RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10516, 28 November 1912, Page 5

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

At the ordinary monthly meeting of the above yesterday, there were present: Ors. R. K. Simpson (chairman), A. G. Simpson, K. W, Dalrymple, J. Smith, W. Doole T. A. Duncan, B. P, Lethbridge, A. McGregor and R. Lilburn. CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence was received — From Treasury, advising payment of £156 ss, grant for Turakina road, and also notifying gazetting resolution levying special rate loan £SBO. From Waihi Borough Council enclosing copy of resolution requiring employees to declare their loyalty to j the King.—Resolved (Or. McGregor—Chairman) That Council has very great pleasure in supporting Waihi Council in their endeavour to maintain law and order in the Dominion.

gFrom M. J. Dixon, asking Council’s requirements for reading 82 acre(block adjoining Taihape, which he is subdividing into allotments.— Left in hands of Engineer. From Patea County Council, enclosing copy of letter to Native Minister re native rating.—Resolved (Chairman—Or. McGregor) That reply be sent and that Minister be communicated with.

From Wangaehu Road Board, agreeing to JJpay rates (less 15 per cent for office expenses) for maintenance of roads |at Mataroa undertaken by Rangitikei County Council. From same, re plans of road into Mr M. W. O’Brien’s section.—Referred to Engineer. From Marton Borough Council, agreeing to pay up to £ls towards repairs to Eccleston road. —Work in hand.

From D. H. Guthrie, M.P., stating that grants of £6OO for Makino bridge and £BOO for Utiku bridge had been made.

From Donald Fraser, agreeing to sign transfer (to Council of land for metal pit as a free gift.—Resolved (Chairman—Cr, Duncan) that he be thanked. From P. Munro and others, petition against inqlusion in special rating district for loan of £SOO Man-gaweka-Te Kapua road. —Held over. . From H. D. Bennett, asking that Pohonui roads be opened for traffic. —Being attended to. From S. Ooombe, asking permission to erect temporary fence on road to his property. —No objection, providing he does it at his own risk. From W. Franke, 'asking renewal of contract for maintenance of Franke’s road in Turakina Yalley.— Agreed to. From Edwin Wilcocks, requiring assistance in forming and culverting Papakai road. —Resolved '(Or. Smith —Chairman) that balance of grant be paid him. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer, Mr S. A, R. Mair reported for the month of November, The weather has continued so bad that very little progress could be made with the work of opening up the roads and other County contracts. I have put on all labour available and as_the latter end of the month has been a little finer I hope, if it continues, to soon have the slips cleared off sufficiently to allow wheel traffic on all the roads. The floods in the Kawhatau river have been the highest and most consistent for. many years, and the main stream has been directed against the northern approach with the result that about 10 feet _of the embankment against the pier was scoured out beneath the sheathing. I have got the gap temporarily bridged over, and the abutment protected with a hanging groyne of timber, and the embankment is now being repaired. As soon as the river goes down to normal I will have the pier permanently protected and endeavour to have the. main current diverted beneath the main span. As instructed I inspected the cliff on Omatane road, which Mr Anderson asked to be fenced. About six chains of protective fencing would be required at a total cost of £3l, but as there is as yet very little traffic and the read is in good order I consider the expenditure is not at present .warranted, especially as there are a great many more dangerous places on older and more important roads in other parts of the county. In reply to my application for a gravel pit at Kaipahori the Grown Lands Ranger visited the ground with Mr Duncan and myself, and he is reporting favourably to the Lands Department suggesting that an area of acres should be reserved. The following sums appear for Rangitikei County Council in the Supplementary Estimates: —Gibb’s bridge over Hautapu at TJtiku £750; Upper Turakina Yalley road, Koeka, £3OO. I would suggest that application be made for the authorities for these and,the other sums appearing upon the main estimates so that plans can be put in hand at once. Contract No. 369, regrading Hou Hon hill, Rata, has been let to Mr Edwin Wilcocks, at a satisfactory price, and the work is now in hand. I have sketched out a .-proposed special rating district for the loan of £BOO for Gibbs’ bridge over Hautapu river at Utiku, and now submit the same for Council’s approval.

