TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 218, 8 September 1908, Page 4

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Taranaki County Council held its ordinary monthly meeting yesterday. Present: Councillors J. Brown (chairman), U. Stevens, M. llopson, A. George, (J. Andrews, ti. A. Adlam, U. V. Tate, and J. It. Hill. FOREMEN'S REPORTS.

Foreman Jones (Tariki) re]iorted that he had got 20 yards of crushed metal from Mr. J. Tarrv to repair the .Mountain road, which had broken up badly between Inglewood and old toll-house, lie had been patching Tariki road during the month. He had repaired the -Mangatea bridge. Mr. J. Neilson had carted CO yards of metal for tile Mo.i Road Board from Manganui river to ltatapiko and damaged the road considerably.—The report was approved—ft ■was decided to charge the Aloa Road 'Board 5 per cent, of the value of the metal which had been carted over the road.

Foreman Bennett (.Junction road east) reported that Mr. J. Neil-on had tiiiislicd contract Xo. 121. During the month lie had delivered 594 yards of metal from the crusher. The road from Inglewood to Tarata was iu tip-top order. Before the crusher crossed the -Vgatoro bridge again lie would advise the Council to strengthen the land span by putting another strut under it.—The report was adopted. ' Foreman Walker (Moa riding) reported that the roads in his district were in fair order.

Foreman Holmes (Waitara riding): reported that 319% yards of metal had j been carted on the road during tlieJ month. Of this 205% yards was on Jeffrey's contract oil the Devon line, and 54 yards oil Richmond road. There had been no repairs to bridges during the month.—The report was adopted. Foreman Holmes was empowered to fence the Maugaoue culvert bridge. Foreman Huse (Omata riding) reported that the road was in good order. The bridges were also in fair order. He had inspected the tuimel at Mr. Watson's, Oakura. All the pipes required taking out and the tunnel required other alteration. He suggested that he should be allowed a mail and'dray for about three days to repair the side tracks by the Plymouth road. —The report was adopted. Foreman Huse's suggestion as to taking the pipes from the culverts and as to repairing the side track of Plymouth road were approved. He was also instructed to put in extra pipes at a culvert on tile Belt road, near the School, iu order to drain the storm water. Foreman Brosnan (Oinata South) reported that lie had spent the greater portion of the month in carting out maintenance metal on the Puniho end of the riding, where the road was very thin in places. . Between Okato and Oakura dairy factory the roads were in very fair order. He had put up a protection fence around the mouth of the clay tunnel leading to Woods' property '-'.s the old one was rotten and dangerous. He had fenced another dangerous gully near Sefton's property. He had begun to effect repairs to the Oakura culvert, hut had been unable to proceed, being unable to get cement. The engine-driver reported that during the month the crusher had worked 15 days, crushing 1030 yards of stone 111 that time. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. John fcjKiiiuer, county engineer, reported the completion of Mangawhctc bridge contract and passing of final payment to the contractor. The Waiongoiia bridge, Junction road, was well on towards completion, all material being on the ground, and the ironwork in place. Considerable difficulty was met with !n getting foundations. The river-bed, ■which consisted of large stones, was found to rest on a bed of clay. This had to be passed through and a false bottom placed on a fairly hard grit, at a depth of several fet behrw the riverbed, On the .east bank he took advantage of a conglomerate bank ami had the foundation put on thai, thus saving the necessity of going to the greater depth, though at the cost of widening the span. He estimated the saving at over ills, consisting of expensive foun-, dations as shown on west side, and extra wing wall. These lie estimated at £7O, whereas the addition to bridge took six yards extra concrete, which With additional steel would cost about '.£35. The bridge had also a greater waterway, which ' was very important, Teducing the scour at the foundations. The alteration in width was made entirely in the interests of tbc local bodies affected by the contract. He asked that instructions be given to have the road leading to the Maori pah at Oakura fixed up, as at present the road was practically closed. In reference to the Maori pah approach, the clerk to the Oakura Road 'Board wrote stating that the natives complained that they had now no outlet from the 'pa It to the main road, ill consequence of the Oakura hill deviation, anil they had asked the Hoard to communicate with the Council on the matter. —Referred to the chairman and Councillor Adlam to arrange. THE lilvNTI BRIDGE.

Discussing the engineer's report, it transpired tli-.it on the two suggested deviations of the Junction road at the Henui bridge the claims for compensation ranged from £SOO to £OSO. Cr. Tate, speaking with a regard to the Council's present financial position, 'considered it would lie wrong for tlie Council to take oirthis big contract jtr>t now and leave the financing to the new Council to arrange. The present Coun--cil would go out of oilice in a couple of months' time, lie moved that the work stand over until the comity finances warranted it. The chairman said that this Council had spent a goodly sum on preliminary expenses. It would be many months before the Council could get the hr.id taken under the Public Works Act, and he thought that by the time the Council was ready to undertake the work It should be possible to go on. lie remarked that if the Council re-erected the bridge on the present line of road a saving of about £SOO would be effected, but, against this, the deviation would shorten the road bv 25 chains. The metalling and maintenance of 25 chains of road was a big item. The ' taking of the land, arranging with the | Jkirough Council for a contribution towards the cost, and other "tiddleywinking business" would take up fully a year.

