STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting was held at Stratford on Wednesday. Present: Crs. J. Hatha way (chairman), F. Baskin, I>. Walters, J. Coleman, J. Christoll'el, T. R. Anderson, J. Smith and J. H. Were. CORRESPONDENCE The Eltham County Council reported on rosnlt of conference held at Eltham re opposing any Bill for the abolition of gates, also that delegates at the meeting decided that the scale of fees for motor-cars be left to each council to fix, with a recommendation to keep same as low as conditions would allow.— Received.

The Fields Inspector, Stratford, requested that gorse be cleared from Council reserve at Atawa, adjoining the Waitara river.—Left to engineer to attend to the matter. The Waitomo County Council asked for co-operation in urging the Minister for Defence to discontinue the voluntary system of recruiting.—Received. From Stratford Chamber of Commerce, asking co-operation in obtaining an extension of the telephone from Tahora to Tatu, a listance of IS miles.—lt was decided to support the Chamber in bringing the matter before the authorities.

The Citizens' Christmas Gift Fund, Wellington, forwarded circular letter appealing for collection of poultry for above fund.—Received.

Dr. Sydney Smith, district health officer, wrote requesting co-operation of the local authorities in an effort to combat the fly pest in this district. —Received.

The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce requested support of resolution passed by that body urging the Government to utilise prison labor in making and maintaining the main arterial roads of the Dominion.—Received, members remarking that whilst good roads were desirable, it was not advisable to adopt the methods suggested in the letter. The Department of Lands and Survey, Xew Plymouth, notified that they had no record of the road through sections 3-2 and ! J 's, Xgaere 11, as having been dedicated as a county road. —Received. The Stratford A. and P. Association wrote asking the Council to grant their employees a whole holiday on November 30 ('People's Day at the Show), same as last year.—Granted. Eltham County Council notified that Crs. Pease, Belcher, and Granville had been appointed a committee to consider the alteration of boundaries, Eltham Riding, also requesting notice when Stratford County Council could go into the matter.—Received, Crs. Hathaway, Christofl'ei, and Coleman being appointed a committee.

Eltham County Council wrote re Ha- ] wera County .partly merged loans, and asking the Stratford County to approve of the Anrjfrson Road loan allocations being separate from the question of alteration of 'boundaries.—Resolved to collect the rates and apportion same afterwards. USE OF SLEDGES. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. Coleman, it was resolved that the road foreman be notlied that anyone using sledges on the roads will be proceeded against. 'DEPUTATION. Messrs Susans and Kello, settler* on the Barkley Road, West Riding, waited on the Council and requested that tlie Council metal about 12 chains of the road to allow access to their property ~ Resolved that steps be taken to raise a loan ff £450 to erect a bridge and metal road as desired by the deputation*

VOTE OF CENSURE. Cr. Smith, by leave of the Council, withdrew his notice of motion proposing a vote of censure on Cr. Christoffel. WAR BONUSES. \ The chairman brought up the question as to increasing the wages of the men. He thought that they should pay a bonus until the end of the war. After some discussion it was decided to give the Council's regular employees an addition of (Is a week.

ENGINEER'S REPORT, The county engineer (Mr. W. J. Lopdell) reported <as follows: North Riding.—l. Neilson has completed his contract delivering stone on the Salisbury road. Owing to the amount of wet weather during the month, which prevented the aibove-nam-ed contractor starting other works on hand, I have found it advisable to call tenders for work at Midhirst. The new metal on the Denbigh road will be rolled as soon as the roller is available. J. Batcher has taken up his duties as foreman on the east portion of this riding. A heavy traffic notice has been put up on the Waipuku bridge. South Riding.— %he Collett crusher is engaged on the Finnerty road, having crushed 530 cubic yards of Grimmer and Chamberlain's stone, also a few 'hundred yards procured by our own men. The bricklayer is engaged building in the tar boiler at Climie road. It will be necessary at a later date to erect a large concrete tar receptacle so that tar can be kept in stock. East Riding.—The Toko road east contract is now well in hand, having put out about 500 cuibic yards. The Gordon road shell-rook job is about completed. I have made satisfactory arrangements for the carting of the rock on to the road. Foreman Atkins, of the Huiroa riding, has tendered his resignation, but is prepared to remain on until a suitable man is appointed. I have let the Heao road contract at a satisfactory price.

