COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 63, 20 March 1913, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCIL.

' MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Stratford oCunty Council was held yesterday; present: The chairman (Cr. W. Hathaway), Crs. E. Marfell, J. Smith, T. Anderson, J. Christoffel, J. Young, and E. Walter. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr E. C. Robinson submitted his monthly report as fol lows:—

I Tenders have been invited for the I supply ot 50 cubic yards of shell-rock lon Stanley Bead. Work in hand : During the month a further 30 chains have been laid in respect of the Mangaehu metalling contract and had last week been fine no doubt another 10 chains or so Would have been done. There are now about 83 chains spread, leaving about half a mile still to do. Only about 12 chains' have been napped. A start has been made with the maintenance shell-rock contract on Manga,ehu and other* roads.) i The Makpri .Valley drainage contractor is nearly through with his contract, Some further cleaning, etc., being required throughout most of the Iqngth to complete. The Waiwiri road remetalling contract has been completed in a satisfactory manner, and the contractor is now engaged in repairing the ;:portion of road carted over, and in, delivering the maintenance metal authorised last meeting. Steady progress is being made with the supply of boulders for Pembroke road, also, with the South Biding boulder contract. The Pinnerty road bridge is approaching completion. Crushing operations have been completed at Hastings, Palmer, and Waingongoro roads, and the rollei has been following up and doing good work, besides rolling in Bonald road. The grader has been at work on Croydon, Salisbury, and Mountain roads. FOREMEN'S BEPOBTS. North Riding (West). Mountain Bond.—During the month we have been assisting grader in banking up and levelling work. Three 9inch and eight IS-inch culvert pipes were used in lengthening and repairs.

Rutland Road.—A small bridge lias been repaired and some maintenance metal broken.

Surrey Road.—This road, which was in a bad state through mill carting, has ''been repaired. The mill has, however, closed down now. Derby Road.—Four bridges and a culvert have been repaired, but much more work requires doing in the way of culvert renewals, etc.

York Road.—This has been trimmed up as far as factory and will be further attended to shortly.

Denbigh Road.—This lias been raked and patched as far as Derby road.

Radnor Road.—This has been raked and patched from end to end. Monmonth Road.—The lower portion of this has been raked. North Riding (East). The work on Makuri road is well in hand. Twelve 0-inch pipes have been taken out and will be put in forthwith. General surfacing work has been carried out on other roads in the riding and they are now in fair order. South Riding. All the roads are in good Order. I have been most of the month banking up metal on the Mountain and Finnerty roads and have blinded Victoria street. East Riding (Toko). Most of the time during the month has been spent in metalling. The metalling on Toko road cast, Mahgaehn road and Toko road is now completed, except for some necessary watertabling, raking and napping. Wo have opened up the new pit on Mr Bell’s property, Ahuroa road west, but owing to the recent rain we have not been able to make a start carting yet. Wc are, however, getting on well with the picking up of the old metal. The quality of the metal in the pit is good but very hard to work. East Riding (Douglas). All the roads under my care are in

fair order. We have raked all the loose stones between the Toko school and the Strathmore Saddle, and cleaned and lengthened a drain on Crown road. We have also done watertabling and put in two sets of pipes, using thirteen 9-inch pipes on Mangaotuku road. East Riding (Huiroa). General surfacing and repair work has been carried out during the month on all the roads, which are now in fair order. The Waitara river suspension bridge is in a very unsound condition. West Riding. The Palmer road metalling has been completed, also Waingongoro road crushing and metalling, including that for Mr Wolfe. It would pay the Council to have another horse and dray for use at the end of the ,riding. Mangaehu Riding. During the month general surfacing and repair work has been carried out. I have been part of the time supervising the metalling contract. The Tai-

hora road is now in .fair order. HOLIDAYS. The question of holidays was discussed, and' it was decided to grant employees (with the exception of casual hands) the following holidays, on full pay: —Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. The Council decided to allow two days at Christmas, and two at the New Year. During the course of the discussion a remark was made that the men had theii pay docked for the Stratford Show (people’s day), a day which he thought was of more importance than Easter Monday. ; ‘ CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr H. P. Worthington (Puniwhakau) drew attention to the stock grazing on the Puniwhakau Road. “It is getting too much of a good thing,” added the writer.—Referred to the ranger. . The Commission of Crown Lands asked the Council to arrange for repairing (where required) the Raupuha Road, over which the Council was carting gravel for the Toko Road. Cr. Marfell stated he was surprised

at this letter being written, and moved that the Commission be informed that this road would receive the same attention as all other roads in the county l .

W. Creighton and Co., storekeepers, Midhirst, asked the Council to attend to a dangerous bank: near the Queen’s Circus, Midhirst, j ( i Decided to pay one-thirdi. Council’s share not to exceed £2. - r - ;' The Moa Road Board-requested. the Council to allow ,itsi'workmen to do work to thdi extent of ■ £5 , near Mr A. f Smith’s land on-' the Ratapiko jßoad.-—Engineer authorised to see i that this iSldone. . =,. j Tile Whangamomonu County .Conn'd! asked 1 the- Council’s support to a ire,solution;, which' they, are forwarding to the Crown Lands Board, regretting that the Department does not intend in * futurev supplying thei - wopt/hly schedules of land sold. The resolution pointed out that these schedules supplied an- importanti land - reliable guide toilhe-CtomcißS -officers.—Resolution unanimously endorsed, h. J, Mr R. D, Milne wrote offering £1 per annum fir the of a small reserve near Toko.— Resolved to call tenders for a 5 year's’ lease, under qertain conditions. Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., forwarded

the following letter from the Hoc. W. Fraser (Acting Finance Minister), re loan of £3OO, for Makuri Road. Mr Hine also suggested that the District Engineer’s approval he obtained bo- 1

fore the 31st of the proposals of the Council for the expenditure of the government subsidy of , £3OO, that

would ensure the vote being' available at any time. ■■'The letter read as follows: “I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 26th February, with reference to the application for a loan by the Stratford County Council. This is a matter which rests entirely with the Board of the State-guaranteed Advances Office; I have referred your letter to the Superintendent in order that it may be submitted to the Board in duo course.

If it is possible for the Board to entertain the application, the County will receive advice from the Superintendent. I may, however ,point out

that the Department is in no way committed to grant this loan, and that, as there are a great many loans already promised and as the Stratford County ! Council has already exceeded the limit of £SOOO, it is possible' that the Board may be unable to entertain the application. If it is unable to do so, I think the County would have little difficulty in borrowing the amount from the Public Trustee. GENERAL.

On the motion of Cr, Marfell, it was decided to transfer £SO from the East Riding special fund to the Ahuroa Road west fund. The West Riding members were authorised to purchase a horse, cai't, and harness. Messrs Grimmer and Chamberlain approached the Council and asked assistance in obtaining an entrance through certain property on the Sinner Road to enable them to get stone from the Patea River. They pointed out, that the lessee would not allow them entance. The matte was left in the hands of the Chairman and Engineer with power to act, and if necessary to enforce an entrance uder the Public Works Act. The tender of J. Xeilson was accepted for the supply of 75 cubic yards of shcllrock, to be delivered on Stanley Road. Accounts amounting to £IOOB 8s Id were passed for payment.