Cr. George agreed with Cr. Tate,

Cr. Stevens moved an amendment that the Council go on with the work upon "liuckley's deviation," and that the land acquired be taken under the Public Works Act. Cr. Andrews said that many of the settlers along the road thought the deviation unnecessary.

: <'r. Jlopson: First I've heard of it. The chairman said that the engineer was of his opinion that the compensation asked for was ridiculously high. Cr. Tate urged that this Council had no right to bind the hands of the incoming Council. He would probably not be on the new Council, and thought it unfair to tie the hands of his successor. The Council now was within £143 of its overdraft limit. The amendment was carried on the casting vote of the chairman. Councillors Stevens, llopsun, Hill, and l'rouu voted with the "ayes," and Councillor* (leorge, Andrews, Adluin, and Tate with the "noes." AX LVDIUXAXT SKTTLKI!.

.Mr. V. Ilin.', Tariki. claimed royalty on stone taken from his property alongside the Manganui stream by Niclson. -i contractor. '"I may say," ,hc wrnk', "that In: came ami fixed his i*;ini|j and tunic, out ten horses without even thinking worth while to ask consent: and when i asked tlie reason lie said lie thought ii was a reserve." He threatened to plan', strong willow posts and put up a strong barbed-wire fence to stop teams eiite,--the property. It was not the Council he was annoyed with, but "havine men come on as if they owned the land, and then take a'wav their horses and tilings without thinkinu there was anything to pay." r,a-t summer other teams weiv taking stone without leave, llis right to stop them had been questioned, but he would show what he could do to the next man who wanted to take stone for private lie did not think 'the contractor should be allowed to pick stones out of river-banks, making them liable to scour away during Hood-. -■ Kmiuiric; will be made. TIIK TAPKAK ACAIN.

Mr. V. -f. Morris wrote ncknowledniiifr p-reipt of ihe b'lter threali'iilo -ue for the value of p-Ms renio\"d by hint from the Tapnae, and

stating: "I am quite annoyed at the tiction the Council intends to take. J can only refer you to my last letter, in which is given the full account of the allaii', ana 1 thought the matter was at an end. ltut if the Council take uulion 1 shall have to put ill a counterclaim for the use and inconvenience 'j( my land." A post script said: ''it shows that Cr. Adlam has some spite against inc." Cr. Andrews thought the Councils action hardly justifiable. The Couu.-il hail had Mr. Morris' and other men's statements contrary to Cr. Alliums report, and it would have liccn in bett.-r taste to allow the matter to drop. Jf the Council took the "case to Court they would surely lose.

The chairman said that the Council was concerned about certain posts, an t not with tint 5s worth of timber tint •Morris and the others had written aboil.. Cr. Tate said this was a smalt matter for a Council to sue a iiig ratepayen ■about. It would be eltcr to let it lizzie out. Cr. Adlam said that the sale of timber had been left iu the riding members' hands. He contended that .Mr. ilonis knew quite well what timber was to be sold, and what he was entitled to take free. He absolutely denied having given Mr. Morris any posts. The chairman said that other people had had to pay for their posts. Jl'-r. Morris had "made a pretty good tlii ;g out of the Council," and should be made to pay for his posts. Mr. Morris hid admitted taking the stull', but claimed that it had been given him liy Councillor Adlam. Cr. Andrews said that this was a serious allegation to -make against iMr. .Morris. It' be took the posts without leave, what did the charge amount to? lie gave notice to move at next meeting to rescind the resolution threatcn--1 ing proceedings. ! GENERAL. .Mr. (I. T. Murray wrote with reference to the need of a few yards of stone to repair the Stony river groin.—Referred to the foreman.

The chairman reported that the -Mao'' 1 owners were now settling their rate claims satisfactorily. Mr. Kinilberg, Tariki, claimed halfroyalty on stone placed on his proper!/ by a county contractor.—The ehairniai: "lie wants to have the apple and eat it too. The metal was on a piece of ground that we lease from him as a crusher site."—Referred to the chairman.

The chairman reported that satisfactory arrangements had been made with the Tariki road settlers with regard to drainage. The Treasury telegraphed that the Tataraiiuaku and Waiwakaiho Road Board returns for the Registrar-General were urgently required; the latter for last year also.—The chairman and Councillor Andrews are to see the respective secretaries. The Waitara Harbor Board wrote declining to pay bridge rates until the Council had exhausted all legal remedies against the lessees, FINANCE.

The chairman informed the Council that the county purse was so straitened that some special arrangements must be made to enable next month's accounts to be paid.—The matter was referred to the chairman.

Accounts were passed for payment as follows:—Administration, £192 14s od; Moa riding, £979 3s lOd; Waitara riding, £9l 17s 3d; Omata riding, £sl 8s Bd—total, £1315 4s 2d.