TARANAKI COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1923, Page 7

TARANAKI COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL.

VARIOUS MATTERS DISCUSSED.

The monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Mr. J. S. Connett (chairman), and Ci’s. J. Andrews, J. Wooldridge. O. Penwarden, S. Vickers and A. Morton. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The following report was submitted by the overseer (Mr. J. Meredith): Plant and General.—During the month the rotary crusher worked two days at the Upper I’etone Road depot, crushing 19G cubic yards of metal, which was spread on the Petone Road. The crusher was then shifted to the Saunders Road and set up, and to date has worked days, crushing GIGV6 yards, all of which has been spread on the Saunders P.oad. The Hope crusher is at work on the Kirihau Rond. A start was made on January IS, but owing to the bad weather only 116 yards had been crushed to date, 106 yards being spread on the Koru Road and 10 yards on the Kirihau Road. The weather has been anything but good for doing any new metalling work. A considerable amount of trouble has been experienced with the metalling on the Saunders Road. At first It was thought the carting might be done with the lorries, but this was found to be impossible under the present weather conditions. The work is now being carried out with horse teams. Shingle was carted from Tate’s dump, Waitara, to Devon Road, 52 yards; tar carted to Mangorel depot, Junction Road, 45 barrels: firewood carted to Junction Road from Omata, 8% cords; from Korito, 3 cords. The crushing staff worked days assisting with the earthwork and building a crusher site on the Leith Road. The total metal and shingle carted during the month was 980% yards. Pipes made during the month were 23 9in., 8 12in., 3 18in., 3 24in.. 3 36in., and four 4ft. frosts. The large roller has been engaged on the Petone Road, rolling in new metal, and on the Main Road, scarifying and rolling between the 10-mlle peg and the Oakura Bridge. The small roller has been engaged scarifying and rolling the Lower Plymouth Road, the Koru Road, the Tapuae Hill on the Main Road in the Okato Riding, and Is now working on the Lower Mangorel Road, in the Mangorel Riding. Teams.—Foreman Jury has been engaged hauling 220 yards of boulders at Waiwakaiho for Corbett Road, and is at present carting metal on the Saunders Road.

The bridge carpenter has been engaged during the month as follows: Repairing crushing plant, sheds, toll-gate, decking on chain bridge, and building a small groyne to protect the Main South Road at the foot of Wood's Hill In the Okato Riding. He is at present engaged in driving the engine at the crusher on the Kirihau Road.

Mangorel the month the foremep have been engaged blinding, patching, cleaning water-tables, and with general repair work. Foreman Moyles is at present engaged with the small roller scarifying and rolling on the Lower Mangorel Road. Asphalt work; Foreman Dryden has been engaged with this work, putting the first coat on the Junction Road between Kent Road and Mangorel factory. About two more days will complete this piece of road. The plant will then he shifted Gut to the Waitara Riding, where it is proposed to re-coat about five miles of the Devon Road with bitumen.

Waitara Riding.—The foremen in this riding hate been engaged with the usual miscellaneous repairs, a considerable amount of minor repairs having to be effected after the heavy rain on January 23, especially on the Mangoraka Flat, on the Devon Road, which was practically under water, owing to a dam breaking away on Mr. L. Connett's property. Foreman Palmer is engaged when the weather permits with the metalling on the Te Ar-.n Road. Foicnnn Mallon has made a start with the cftiihwcrk on the Corbett Road. Mr E. D, Tate's tender for hauling 800 cubic yards of boulders at 5/9 per yard on the Tate Road was accepted. Mr. A. J. Cross’s tender of G/- per yard for hauling 640 yards of boulders on the King Road was also accepted; Cross Road metal contract was not let, only one tender being received, the delivery and price not being satisfactory.

Omata Riding.—The foremen in this riding have been engaged blinding, patching and with general repairs. An old culvert oppssite Mr. Watson’s place on the Hurford Road was broken in, and 14 Sin. pipes have ben sent out to replace same.

