WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 81, 26 May 1911, Page 6

WHANGAMOMON A COUNTY.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. Tho ordinary monthly meeting or the above Council took place on Wednesday, when there were present: Crs A. Meredith (chairman), E. 13.■ Bobciton, T. Mcliroy, ,R. McCluggaga, T. Davis and Anderson. The chairman, in a few brief words, welcomed Cr Davis to the Council table, to which Cr Davis replied, thanking the chairman fer his kind remarks. Engineer's Report. Mr E. C. Robinson, engineer, reported us follows: As instructed, I have gone into the matter of the county expenditure for the ensuing year, and beg to submit the following pr oposals : The total administration expenses of the county will Ire about £650, and will be apportioned among the various' rMings on the valuation basis. As a set-elf against this, however, the general subsidy on rates, together with sundry revenue such as licencing fees, dog tax, etc., will total about a similar amount, and this also Will be distributed among ridings on the valuation basis, so that the general rate struck can be taken as representing tiie actual expenditure on road work in each riding for the year, with provision, if considered necessary, for wiping out. liabilities where such arc in existence. This is the case in Strathmore and Central Ridings, and I consider it would be wise to adhere to the rate in each Case struck last year, namely, 2d in the £l. This would bring in £650 14s kl for Strathmore Biding and £463 9s lOd for Central Biding. In regard to Pohokura and Tahora Ridings, TA-d was struck in each case last year, bringing in £159 19s 3d and £2ll Os lid respectively. These ridings are largely in credit, and the actual expenditure, excepting, of course, anything exceptional, would not amount to more than about twothirds of these amounts. Tapuni Road Formation.—This contract is completed. Mangaehu Boad Formation.—Ryan and Hennessey’s contract has been completed, but some defective work in the eulverting requires to be rectified, and Ijas bean put in hand. An amount adequate to cover this has been held up from the contract ctim. Mr Kerrfsk’s contract is in progress. Tiie ‘Makahu stream bridge, BrewerKirai Road, is still in need of some ;decking repairs, the amount voted recently net doing all that was necessary.” The matter of the bridge at Strathmore should not be lost sight of. A renewal is becoming very necessary. About five cubic yards of maintenance metal are required on Kirai Road between Ohura and dairy factory. Drainage work in Kirai Valley is proceeding steadily. The small gravelling job in front of the Post Office, Strathmore, has been carried out very satisfactorily by the foreman at slightly under the amount authorised. Tho bridli, track extension on Raekohua Road has been laid eff, and the work put in hand. The drainage channel authorised from blacksmith’s shop to Council premises has not yet been commenced, bub I will have it carried out without, further delay. In connection with this matter, the hotel licensee has agreed to remove tho present, encroachment on Whanga Road, and to Sut in proper culverts at crossings : the footpath is continued round to Council premises. I recommend that Ibis be clone, as it will properly drain the side of the road* and be the means of keeping it in much better order than is the case at present. Tho report was adopted.