West Riding. —The Acme crusher has completed the Manaia road contract ot 4!)3 cubic yards and ti~> yards procured by day labor, also 334 i cubic yards on Opunake No. 2. Tlicy are now engaged on the Climie road. Mangaehu Riding. The Tututawa sliell-rock contract has been let to Messrs Ferguson and Sped;. A start has been made to put a road into the ' pit. Mr. D. lirosnan has taken up his [duties at Funiwhakau. ! General.—l have purchased from Jlr. Ciare, of Waitara, about SOcwt of reinforcing at a reasonable price. He has also decided to go out of contracting and sell the whole of his bridge-building plant. E would recommend the Council to purhase one pile-driving plant, as we will be in need of same at an early date. As we have been considerably hampered for sleeping accommodation for our men, I purchased from Xew Plymouth two 'buses, which I am going to have converted into wharcs. Re the Queen's Circus, Midhirst.—l have estimated the cost of forming and milling this piece of road at £2O. As

it is completely worn out I would recommend this expenditure. I would suggest calling tenders for several new works. While returning from Stanley road bridge on October 2, the county car ignited, which, in my opinion, w'as caused by a .back-fire, and considerably damaged the car. 'FOREMEN'S REPORTS.

North Riding (West), Foreman Brown. —We have finished the metalling of a portion of the Monmouth road, and have patched and put in order the rest of the road, which is very thin. We have put in the approach to 'Mr. retries farm, also put in a culvert and metalled approach to Mr. Murphy's property. Light repairs have been done on the Flint, Lower Pembroke, Cardiff, Radnor and Denbigh roads. Mr. Bull still continues to cut and cart firewood off the Upper Pembroke road, which is causing considerable damage "to the water-tables. North Riding (East), Foreman Hatcher. —Since taking up duties as foreman of this riding, I have been over all the roads with the late foreman. Most of the month has been taken up watertabling, patching and baeking-up metal on several roads.

South Riding, Foreman rarker.—All the roads are in fair order. We have crushed about metal and re-roetal'.ed GO chains on the Upper Finnerty road. There are about 15 chains yet to do. W» are getting stone out of the river to complete it, which will only take a few days.

East Riding, Toko, Foreman Richards. —During the past month we have been busy re-metalling the Toko road west with pit metal. The work on this road has been at a standstill for about a week owing to wet weather. The heavy carting on the Huinga road is cutting it up badly. I have patched it up with pit metal, which is not very good material for patching. Maintenance work has been done on the Mangaelm No. 1. Ohura and Toko road east. A culvert lias been replaced with ten Din pipe* on the latter road. Overhanging willows have been cut down on the Ohura road,

Douglas Killing:, Foreman Rogers.—We have formed most of the worst places on the Strathmore Saddle. There is still a lot more fc be done to put it in good order. Seven Oin pipes have been put in on the saddle. General road work lias been done on the mnin road.

West Riding, Foreman Plews.—During the month the crushing of W. Green's Manaia road stone has been completed, together with extra stone procircd from the river, as per particulars forwarded. About 23 chains of the Manaia road south has been re-faced. The Manga - told stone has been crushed and particulars forwarded on. The crusher is at present set on Climie road. A start has been made scarifying the bottom end of the road. Meanwhile the teams are engaged carting out additional stone from the Wningongoro at Cardiff. The Poto road lias been patched throughout and a broken pipe culvert repaired with live Din pipes. Huiroa Riding, Foreman Atkins Autawa: The repairs authorised on this road have been completed. In addition, 80 feet of culvorting lias been inserted on a length of road recently widened out of Government grant monies. This road is at present in very good order for bridle and stock traffic. The gorse growing on the reserev ojiposite the Tuuupo road is in full flower and consequently requires attention. I estimate the -wist of cutting same at about £l2 103." Tunupo road: Necessary gorse cutting from reserve has been put in hand. Some road repair.' are also receiving utter, tion. Heao road: The contract of slip clearing and repairs have been ; put in hafid. Necessary repairs havf also been carried out on the following roads: Douglas, north and south, Akama, Mohakau ui'd Makouri roads. The foreman tendered his resignation. Mangaehu Riding, Foreman Savage.— 1 have been engaged this month putting in nine 12in pipes on the Tututawa road and ten 12 pipes on the Brewer-Taihore '■oad. Prepared Gardiner's bridge for the new towers, and started making the new road, to the metal pit, also general repairs on other roads. Mr. I). Brosnan commenced work on October 4. The report was adopted. Regarding the damaged car, a committee comprising the chairman and Crs. Christoffel and Anderson were appointed to deal with the matter.