Okato Riding.—The foremen In this riding have been engaged as follows: Foreman Hayes' time lias been taken up with the metalling on the Petone and Saunders roads and with the carthworth on the Leith Road, which has been completed, and the road Is now ready for the metal. Foreman Sefton has been engaged scarifying, drawing out the metal, dressing up and re-rolling that portion of the Main Road that it is proposed to re-metal and grout witn bitumen from the ten-inlle peg to the Oakura Bridge, approximately 1% mile. Foreman Walsh has been engaged with the roller on the Plymouth, Main and Koru Roads, and is at present spreading metal on the Kirihau Road. Mr. W. Priest has completed his contract, lowering drains on the Upper Puniho Road. Six 18in. pipes have been sent out and will be put in as soon as the foreman is free from the crusher, to take the place of a 91n. culvert on the Puniho Road, yhich Is unable to carry the extra water in flood time. The recent rains caused a considerable amount of scour to the road, owing to the present pipe being too small to carry the water.

The overseer was authorised to carry out regrading on Junction Road to the east side of Kent Road and to procure the necessary shingle, and also to reconstruct a culvert on Veale Road in the Omata riding. . INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The inspector (Mr. R,. Aroa) reported:— My time has been taken up during the past month collecting the dog tax. I have finished the Waitara and Mangorei ridings, and started Omata. I have sold 634 collars to the value of *€loo 15s. With fine weather I hope to have all dog taxes in by the end of Febru- ' ary. I have also collected heavy traffic license fees to the value of £6 12s 6d during January. The roads covered during January have been very free of wandering stock. No informations have been put into court during the above month. Ten cases have been ibefore the court for breaches of by-laws reported last December. Nine were fined 10s and costs and one 5s and costs. FINANCIAL POSITION. A statement covering the financial position of the various ridings," submitted by the clerk, showed the following amounts overdrawn or still available as at January 31, 1923; Mangorei riding, overdrawn, £267 9s 3d; Waitara, overdrawn, £l7l 12s lOd; Omata, amount available, £2304 3s 7d; Okato, overdrawn. £035 3s 6d. The position of the rates as at the same date was as follows: Levied 1922-3: General £17,187 7s sd, hosoital £1906 18s Id. Collected to 31/1/23: General £13,073 V2s fid, hospital £1549 Ils fid. Outstanding 31/1/23: General £4113 15s, hospital £357 6s Bd. 'Rates for year ended March 31, 1922.—Outstanding April 1. 1922: General £2674 10s Id, hospital £329 7s 4d Collected January 3’, 1923. General £1154 Ils 7d, hospital £154 8s Id. Out standing January 31, 1923; General £‘1519 18s 6d. hospital £174 19s 3d. The clerk (Mr. R. O. F.ll’s) advised that the money duo. from the Inglewood County Council under the adjustment of accounts between the two bodies had not yet been received and, on the motion of Or. Morton, it was decided to inform the council that the Taranaki County Council expected payment by February 28, and that if the mtney

was not paid by then further steps would hav.e to be taken.

LIGHTING OF SPOTSAVOOD.

A deputation from Spotswood, of which Mr. 1). J. Hughes was spokesman, waited on the council to urge the provision of lights in the district. Mr. Hughes submitted a plan suggesting the location of six lights and pointed out that the time was opportune as jthe New Plymouth Borough Council was extending the electric lighting system to Spotswood. He would not recapitulate the arguments jn favor of lighting the roads, but urged that they were absolutely necessary for safeguarding the public owing to the heavy motor traffic. Councillors were agreed as to the necessity of the lights, Cr. Vickers stating that it was not merely a matter for Spotswood but for all users of the road. The request wan left in the hands of the chairman and Cr. Vickers with power to act. LEPPER-CARRINGTON ROAD , BRIDGE. With reference to the protection works at the Lepper : Carrington Road bridge, the Inglewood County Council advised that the work had been advertised several times but no satisfactory tenders had been received. Mr. C. F. Dowsett (county engineer) now recommended offering the work to Mr. O. Peters, who built the present weir, at £2OO, which was a fair price and one which Mr. Peters might accept. Day iabor was not recommended. The price was an increase of £25 on the previous estimate, and the council asked whether the Taranaki County Council approved of the increase. It was an urgent work, the letter added, and the Inglewood County Council desired to get things under way as soon as possible. Councillors were of opinion that £2OO was too mubh -for the work but, in view of all the circumstances, considered they had no alternative but to accept the quotation. LEVYING SPECIAL RATES. The Commissioner of Crown Lands at New Plymouth (Mr. H. J. Lowe) intimated that the Crown Law Office had advised that lands f übject to section 112 of the Local Bodies Loans Act, which become unoccupied and revert to the ownership of the Crown, become ordinary Crown lands within the meaning of the Rating Act, and were, therefore, not liable to special rates. The position with regard to the Huatoki settlement was that special rates were payable to the council on those portions which had never 'been selected, but where sections had been selected and had been forfeited or surrendered, special rates on such were not payable by the Crown. The clerk advised that the council’s solicitors did not agree with the opinion and, on the motion of Cr. Morton, it was decided to instruct the solicitors to take the -necessary steps to obtain a declaratory judgment on the point from the Supreme Court and to request the other local bodies in Taranaki to share the cost. AN OLD ROAD. Captain Mace waited on the council with respect to a road and bridge adjacent to his property. The bridge had been damaged and was now unsafe, and he urged that the council should put it in good repair.

