INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1923, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. PAST MONTH’S WORK. The Inglewood County Council met yesterday. Present: Crs. A. Corkill (chairman), J. M. Hair, H. Jones, J. Grieve, Geo. Capper, J. Jlunter, and R. Stewart. Apologies were received from Crs. Laurence and Cowley. The statement of balances showed that the debit at the bank was £8197 14s 3d. On the main roads £3837 8s 3d had been expended, the vote thus being £337 8s 3d overspent. In the North Riding £540 8s 3d had been expended, leaving £173 2s 2d available. In the South Riding £4BO fls 6d had been spent, leaving £650 15s 3d available. In the East Riding £ll3 14s lid was expended, leaving £137 Ils 6d'available, and in the West Riding £lO6B 5s 3d was expended, leaving £lO 3s available. FLOOD DAMAGE. The chairman reported that the exceptionally heavy rains during the month had delayed the progress of all works in hand and had caused a considerable amount of damage throughout the county. Portions of the Tarata zigzag had slipped away in about half-a-dozen places. The first tunnel on x the Motukawa Road hbd become blocked with floating timber and had scored out very badly, being in a dangerous condition. A small bridge on the Kohete Road had been washed off th» bed logs, but had since been replaced. On the Otaraua Read, a small bridge rear Mr. Oxcnhant’s had been washed away On the Ngatoro Road, a 6 by 4 culvert had been washed out and a bridge had been washed off the bed logs, but he had been fortunate In getting Mr. Dowman to replace the bridge a day or two later. All these works required immediate attention, and the cost would run Into several hundred pounds. The permanent surfacemen had been employed a good deal of their time i« repairing minor damage The repairing of the slips, etc., on the Tarata zigzag and the Motukawa Road was left in the hands of the engineer. The engineer was instructed to report on the other matters with a view to applying for Government assistance. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. The chairman reported that the surefacemen had been employed in repairing flood damar,'?, as weil as the usual patching of metal and wa'.er-Tnbllng. Sixty-six chains of the Mountain Road near Maketawa had had the first coat of bitumen. A new depot had been made at Waiongona, and a start had been made to surface that portion of the Mountain Road between Waiongona and the boundary with Taranaki, a distance of about 55 chains, but with the present unsettled state of the weather it was impossible to make much headway with this work. One hundred and fifty-eight yards of maintenance metal had been crushed on the Dudley Road, and 44 cubic yards carted to various parts of the district where most urgently required. The balance had been dumped on Dudley Road, but the whole of this metal was wanted for maintenance in other parts of the district.

He had been unable to get teams together to complete the grading in the East Riding, but this would be done as soon as the necessary arrangements had been made. He had purchased thd boulders offered to the council by Mr. Parry at 3/- per yard, crushed measurement. Both bridges on Rugby Road were in need of repairs, and ho suggested that the engineer report on same. Five 12in., eight 18in„ three 24in., and two 301 n. pipes had been made, and 18 pipes had been sent out. The report was adopted. The tender of W. H. Julian, at 6/6 per yard, for carting metal on the Hursthouse Road, was accepted. The engineer is to report on the Rugby Road bridges. The action of the chairman and Cr. Stewart in arranging with Mr. Laurence to build a bridge op the Bedford Road was approved. Cr. Capper brought up the question of men going out on wet days to clear water-tables, and the chairman said that where possible this was attended to. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The consulting engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that no greatXprogress could be re-

ported in connection with the contract for the Norfolk Road drains and formation, but it was anticipated that better results could be looked for in the future. The contract for the Mangaoraka bridge had been let to L. Butler, and the preliminary work was being carried out. On the Richmond Road metalling contract delays had been unintentionally prolonged. In the meantime the contractors had inace a start in Bennett’s pit at the southern end. On the Mana Road, Candy Bros were et’ll quarrying in the pit under some disad vantages, but they overestimated their dally output, which they could not produce, and consequently delays at the crusher Would possibly result. On the Ratapiko Road, the cuntractor war depositing further stone at the depot. Work on the Autawa and Pita roads Was proceeding, but the usual rate of progress iiad been seriously retarded on account of the weather, and slips were reported. The month's .work outside might be summarised by slating 'that no real progress and advancemen: bad been made anywhere owing to the exceptional weather. The report was adopted. LOAN MATTERS. The State Advances Department notified payment to the council’s account of £55) on ac count of the Kaipi Road loan. The Advances Department notified that the resolution regarding the King Road loan had been gazetted. The manager of the Bank of New Zealand wrote that interest had been reduced to 6% per cent. The Advances Department notified that precedent consent had been received in conenction with the Motukawa and Ratapiko road loans. Special rates were struck in connection with the raising of the 10 per cent, additional on the Ratapiko. Richmond and Motukawa roads. Steps are to be taken to raise t the 10 per cent, additional on the Autawa Road. Mr. H. Blackburne forwarded a petition signed by nine ratepayers of the Otaroa Road asking the council to raise a loan of £ 1500 for work on the road, which they asked should b? expended as soon as possible. They also asked the council to make application for a subsidy on the loan. —Tenders will be called for the work as soon as the plans are approved.

WORKS AUTHORISED. Authority was received from the Public Works Department for the expenditure of £366 (£1 to £2 subsidy) on forming and metalling at Ohete Road; £149 14s Id (£1 for £1) on account of reforming and metalling Motukawa Road: and £lO4O (£1 for £1 10s) reforming and metalling Autawa and Pita roads. GENERAL. W. F. Dottrnan (Matau) reported that he had completed repairs to the Hoho bridge, and he stated It was good for another four/or five years. He considered that a new culvert would be required to replace the culvert washed out on the road. Mr. F. W. Sutton, inspector of stock to the Agricultural Department, notified that spiderwort was included in the third schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act.

Mr. Ferguson, contractor for the Ratapiko Road metalling, notified that as the crusher would not be available for some considerable time they had decided to hand-knap the metal. The Valuer-General notified that the revision of values in three ridings had been completed, and the West Riding was In hand. Probably the notices of the new values would be issued in March or April next.