TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 271, 8 April 1913, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL

MUX Til LY .MEETING. Tim ordinary monthly meeting of Uic Taranaki County Council was held i.ll the County Chambers, Xew Plymouth, yesterday morning, when there wore present: Cr. J. Brown (chairman), J. l\. Hill, J. Andrews, A. .Morton, 0. .McAllum, 0. Andrews, C. Billing, AI. llopsou and R. Stevens. OVERSEER'S REPORT. The overseer, .Mr. R. VY. ISond, submitted liis report for the month ending .March 31, 11)13, which was adopted as follows: The loads throughout the county were in very fair order, and the various foremen had been engaged in general road work. -Moil riding—Foreman K. Bennett had received 118 yards of metal 011 contract -No. 2lil and had had two men picking up and breaking down the rough stones. Mr. J. Alagee had made a start with his contract at I'pper Mangorei road. Ileta road junctional with Mangorei road 011 the south side of Air. Humphries' present entrance gate. Waitura riding—Foreman J. Holmes, junr., had received 350 yards of metal 011 the .Mountain road. Progress on the King road contract had not been very good, chiefly on account of the weather. Bridge-foreman E. Ceorge had made good progress with the Tarunitangi concrete bridge. A temporary bridge had been erected to carry the traflic. Foreman F. Holmes had received 104 yards of pit metal on the Egniont road. Haskell and Co. had made a start with the Corbett road metal contract.

Omata riding—Tlie crushing plant had worked 14 days, crushing ] 3.10 yards of nip.tal, and went into the foundry for repairs on .March 23. The repairs should he completed hv the end of this week. The roiling plant had worked "21 days and had gone into the foundry for repairs on April 2. When repairs were completed both plants would go down to Okato. There had been received by Foreman Seamark 13.10 yards of metal •and shingle. Rowan and Thomason had not made a start at Waireka road metalling. Okato riding—Foreman T. Sefton had completed earthwork to Plymouth road junction and was now filling up on side of metal on Honyesuckle Hill and on the end of Crovdon road.

Hurworth riding—Foreman 0. Spencer hud put 83 yards of metal on Carrington road. T. Collins had not made a start with his contract, Upper Carrington road.

UPPER MANGOREI ROAD. J Mr. John Brown guaranteed payment j of £lO 10s towards metalling the por- j tinn of the Mangorei road, which had ) been subscribed by settlers who would I benefit. One of the settlers he men- 1 tioned considered that it was very hard that they should have to pay towards , the loan without getting any benefit, j The money was subscribed by Messrs J. i Brown £lO, Simons £3, Giblin £l, Mrs. | (iiblin £l, Messrs. H. Wood Ids, A. Wood > 10s and Upjohn 10s. lie also enclosed j a telegram received by Mr. Okey, M.P., J from the Hon. W. Fraser, stating that he had no power to grant 10 per cent, or any part of a loan; that lav entirely with the Advances Board, to whom the Council must apply. If the Board granted this and the settlers could raise the balance he would make a further grant of £2O somehow. Mr. Okev's covering letter stated that the Hon. W. Fraser had evidently forgotten that he was for the time being Acting Minister of Finance during the Hon. James Allen's absence, and if the funds could not be raised any other way he suggested applying to the Board for the 10 per cent, on the Mangorei loan. The inspector estimated that it would cost £B2 to inetal the necessary 14 chains.

On the motion of Cr. Morton, seconded by Cr. J. R. Hill, it was resolved to proceed with the work, the mover stating that the settlers had helped themselves pretty considerably. THE MOKAU FERRY. The Awakino County Council's protest aaginst the erection of an oil punt as a means of crossing over the Mokau river, and asking that the accetpauee of tenders be deferred until the settlers had the opportunity of expressing an opinion on the question, was before the Council.

It was pointed out that Mr. C. Leech, chairman of (he Awakino County Council, had placed the matter before the Prime Minister, who had agreed to postpone the aecetpiinee of tenders. Xo action was therefore taken.

KUIUPF.TE BUT DOE. Mr, W. Ogier, lnglewood borough clerk, notified t.hat tin; Railway Department was prepared to dismantle the dam within the next ten days, and asked when the Council proposed to proceed with the bridge work, lie also wrote later that the lnglewood Borough Connoil had cut. down some trees on the Mountain road, which obstructed the view.

THE BLACKBERRY RESERVE. Mr. A. C'hong wrote declining to take up the blackberry reserve under the Council's conditions, hut if the Council would let him have it for a long term free of all costs he would clean it up thoroughly and fence it. It was of no use to anyone until it was ploughed and re-brassed. —ft was resolved to grant Mr. Chong a seven years' lease of the, section at a rental of .£1 per annum, which would be remitted if the section were kept clear of blackberry and noxious weeds.

SPECIAL MEETING. At a special meeting of the Council tlx* special order was confirmed altering the boundaries between the Waitara West and Una Road Boards. The special order was also confirmed merging the Nenui road district. OMATA RIDING METALLING.

The metalling problem in this riding has been before the Council for some time, and the inspector suggested that a hauling plant should be erected along the coast to raise the metal from the beach.