From the discussion which followed it was ascertained that the road had never been legally dedicated and it was decided to notify Captain Mace of this fact, and tn inform him that as soon as he complied with legal formalities, the council could undertake to form and maintain the road and repair the bridge. Any expenditure by the council at present would be illegal. KAIPI ROAD. Mr. R. O’Byrn waited on the council with a view to_ obtaining some assistance in forming the Kaipi Road in Inglewood county. He pointed out that he paid all his rates to the Taranaki county but the Kaipi Road was his only means of access and that the Inglewood County Council would not spend any money on it. He offered to do the work himself provided he received some recompense. The request was favorably considered and the chairman was authorised to ai range with the Inglewood County Council for the expenditure of a sum not exceeding £l5. GENERAL. The Deputy Controller and Auditor-Gen-eral (Mr. J. 11. Fowler) advised that Mr, Connett’s formal resignation has been duly noted and that the Audit Office would not, on this occasion, press the toll revenue matter ’further than the exception endorsed on the balance sheet. The Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association requested payment of £5 os, the council’s subscription to the association till March 31.

Messrs. AV. E. Bendall and Co. advised that they would be pleased to undertake, the weighing of motor lorries, as requested by the council, and that they would make no charge for' the service. Mr. H. Marfell requested the council to grade and metal the Omata Road from the borough boundary to Blagdon Road. He offered the use of metal from the pit on his property foi’ the purpose without royalties. He also inquired if the council had any power to see that dams on the Mangaotuku stream and tributaries were so constructed that the risk of them breaking away would bo minimised and, if so, that they would exercise it as the wash-outs put property owners on the stream to great inconvenience.—The request was left in the hands of the chairman and Cr. Vikers to go into with Mr. Marfell. Messrs. Pullan, Armitage and Co., Ltd., motor merchants, Auckland, advised that they were pushing forward the wheels for the stone crusher and requested the council to knock out the boxes from the old kerbs and forward them to the writers. They also telegraphed that 10 x 1 tyres were not procurable in New Zealand and inquired whether 9 x 1 would do.—Agreed to. The chief postmaster at New Plymouth (Mr. H. Bree) advised, in response to the council s application, that it was possible for the council to transfer from the present party line to one with the agricultural show ground, but, as the bond of the council’s present lino did not expire till May 26, 1923, lhe foes would be required to be paid up to that date cither by the council or the golf club. He suggested that the council remain as at present and make fresh application when the bond expired. There would be no difficulty in transferring to the show grounds line. —Received.

Tn connection with the proposed telephone office at Koru, the deputy district telegraph engineer (Mr. J. (’. Fair bairn) forwarded a bond for execution by the council.—The ehairman and Cr. AVnoldridge were empowered to sign the bond.

The inspector of stock (Mr. F. AV. Sutton) advised, in response to the

council’s letter, that with reference to noxious weeds on the Frinkley and Hurford Roads, prosecutions would bp instituted in all instances where clearing oi weeds wan not. being attended to. He added that it wa* quite impossible for one man to cope with all the work.—On the motion of Cr. Morton it was decided to ask the Government to provide extra assistance. A tracing of portion of Lisson Terrace, Leppertqn, which the Education Board desired to close and use for the purpose of a school site, Was forwarded for signature by the Lands Department. —lt was decided to affix the seal of the council. Messrs. Donald Fraser, J. Wooldridge, and AA r . T. Hazlitt forwarded an agreement allowing themselves to be formed into a special rating district for the purpose of raising a loan to metal Dover Road for about half a mile from the end of the present metal.—i The overseer was instructed to prepare an estimate for the work. The overseer was instructed to report on the widening of the Ngamotu Road to next meeting. The tender of O. Le Page of £ll 17s 6d for renovating the council’s cottage next to the county office was accepted.