STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 19, 16 August 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

-MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting ot the above Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. W. Hathaway (chairman),. L. Baskin, H. Worthington, E. Walter, W. H. Were, j. tFmith, T. ' Anderson, J. Christpffel and T. Coleman, ENGINEER’S REPORT. 1 North Riding.—General surface'work has been carried out on most of the roads in this riding, those that are at all weak have suffered considerably owing to the continuous wet weather, this of course applies throughout the County, The Stanley Road is in a bad condition, orders have been given to have it done ‘tip immediately. Mountain Road: A start has been made scarifying and rolling between Midhirst,and Stratford. The culvert near the. Monmouth Road has bad the inlet .attended to and al{ growth has been cleared away. A start has been made with the boulders for the Konini stream bridge arid Barclay Road metalling, . Cardiff Road will be scarified and re-metalled as far as the metal will, go, when the plant finishes the,Mountain Road. South Riding.—The Mountain Road has been scarified and rolled and is now in fair order. The Bird and Wingrove roads are being attended to. Estimates have been prepared for the Waihapa Road. East Riding.—General surface work, metal patching, and water-tabling has been proceeding during the month. The bridge gang are making good progress with the Waitara River suspension bridge, considering • They are working shorMbanded. I have beei

unable to get them any assistance, and the. work is of too heavy a nature to be carried out expeditiously by two men. West Riding.—The crushing plant has completed the work for this winter having crushed 32 cubic yards for the Ronald Road, 220 cubic yards for the Poto Road, 27 cubic yards for the. Hastie Road, and ,234 cubic yards for Opunake Ko. 1 and No. 2. Attention will be given to the Brooks’ Road immediately. Mangaehn Riding.—This riding Im* suffered slightly from slips during the month, which has engaged the time of our permanent men. For this and other reasons I would recommend letting the formation, of the Kaitieke Road by piece work.

General.—The Acme stone crusher has been put in good order, also the Burrell engine, this plant lias been hired to Mr A. Douch to crush about ,400 cubic yards of shingle at 8d per yard. The Collett plant is being overhauled, and put in good repair for the coming season. The old traction engine is also undergoing repairs, whicii is being carried out principally by onr own men. I have ordered from the Rcstar Company 20,000 gallons of I Australian Gas Company’s tar which is prepared to specific gravity 230 which is equal to Restar, at Bkl f.o.b. New Plymouth including barrels. Resolved that work on the Kaitieke Road to let by piece work. Resolved that another 30,000 gallons of tar be ordered, providing that the is the same. Payment to be made in January next. ' it . CORRESPONDENCE. . {-■ -. .’ From the Eltham Comity Council intimating’ 5 tlfat in regard to alterations in the boundaries, they had levied rates for this year and persumed that ithe Stratford Council would levy as

though no alteration 'had,taken place, and in necessary adjustments could he made later on.—Received. From H. H. Sharpe, resident engineer, forwarding copy of verbatim report of the conference recently held, rgarding the Stanley Road bridge.—Report to be laid on table. From W. S. Short, Under Secretary, Public Works Department, asking whether the Council approved of 'the provisions of the draft license sumbitted on the Bth ult. regarding the Stratford Water Power and Electric Lighting license.—Received. From C. P. Baker, offering to carry out the re-inforccd concrete work in connection with the. suggested bridge over the Patea river in the Pukengahn district, either by day labour or fixed price. He was about to start concrete work in that locality and would have all the necessary material available.— A reply to be sent by the Engineer. From J. J. Wills, Palmerston North, applying to have a road made to his sections, part of the Strathmore estate. The property was leased to Mill. J. Mitchell, and there was no road leading to same, but some years back ho had formed a track. Recently the track had been fenced off, with the result that his tenant now had no means of access.—Engineer to report. From the Secretary of the N.Z. Counties’ Association Forwarding a precis of business transacted at a meeting held on the 25th ult. 3.he Hawke’s Bay County Council forwarded a remit re taxation of motors. The committee, placed the matter before the Minister and suggested that thp Government should impose a tax in such form as it considered desirable and hand the proceeds thereof to the local authorities to be used in the upkeep of the road.—Received. From Mr H. Okey, M.P., notifying the Council that the matter of a grant as subsidy on the Stanley R oa

bridge had been arranged by an arrangement with the Minister for Public Works. We suggested that the Council write 'the Department that should any damage happen to the bridge the Government will not be called upon to pay for the reinstatement of same.—Received. From Mi- J. 11. Richards, lion, secretary of the Stratford Model Dairy Farm, drawing tlie Council’s attention to the encroachment of road formation to the frontage of sub-section 3, block 2, Ngaere, and asking that no further encroachment occur.—Received. From J. W. Rogers, chairman Cardiff School, thanking Council for repairing track to enable children to attend the school,, from over the Wainongoro river.—Received. From C. P. Raker, asking permission to carry drain across the Robson Road.—Permission granted. GENERAL. Mr Lehman, Brooks’ Road, waited on. the Council asking that a chain and a half of the Brooks’ Road he metalled, so as to make the metal portion of the road continuous in the South and West Ridings. , Cr. Smith moved, and Cr. Anderson seconded, that the work be carried out. —Carried. Crs. Walter and Worthington, the Chairman and Engineer were appointed to wait upon the Resident Engineer to confer in regard to transfer of subsidy to McLaughlin’s bridge.