WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 22, 26 September 1913, Page 8

WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

COUNCIL’S MONTHLY A 1 FETING. Tlio monthly meeting of the Whaiigamomona County Council was hel l on Wednesday. Present: Crs. Meredith (chairman)’, McCutchan, Bacon, Cloland, lloberton, Biggins, and Coy no. Or. McCluggage was grained leave of absence. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer {.Mr E. C. Robinson) reported:— Kohi Road Formation Contracts. — No. -15 (Hennebry and Atkins), an 1 No. 17 (Needham Bros) have been completed. This brings the dray road formation down within fifteen chains of Mr Pratt’s house, and on account of the available loan money being spent further work is hung up until the hoped-for Government subsidy arrives.

Strathmore Bridge.—Application wa - mado to the Public Works Department to supply us with the hardwood necessary for the renewal of this structure. The •Department replies that its scheme for supplying local bodies with hardwood has not advanced sufficiently to enable it to supply us yet. As the bridge is in a really dangerous condition I would not advise any further delay, but propose, subject to the Council’s approval, ordering the hardwood timber from Millars' Hardware Co., Wellington, and recommend that tenders for the erection of the bridge, inclusive of the supply of the remaining material necessary, be invited, closing at next meeting of the Council.

Makalm Bridge.—The foreman appointed for Pohokura Biding lias no: taken up Ids duties, and consequently nothing has been done so far to pain the fillings to this bridge. W. Hodge, is at present in that distric:. with his teams, and I propose arranging for him to do the work. The roads generally are in bettor order than usual for this time of th ' year, owing mainly to the exceptionally good season experienced. Tin Whangamomona Road, however, continues to slip and cause fairly constant work to keep it open. Jh' lower end of Prospect Road is in its usual had state, hut as fast as any work i.s done on it it is again cut no by the post and firewood carting. U the Council could see its way to undertake the iwork, it would pay well to metal a small length round tin papa bluff this coming summer. Bridge, Rimuputa Road. —This work has. been hung up for some months, during which time ! have unsuccessfully,; endeavqred to arrange to have it: carried out. i; I -would now recommend that tcndqr.s, cluing at next meeting, bo invited for the work. Decisions.—Timber for Strathmore bridge to be ordered, Tenders to be called for Rimuputa bridge.

RIDING BUSINESS. Strathmore; Tenders :ji;p,,to bo called for the: two metalling, contracts. Central Credit on Ycrg Road to In expended one widening from the cud of the present widening to as far as Mr Coshead desires or as far as the money will, go. Tahora: The Engineer is to ascei - tain from,the Commissioner of Crown Lands what section has been sot asid' for the roadman’s cottage, and if satisfactory to proceed at once with the erection of the cottage. The surfaceman was authorised to impouin any cattle found wandering on the roads. The Engineer is to got timber to finish the Mauku bridge. The thirds on the Tahora Road wore scheduled for maintenance.

SLIPS ON NEW ROADS. W. Atkins applied for £lO in consideration of slips on his contract o i Kohi Road. . Cr. Bacon opposed any sum boin given. He thought that every contractor knew that he would have to maintain his work for a certain time and made his price accordingly. Ho would like if the Council made it a rule never to make any grants of the sort. The Chairman said he would nob favor such a course, as there might he times when. deserving cases should have consideration. Cr. McCutchan said slips would always come down on the County roads, and if it were decided to make no grants for slips the contractors would put something on their prices to cover possible slips. Every case should ho decided on its merits. The Chairman said there had been cases in which lie would not grant a penny compensation. There were cases in which the slips were caused by careless work on the part of contractors. The Engineer said that in the present ease the slips were not extraordinary. They were no bigger than the piles on the previous contract, for which no grant was made. It was finally decided that no allowance he made. GENERAL. A lease of a small piece of land below the slaughterhouse was granted to R. Smith, at £1 per annum. The Ender-Seeretary of the Native Department forwarded particulars of the step-; to he taken for the alienation of the Maraekowhai block.—Tin 1 Department is to be written to asking for information regarding the Whitionga block. Messrs Anderson, Rutherfurd and Macalisbcr wrote indicating the steps necessary to lie taken to secure the fee simple of the Kohuratahi pound site*, and asking if anything further was to lie done.— ft was decided to take no further steps. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote under date September 3rd, that he intended to visit Tahora town-

ship in the following week to select reserves, and would deal with the question of a site lor a roadman s cottage.—The Clerk reported that the visit had been made, and that the site had been set apart. Five settlers in the Marangae Valley petitioned the Council to have the thirds on their lands spent on the Lower Kohuratahi Road and Marangac Road over the Tangarakau River. The thirds wore previously scheduled by the Council for maintenance. —Cr, Bacon gave notice of nitoiou to rescind the previous resolution dealing with the thirds in question, Mr Court waited on tho Council, and stated that the Minister for Finance had written to him advising that steps be taken to approach the Public Trustee or sonic other publis body to obtain money for the drainage of IVhangamornona township —The .Council decided to take the necessary stops. J, Spence, recently appointed foreman in the Pohokura Riding, wrote that he could not get accommodation for his wife and family, and therefore, unless the Council could build him a house he would he unable to take up the position.-—Sydney Medea If was appointed to the position. Mrs M. E. Parsons, Kohuratahi, asked that some bad places on the Marangai end of the Kohuratahi Road should he attended to. The worst places were the bluff by Air Willis’, a culvert with a liole'in it and a bad slip in front of Air Muir's, which was almost impassable at one point. There were a good number of women now on the block, and they desired to bo able to get out occasionally.—The Engineer was instructed to visit the locality and instruct the foreman as to the work to be done.