers so as to clear the line when the gravel is being tipped. It might be advisable for the Council to place a sum on the estimates to experiment with on tip-trucks. I should say it will cost about £SO to £6O to convert each, waggon into a tip-truck, and even then I will hot guarantee that, the trucks will be a working success, as I think it will be necessary to send a man down the line to tip the metal out as usual. In regard, to screeping, breaking and loading metal it would be necessary to have an oil or steam engine for this work. The screening done by hand last year was too costly, and it the Council decide to go in for a crushing plant I would recommend them to purchase a Aveling and Porter steam road roller, which could be used to do the crush--1 ing and screening and loading of metal into trucks. The Bltham County Council have two of these road rollers on their roads.

Trawmay.— I have pub. a gang on to re-grade the line in the metal pit and to take advantage of the metal which was run over last year ■ when supplying metal for the FoxtonBeach road. The contractor' has been running the line up and the face of metal was getting much less, than it should be, and when the present improvements are completed we’ shall have an extra depth of three feet of metal. The other two linemen have been packing and lifting and taking put decayed sleepers between the Whale line siding and Himataugi. During,, the month my attention was’ drawn to the rough and-heavy shunting that was being done at the Pukeuui siding by. the Council’s employees, and I thihk that more care should be exercised in shunting, as rough shunting will not improve the condition of the rolling stock. „