ROAD INSPECTOR’S REPORT. Mr A. Thoms reported for -month of November The few., fine days with the heavy gale of wind diave blown away all the binding ott the metalled roads, and they are beginning to break up in all directions. Nearly all the roadmen are working putting clay on the metal, and should we be fortunate enough to get a few showers, the breaking up should be arrested, and the roads restored to good order. The grader has been working on Duusinane, Fern Flats, Bryce’s and Upper Tutaenui roads, also road leading into Mr Porritt’s property, and has done good work. Mr Briaut has just completed the fencing of Bruce’s road. He called on me and asked permission to erect the fence along the outer edge of the formation for about 20 chains along the steep, side cutttmg: As the men were then working on the job and wanted to go on with the fence at once I gave him permission to erect the fence along the edge of the formation bn this piece of the road. It will improve the road and make it safer for traffic. I hope the Council will approve of my action in this matter. Mr McDermott is mak- , ing fair progress with formation on his contract for forming and metalling the Rataha rogjd. During the month the Chairman, Cr. McGregor and Mr Mair accompanied me to the Kapa Kapa bridge, and upon inspection it was agreed that new anchorages should be put in. The buried cables showed signs of decay, and after a time would become unsafe. The weather has been very

unsatisfactory for Messrs Sanson’s and Carter’s/contract for delivering clay and metal on the Raumai road, and they have done some damage to the road in trying to carry out the contract. Mr Walter Gray, of Warren road, called at.the County office and said he'was going to make an applicationfpr formationand metalling on his road, so I went up and inspected the proposed work. He asks to have road metalled up to James’ gate. The length of this piece of road is about 40 chains, and I estimate the cost to metal It 10 feet wide and 8 inches deep at £3 per chain, or a total of £l2O. He also wishes the road legalised to Hamilton’s section and the road formed. The distance from the end of Warren road through Mrs Galpin ’9 property is about 15 chains, and from Mrs > Galpin’s boundary to Hamilton’s boundary 23 chains, or a total of about 38 chains. The forming would he chiefly side cutting, and I estimate the cost to form and culvert the road at £l3O. I estimate the cost of building footbridges over the Tutaenui and Folly creeks on the road to the Marton Station as follows:—Folly bridge £3O, Tutaenui bridge. £45. DEPUTATION.

Mr Walter Gray waited on Council and asked (1) that Council raise loan for metalling road up to his property (at east end of Warren Road; ;(2) that Council open road to the section known as Hamilton’s. —The Chairman moved, and Or. McGregor seconded, that . Council approach the executors of the late Alfred Galpin re purchase of land for the road to the section known as Hamilton’s, and also write to the Public Trustee re fencing the road through Jones and James’, and piece of land that would be severed by the proposed road through Galpin’s. Resolved (Cr. Smith—Chairman) that Council apply to State Advances Department for a loan of £BOO for a bridge over Hautapu river at Utiku, and that the special rating area as shown on’the (plan submitted by the Engineer for such loan be approved. TRANSFERS. The following alterations were made on rate roll:—W. Oldfield to W. G. Moss, section 10, Block 11, Marton Extension; W. G. Moss to A. ;Mcßobert, part 10 Block XII, Marton Extension; J. A. Robertson to Margaret Oates, lot 2, Block XI., Marton Extension; A. P. and A. W. Woods to J. Granville, part’ 65, Block XY., Wangaehu ; E. P.. Hammond to W. Pickup, parts Block LXY and IXa, Rangitikei; B. Stowers to J. Dempsey, Rakautawa, No. 3., Block XY., Ikitare; M. J. White to J. Cameron, part Awarua Block 4c, No. 9A, TREASURER’S REPORT. The Treasurer, Mr H. H. Richardson, reported:—Dr. balance after last.meeting’s payments £329.5 10s 4d, Hoapital 'and-Chari table Aid levy £612 Is 4d, freight on ballast £47 2s, total £3954 18 Bd. Receipts". Rates £378 18s 9d;, Government grant £156 ss, miscellaneous £69 llg 2d, total £604 11s Id. Dr. balance before yesterday’s payments: £3349 18s 9d. Yesterday’s payments on general account totalled £1403 9s lOd, bringing the dr. balance, up to £4753 8s 7d, Loan payments were £99 5s 9d. RESOLUTIONS. That (Chairman —Cr, McGregor) Council make, applications for , various sums appearing on the PublicJWorks Estimates for roads, etc., in the County. That (Ors. Lethbridge—A. G. Simpson) J Council approve of action of Mr Thoms in making side cutting and fencing on. Bruce’s road. That (Chairman—Cr. A. G. Simpson) Marton Borough Council be asked if it is agreeable to bear half cost of erecting a foot bridge over the Tutaenui on Station Street, and that matter of Folly bridge he £held over till next meeting. Or. McGregor brought up the matter of protective works on the Wangaehu which required attention, and also at Mangatipona. The next meeting of Council will be held on Thursday, December 19th.