Foremen's Reports. Strathmore Ri ling Foreman reported as. follows :—I found it necessary to put in a 30ft. pipe culvert near the 25-mile peg; ten 12-inch concrete pipes were used in carrying out the work. Water-tabling has also been carried out. Just the worst places have been attended to up to the present. Metal patching on a small scale has also been done on this road. Owing to the drain contractors cutting their drain to the outflow end of a large pipe culvert situated at a point near the end of the metal near Ngatimaru, the fall of water has scoured cut a large hole, completely removing the foundations of two pipes. I have made temporary repairs to same, but am not too sanguine as to the result. Mahakau Road.—As the sand on a filling opposite Mr O’Neil’s was washing away, owing to the absence of banking, I hired a horse and dray for one day, and had the sand thoroughly banked. Water-tabling • and general repair work lias been carried out. A culvert, near Mr Finnerty’s would do away with the necessity of carrying the water a long distance in tiro water, channel. Brewer Road.—The work anthoiised in metalling approach to Mr Calvert’s store has been completed. As the gravel supplied by the Public Works Department was rather fine in quality, I put on a coating of nine inches in thickness, so as to ensure a lasting job. Being short of the necessary metal to complete the work, satisfactorily, I had occasion to use one cubic yard of broken metal from the Ohura Road. Mr Calvert kindly gave the earth for the filling and several yards of gravel for banking free of charge. 1. am at present engaged in water-tabling the unmetalled portions of . this road, and hope to nave the work completed in about one week from date. Kirai Road.—l have arranged with the drain contractor to proceed with the jWpl'k as instructed. The timber for the Vo-dcckino and repairing the handrails of a biidgo on this road is not tq hand yet, but will bo available in a day or so, and will lie put into position as -circumstances permit. Seme minor matters require attemi.n on this road. Makahu Road.—The necessary timber has been procured for a culvert to be placed at a point just above a rather heavy grade in the vicinity of Mr Leahman’s residence. This road is in real good ordc-r, consequently will not require much attention during the winter. O’Connor’s, Akama. Favier, and Upper Mangaehn Roads are in fair order and will only require the ordinary repair work to keep them in a satisfactory condition through the wet season. Overhanging scrub could, with advantage, be out from the sides of a number of roads. This would greatly facilitate their drying when tiie conditions were favourable. I would like the authority to retain the man I have assisting rno at present, as a tremendous amount of necessary woik should lie carried out inside the next month.—Adopted. Whangamornona Hiding Foreman reported as follows:—The heavy rain on the 27th of last month did a good deal of damage to several of the reads under my charge. The Whangamornona Road had five large slips which completely blocked the road for traffic. The Kohnratahi Road also suffered two heavy slgos, blocking the road. Two places require attention where the road gave way on the outside, making it too narrow, and unsafe for heavy traffic. A inan will he re-

quired for about ten days taking oil smaller slips. I would also inquire two more culverts for this i ml. On tho Whilianga Road saddle the road sunk from eighteen inches to throe feet for a distance of about twenty feet. A man would bo required for about a week to attend to the water-tables on this saddle. Tho Tahora Road requires a man for a few days clearing the watertables around tiie curves, so as to prevent the water flowing across the road and scouring it. The Prospect Road requires a man for about two clays to work on tno upper part of this road. I was engaged during tho month clearing off slips, putting in culverts and other gt ne ra 1 .work. —Adopt c cl. GcrrcSpondanca. Tho following correspondence was received and dealt with:— From tho Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, forwarding copy of resolution and schedule passed at its meeting on tho 2nd inst., with reference to the contribution of rates to the support of the institution.—Received. From the Minister of Internal Affairs, enclosing Gazette notice containing an Orcler-in-Council declaring that on and after .the publication or the Order (31st March) tho boundaries of the Counties of Clifton and Whangamomona respectively shall be those sot forth in the schedule to the Order. From the Valuation Department, asking the Council to supply the Department with a tracing slipwing where the boundary of the Tahora and Central Ridings cuts through that portion of the Clifton County, to enable the Department to make the necessary corrections in the valuation rolls.—Or llobsrton moved and Cr Anderson seconded that the boundary between Tahora and Central Ridings be between the present junction on the, western boundary, bounded by tiie boundaries between section 3, block 9, then west along the Mangaawata Road to the boundary between section 2, block 12, Upper Waitara, and section 8, block 9, Ponatu, thence to tho boundary of the confiscated line.

From the Valuation Department, advising the Council that sections 4, 5,6, and 8, block 16, Pouatu, are shown on the valuation roll as rateable property.—Received. i'i-ooi the Receiver of Land Revenue, New Plymouth, under date April 29th, informing the Council that the sum of £3BO 3s 2d was this day lodged at tho Bank of Australasia to tho credit of the County Council's accounts. Tho amount comprises portion of “thirds” accrued to 30th September, 1910, on Crown Lands under the administration of the Council.— Received.

