TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1917, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

STATUTORY MHKTiXU. The annual meeting of lb' Taranaki County Council was held yesterday morning, when there were |frcsent: Crs. .1. S. Connott, J. Andrews, J. I!. Simpson. C. Andrews, J. 11. Wooidridge, and 1). JlcAllum. An apology for absence was received from Cr. (J. Capper. ELECTION OK CHAIRMAN', In nominating Cr. Qonnett as chairman for the coming year, Cr. McAllum paid a tribute to the work done by Cr. Conneit in the past, and said that if he wits again returned to the chair the work of the council would be again carried out in an efiicient manner. Cr. J, Andrews seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The chairman, in thanking the council, said that he looked upon the position of chairman of the Taranaki County Council as an honor, ile hoped that lie would again have the whole-hearted assistance of the councillors. Even after the last year's experience be did not claim to be an expert, but would take them fully into his confidence, and ho hoped that, his actions would meet with the approval of the council' as a whole. The work of the old council had been happily characterised by an absence of feeling, and ho lioped that the coming year's work would be carried out in the same ivav. Tie had hoped to be relieved of some of bis responsibilities this year in several societies, but was unable to get teliof.

Tie referred to several matters of considerable interest to the council. The question of the merging of the road boards was one of the principal matters the council would 'have to consider. He hoped that, an effort would 'be ma<le by the three bodies concerned to meet and discuss the matter fully. Probably many of the obstacles that confronted them at the present time would disappear if a better understanding were arrived at. Tf the -members of t'he bodies interested .should decide that the amalgamation was not in their best interests the council could at least feel that they had done their best to bring the reform about.

He hoped that an engineer would again he put in charge of the works of the council. Some time ago, when the county engineer had volunteered for military service, he had decided to take over the position, but he had thought at that time that the v;ar would have been over in a comparatively short time. Judging from present appearances it did not look as if the war would end for some time vet, and he felt lie could not go on indefinitely. If the merging of the road boards could he brought about, the position would be much stronger and an engineer could fee used to better advantage.

Another matter was the tar-sealing of the county roads. Th" council would have to keep abreast of .the times, and he looked forward to the time when their roads would be tar sealed and would compare favorably with those of other districts. Some provision for the accommodation of plant would have to be made. At present the plant was on the roads anywhere and everywhere at a!' of the year, and lie considered that if sheds were erected at Waiwakniho expense would be saved by storing the machinery at certain times of the .Year, the men could be employed in more lucrative work in other directions. The council, too. should have a pifie-making plant of its own, for they used a great many pipes during the year and material was at hand in a fairly central position. ( Another mat.br that had been nrougnt to hisNiotiee was the need of accommodation for'the council's employees. At present they had no convenience, and a man might be living miles away from the centre of his work. The council might he able to secure small areas of ground for the men, sufficient to graze a couple of cows and provide greater comfort for 1 the men and their families.

The present overdraft stood at £'l2,■l4l, a* compared with £11.090 for the previous year, but tlie increase was accounted for by the sum of £SOO still outstanding in the Waiwakaiho bridge, in sum of £ 100 to the Government and £ W0 to the borough council, and 'by the increase in wages. The payment of an extra Is a day amounted to about £WO per annum. Tn conclusion, the chairman extended a welcome tn Cr. Wooldridge as representative of the Okato riding.

It was decided that the ordinarv monthly of the council he held on the first Monday of the month a.® in the past. The New Plymouth Efficiency Board 'were granted the use of the engineer's room in the council buildings fffr use as ,an office until such time as the room would 'be required by the council.

On Cr. McAlllim's motion it. was decided to send a recommendation to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board that Mr. C. Andrews should he the council's representative on the board.