The matter was discussed by the Council, who decided that it was not advisable for the county to take any steps in the matter, but in order to make it worth while for contractors to put in some permanent plant, it was resolved, on the motion of Crs. McAllum and J. Andrews, that tenders be invited for 0000 yds of metal to be delivered between the borough of New Plymouth and the Tapuae river at the rate of 3000 yds per annum. TilK MAIN SOUTH ROAD. It was resolved to apportion the toll revenue on a mileage basis to the Omata and Okato riding as follows: —Omata (350 chains) £22!) 2s fid; Okato (MiH) chains), ,0(571 3s 7d. The gross revenue from the gate for the year was £IO3O 16s, and the cost of collection £l3O fls 3d. It was resolved that all license fees, extraordinary damage and tonnage fees, etc., be apportioned on the basis of 25 per cent, to the Omata riding and 75 per cent .to the Okato riding. TENDERS. Tenders in connection with the Frank-lev-Carrington cross road were accepted as follows:—Fencing, Baker Bros.; form-

ation and metalling, Messrs Caddy and) Hurlstone. GENERAL Mr. Burrcll was granted i>(>rmissiuit In 1 lower the culvert on Jnnt'tioii road east, J tin; Council granting' the assistance of its foreman. ■Tim inspector was instructed to proceed with the construction of a concrete culvert on the. Alfred road. Jt was resolved to cancel Rowan and Thomason's contract for 500 yds of metal at Omata if not commenced by the lltli inst. Mr. W. Bewley wrote thanking the Council for its sympathy in his recent bereavement. The matter of pipes for the Jlurford road was left to th-e inspector to deal with. The inspector was instructed to raise the trough on the Omata Hill and metal the approach thereto. Jt was resolved to take steps to recover 12s lid from Mr. Carl in Gill for burying a slice]) owned liy him and alleged to have been killed by one of the Motor Transport Go's waggons in 1910, An awning will be constructed over the crushing engine at a cost of CIS. On the motion of Cr. C. Andrews, it was resolved to grant .-CIO towards the re-erection of a swing bridge over the Kailii river on the old county road at Okato.

The clerk [Mr. K. Ellis) was granted I three weeks' leave of absence. The action of the cliairman in in- i strutting the county solicitor to proceed against a native for ss, the price of toll which he is alleged to have, evaded, was confirmed. Mr. Benoni White wrote asking the Council to do some formation at the junction ,nf the Old Hospital and Junction roads (Petrie's corner), and offering J 30s towards the cost of a culvert.—lt was resolved, on the motion of the chairman and Cr. Ilopson, to inform Mr. White that tlie Council does not consider the work necessary. Mr. W. <3. Stanton's offer of £2 for the timber from the old Mangamaeho 1 bridge on tlie Junction road was accepted. Tt was resolved to support the Whangamomona County Council's resolution asking the Land Board to reconsider its decision not to supply Councils with schedules of land sold, transferred, forfeited or surrendered as hitherto done. The Valuer-General notified that the rateable total of the Taranaki County Council at March 3lst, 1912, after exeluding all those portions mergsd into the Borough of New Plvmouth was £2,- < 013,730. The Chairman Was authorised to nf- ; fix the seal and sign the letter from Mr. Brj'den relative to the destruction of j trees on the proposed Carrington-Frank-ley Cross Road. He was also authorised i to affix seal and sign the plan relative to taking land from Mrs. L. Crompton at Koru for a nublie road.

H. D. Atkinson, secretary of the New Zealand Comities Association, wrote that tlio letters and other documents in connection with the proposed alteration of the Moa Road boundary had been forwarded to the President of the Xew Zealand Counties Association for further consideration.

Mr. R. W. Bond (Road and Bridge Inspector) estimated the damage caused to the Carrington Road by Mr. T. V. Simon's timber traffic at 3(5 yards of metal, viz., flS.—Adopted.

The Under-Secretary of Public Works notified that the Government could not assist in the matter of placing mile posts along the Main South Road, as it did not seem to be a particularly necessary work. The matter of purchasing extra metal from Messrs. Henricksen and Blanchett on the Carrington Road was left in thehands of the Chairman. H. Julian, contractor, wrote that stone was vorv scarce, at Oak lira, and asked if some arrangement could be come to whereby he could cart from the beach at the Wairau Roail. It would necessitate shifting the crusher.—Left in the hands of the Inspector. The Council appointed Mr. F. P. Corkill to act as its representative 011 the Assessment Court in connection with the revaluation of the Omatn Riding and portions' of the Wuitara and Mangorei districts.

The? Road Inspector was authorised to report re tin* cost of metal required on tin l Ileuwooil Road near the school. The Council decided not to support the resolution from the Waimate County Council re an amendment to the law so that the 10 per cent .additional penalty can lie added to all unpaid rates at the explrv of 2 months instead of (i months and 14 days ai at present. The Council were unanimously of opinion that the present system was quite satisfactory. Accounts were passed as follows: Moa Ridimr. £5-20 15s 4d: Waitara Ridin uf, £2-18 I.ls (id; Omata Riding. £oX'i 15s (Id: Okato Riding. £lO2 lis fid. TTurworth Riding. £3O Bss general, £258, Ss Id; total. £1705 9s Id.