TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 100, 5 June 1900, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The County Council met on Monday. Present.: Messrs. Okey (chairman), Hot rocks, Adlam, Phillips, McOullum, Tate, Li-pper, and McDonald, It was resolved that the action of the Commit ea in opening tenders and accepting those of Messrs. Henrickson, W. Fortman, Tapp, M. J. Jones, H. Join s, and Jordan be confirmed, Th« Waitara Foreman reported that i hj« wet, weather had broken up the iiain in plicej and that repairs were i- g attended to. Tm 0 uata Foreman reported that ii I'O.ild be short of stone owing to | nawli y to get breakers. Owing to trie ft; i way Department working the quarry at the breakwater there was a

'iiffieulty in obtaining stone.—The matter of stone supply was left in the chairman's hands to arrange with the I Harbour Board. The Moa Foreman reported that the Mountain Road from Durham Road to Kaimate was in a bad state and many bad holes required filling up with boulder stone. The road over the zigzag was also very bad—one part would be impassable if the bad weather con-

tinued. ! Mr. Horrocks said he had been over a portion of the road and that traffic was almost suspended. The Road Board could not do the work, so the road had been left. The culverts were blocked up. He had authorised the employment of four men to do what they could. Some of the holes were as big as the room the Oouncil were meeting in and these holes should be filled up at once. Mr. Tarry's offer to deliver 500 yards of metal at 5s 9d was very moderate. He advocated that the road should be patched up at once. Mr. Horrocks then reported the result of the visit of the deputation who went to Wellington re Junction Road when the Minister agreed to give £2OO and would consider the matter of a further grant when framing the estimates. The Minister also promised that he would instruct Mr. Robinson to inspect the road and report thereon, and that gentleman had since inspected the road. It was resolved that the respective offers of Messrs. Clark and Wilson for carting stone at 2s 9d be accepted; also, that Mr, Tarry's offer be accepted. A culvert was authorised for the Tariki Road as suggested by the Foreman.

The Parihaka Foreman reported that he had to stop the stone crusher, as more harm than good was being done, and he suggested that it should not be started again till the beginning of Summer. Mr. Phillips said that there were some holes near Warea that were very bad and he called attention to the fact that the bad places were being filled op with unbroken stone, which kicked up and left the road almost as bad as before it was mended. The Chairman stated that he had stopped the work at Opunake. Mr. McCullum advocated that the Foreman should be instructed not to put boulder stone nearer to the surface than six inches. This was agreed to. The Chairman's action was confirmed. It was also decided that all metal put on the surface of the road be broken down to 2| inches. The Parihaka Foreman also reported I that the site propose 1 by Messrs. Guy Brothers for a slaughter house was not an objectionable site for such purpose, A petition was read in favour of the i license.

Mr. McCullum supported the grant of the license. Resolved that the license be not granted. Mr. Tate brought up the matter of taking over the Henwood Road as advocated by the deputation at the last meeting, He said that he recognised that in the present position of the Oounoil'g finanoes, and in view of the large expenditure required for the Mountain Road, it would not be wise for the Council to take over the Henwood Road, but he thought that a grant of £25 should be made to the Egmont Road Board to be devoted to repairing the Henwood Road. Mr. Horrocks pointed out that in making this grantthe Council would not be acting consistently, as the ro d was not a County road, but a district road. Mr. McCullum thought if there was no ohaneo of the road being gazetted as a County road the Road Board should battle away the same as other Boards. Mr. Lepper objected to the principle of subsidising these local Boards - the bridges and roads that the Council now had absorbed all the funds available. Mr. McDonald said that other roads were just as much in need of a subsidy as the Henwood Road, and if the Council gave to one it must give to all. Mr Tate, in reply, said he thought it would be only fair to make the grant, which would be a great benefit to the settlers, and would not be a hardship on the Council. The motion was lost.

On the motion of Mr. Adlam, it wa» resolved that the deputation be informed that the Council are unable to take over the Henwood Road at the present time.

The Chairman was authorised to take stringent measures to put a stop to the destruction to the Main South Road now being caused by pigs. Mr. Sullivan attended the Council with reference to an assignment of contracts from Twomey and Go,—His request was complied with on condition tbat he made a declaration ob to Mr. Twomey'B consent to transfer.

J, H. Oolesby wrote, complaining of the foreman's action relative to his contract, and claiming compensation for cirting stone an ejjtra distance.

After some remarks by Mr. Phillips, a mjtion of confidence in the foreman was passed, An application from the Moa Road Board, relative to a paved crossing at junction of Dudley Road and Mountain Head, was deferred, so as to allow Messrs. Horrocks and McDonald to jnspgct and report, An offer by Martin Petrie of a porr tion of his land at Mangorei was deplineij.

letter was read from W. B, Hoskins (Waitara) relative to his drains being stopped up by his neighbours, and asking if proceedings could be taken.—The matter was referred to the foreman for his report. The Opunake Town Board wrote, protesting against the delay in carrying out the work at the township, Notification was received from the police that a diseased cow which had been running about the roads at Bell Block had been shot in a by-road and I buried at a cost of 7s 6d.— The Clerk ' was directed to refer the police to the Road Board for reimbursement. In the case of a dead heifer found at the Waiwakaiho, the cost of burying was ordered to be paid.

W. W. Kirkby wrote, asking that the earth forming the strip of land purchased for widening the road at the Henui might be removed. The Council, being unable to comply, decided that Mr. Kirkby might use tbg earth if he needed it on his land, | Accounts amounting to .£467 4a 9d ] were passed, wid the Council rose,