From E. Jennings, Whangamomona, enclosing tender tor contract No. 27, re loading and carting metal or burnt papa.—Tender accepted. .from impairment of Lands and Survey, New Plymouth, in reply to the Council’s letter of the 11th inst., re pledging “thirds” from sections in Mangare Special Rating Area, in lieu of special rates for a loan of £ISOO raised by the Stratford County Council, and informing the Council that the Land Board deferred consideration of the matter for further inquiry.—Received. From the New Zealand State Guaranteed Advances Office, stating that the Board has provisionally approved of the application of the Council for a loan of £2500 for the purpose of grading and forming the Mangaehu Road.—On the motion of Crs Meredith—Mcllroy it was decided that a special order lie instituted for the raising of the loan. From Public Works Department, re application for grants for works, as follows: “In the event of your Council proposing to make application for assistance in the matter of road and bridge construction works, the Minister of Public Works would be glad to have such application sent in with as little delay as possible, to bo forwarded through the Department’s local engineer. Roads should be. described by the names of their terminal points, and the locality of the particular work for which the grant is desired indicated in parenthesis. The items should be arranged in the order of their urgency, aiid no item is to be included where the'work is purely in the nature of maintenance. The Minister desires that, as far as possible, the expenditure of votes shall he carried out by the local authorities; and unless otherwise specified in your application he will assume that your Council will ho willing to expend any vote which you ask for and which Parliament may provide.”—On the motion of Crs Meredith—Mcllroy it was decided to advise the Department that the Council will undertake the expenditure of grants upon terms proposed by the County Engineer, and that schedules of applications will lie forwarded in due course.

From the Public Works Department, re Mangaouata Road deviation, enclosing tracings having endorsements thereon ; consenting to the deviation, and asking the Council to initial alterations.—To bs attended to. From Rvan arid Hennessey, as follows : Owing to the very broken weather experienced just after completing our formation contract on Mangaehu Road, in which heavy slips occurred, we found it necessary to clear the road of these three times in iucccssion. Under the circumstances wo therefore think that it would ho reasonable to expect some assistance from the Council to the extent of ten pounds, which would not in any way represent the full amount of work done in removing the slips.—On the motion of Cr Mcllroy, seconded by Cr Meredith, it was decided to inform the contractors that the Council cannot recognise their request. Allocation of General Rates. Ci McCluggago moved that no allocation be made in the Pohokura Riding. Seconded by Cr Meredith and carried. (>" the motion of Crs Roberton— McClnggage it was decided that no allocation be made in the Tahora Riding. by Cr Anderson, seconded by Cr Davis, that the allocation in the Central Riding be -Jd to the byroads and 1-J.d to the Ohura Road.— Carried. Crs Meredith—Mcllroy: That in Strathmore Riding the allocation be lid to Ohura Road and gd to byroads.—Carried. Riding Business.

Strathmore Riding.—Cr Mcllroy moved that the metal to lie laid on tho Kirai Road leading to the factory ho charged to Ohura Road account. Seconded by Cr Meredith and carried. Central Riding.—Cr Anderson moved that applications be called lor ihe position of a ranger, to bo in at meeting, and that Air Profit bo nMiked of the discontinuance of h.s engagement. Strathmore Riding.—ft. was decided that the engineer be instructed to lirve necessary work lone lo io.v slruct the pound on the Cun mil's section at Huiakama, the clerk in get the pound board. General. It was resolved to inform Messrs Smith and Bray that the Council remit the 10 per cent penalty, application for which was made on their behalf by Mr Fawknor. , , ; Of Roberton again asked the Cotm-

ciTs permission ta postpone his notice of motion i s Marco Road “thirds” until a full meeting of the Council be present.—Agreed co. Mr Parsons waited on the Council with reference to removing wood from tho Whangamomona Bead for firewood purposes.—Jt was decided to allow Mr Parsons to take the wood provided it was not suitable for County works. Notice of motion by Cr Meredith: '• That tiie rates for the year ending t?’e 31st March, 1911, be all-‘cai--d at next meeting.” Crs Roborton—Meredith : That the Receiver of Land Revenue be .vritten to asking him for a statement of accrued “tiiiids” in new area taken over by the Whangamomona County Council, and to notify the Resident Road Engineer not to- make further expenditure, as this Council will in futuie forward and carry out proposals tor “thirds” direct.—Canted. Accounts amounting to £49/ 5s Id were passed for payment and the Council adjourned.