CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1916, Page 3

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Clifton County Council was h<-'l(l at Waitara yesterday. Present: Crs. A. M. Bower (chairman), R. T. Hicks, H. M. l'urdie, S. J. Keniiingtoii, E. 11. : Pigott, and Wm, Old. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported as under. Waihi Riding.— I The work in connection with reducing the grade on the Ohanga road has been laid off, and will receive attention when the Main road requirements permit of it. The metalling of the Inland North road formation cannot be proceeded with in its present condition. The late contractors have lie en instructed to proceed with obtaining lr.etal supplies from the foreshore at Turangi and Oiiaero, and I request authority to call for fresh tenders for aOO yards for deposit at tlie Waipapa depot. Tikorangi Riding,—Sundry metal repairs have been receiving attention on the Ngatimaru r.oad, and about 100 yards of metal should 'he obtained in Freeling's pit for further repairs to the western end of this road. The formation work for giving access to Cole will shortly be completed. Ngatimaru Riding.—The transfer of timber from the Taramoukon to the Makara has been effected, and the decking lias .been arranged for. On the Matau-Kiore road the work is proceeding satisfactorily, and the major portion of tlie timber for the bridge at Wallace's is on the site. In answer to my enquiry, I am informed that the money allocated for special widening is still available, and furtner work has been laid off under this heading. The timber for the bridge at the wash-out is already coming to hand, and work will proceed in due course. The protective work at the Waitara low-level bridge has been arranged for; and will proceed as soon as the timber is landed on site. Urenui Riding.—The main road gravelling is completed from the Onaero pit, but only serves to emphasise the unsuitability of such road covering for modern traffic. Further supplies, both of gravel and broken stone, have been carted out from the Okokc pit. The Piko road contract has been proceeding slowly. The foreman in this locality has tendered his resignation as from tlie 31st inst, which I regret, as he has done good work during his engagement. The quantity of boulder stone recovered from the foreshore at Urenui amounts to date to about 60 yards, and only half of this has reached the depot. Mokau Hiding.—A number of manuka fascines have oeen cut and bundled for repairs adjacent to the Gilbert road, and will be covered with a suitable material. The application for the expenditure on the recent metalling Has been made to the Resident Engineer, who expressed a belief that upon further application being made the balance of last season's vote , might be obtained, and this application ! has already gone forward, and if successful I suggest calling for further metal , supplies in readiness for next season. ( The Pukearuhe road metalling contract is proceeding, and about S(JO yards are now at the Waiiti depot. • I forwarded to each Councillor a treatise on concrete roads in the hope of , converts to this system of construction. I obtained a return of the jcost of up- , keep of the main road in the Waihi and Urenui Ridings for tlie past twelve - months, and the disclosures are surpris- ( ing. The Urenui length' runs to £lO7 , per mile, and the Waihi length to £155 ; per mile. Were these sections in good order after this expenditure there would be some compensation, but there are miles of road absolutely worn out, and which require immediate further attention. I maintain the remedy is to be found in concrete roads. I had a number of applications for a bridge foreman, and selected a very good man, but his principals immediately advanced his position, and he decided to remain. I am now sorting out another 1 from the names submitted. ! The report was adopted. ' 1 THE MOKAU RIVER. < When the deputation representing local bodies waited on the Minister of Marine at Waitara recently re the Mokau River, . Mr. C. A. Loughman told the Minister ' that an application by tlie Mokau Coal and Estates Company, Ltd., to have the , Mokau River as far as the mines declared a navigable river, had .been refused toy the Egmont County Council. Since re- , turning to Palmeraton he found that he had been misinformed as to the position and that his statement was not correct. . He therefore desired that it be noted , that no application had been made to the Clifton County Council on the sub- | ject. 1 TONGA'PORUTU WHARF. . The secretary of the Marine Depart- ' ment, in acknowledging reoeipt of the Council's letter with regard to the ' Tongaporutu wharf, stated that the De- 1 partment had no plans and specifications ' as to what repairs were required. The j Council could probably obtain this information from Mr. T l. O'Donnell, signal- : man at Tongaporutu. Regarding pay- , ment for necessary repairs, the Minister of Marine was prepared to ask Parliament for a vote to defray half the cost I of -the work, which, he understood from ' the chairman of the County Council, , would cost £3O and would be under- j taken 'by the Council. He would there- j fore be glad if the Council would advise i whether it Was prepared to have the ] wliarf vested in it and have the necessary repairs Vlone. If so, he asked the i Council to smrait a scale of the pro- ] posed dues, so chjit these might be fixed < by the Governor-ih-Couneil. i • The chairman said that €3O would be 1 of very little use. He had reckoned on ' about £lO9 being found, equally be- < tween the Government and the Council, j Really, a new wharf was needed, and a i new shed should also be erected, - 1 A discussion ensued as to whether the J Council would 'be responsible for tlie sig- i nalman's salary, and it was resolved to refer the matter back to the Marine De- 1 partment. 1 GENERAL. Twenty-one Uruti settlers petitioned ' the Council to widen the road and re- j move the dangerous corner on the MimiMokau Road, near the Uruti dairy fac- j torv. —Left to the engineer. Mr. Newton King wrote asking that the approach to tlie Urenui sale-yards < should be metalled.—The Council resolv- ] ed to consider the matter during the < summer. / , The Postal Department forwarded a r statement of revenue and expenditure at ( the Okoke telephone office for the year ending March 31, 191 fi. This showed a f deficiency of £S Ids, the Council's subsidy J>eing one-third of this. •T. H. Hobbs (Kiore) submitted a claim of £5, cost of repairs to dray and harness, which lwd fnn- over a bank whilst a being used in i" il's work clearing ® a slip. He nut that he was not £ on contract " U-i lcr the special cir- c cumstnr"'" ' iJ . v-'-ed to grant £3. f _ Th". eh* -aa »"\hori9ed to sign a

and seal the deeds granting the North Taranaki Dairy Company an easment. Mr. A. O. Dowman offered to lease a county section on the Waitara river for two years.—Left in tlie hands of Cr. Keimington.. Renewals of slaughter-house licenses were granted to E. U. Bleakley (Urenui), K Reynolds (Waitara), and Jas. A. Fraser (Mohakatina). Accounts amounting to £GOB 3s were passed for payment.