STRATFORD COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1924, Page 10

STRATFORD COUNTY.

THE MONTH’S WORK.

REPORT OF THE ENGINEER MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. (From Our Own Reporter.) Stratford, Dec. 20. The moirthiy meeting of the Stratford County Council was held to-day. Present: Crs. E- Walter (chairman), S. Pitt, M. Davis, J. J. Jacobsen, J. O’Neil, J. T. Belcher, \V. H. Weir, N. T. R. Anderson and S. Parker. The engineer (Mr. J. W. Science) reported for the month as follows: — North Riding.—The greater part of the past period has been taken up with the crushing of metal and chips for the Mountain and Beaconsfield Roads. The portion of the Beaconsfield Road between the Mountain Road and the Salisbury Road has been tar dressed. The Mountain Road from the borough boundary to the. Beaconsfield Road has been widened out to 18 feet, the new metal on the side being put down -under the penetration system, whilst the centre, or the old tarred portion, has received a coat of tar and bitumen which has been blinded with crushed chips and sand. South Riding. —The entrance to- the Sole Road from the Mountain Road has •been widened. Mr. Walker kindly suggested that his fence be set back. This has had the effect of giving a much better view at the junction. Four hundred and eighty-four yards of chips and sand have been carted from the Cornwiaa Road to the Cheal and Mountain Roads. About two miles of the former road has received a tar dressing. The widening of the road formation on Mountain Road South, opposite Mr. Walker’s property, is in hand, and the widening of the formation at the Glimie Road junction is also being done. One hundred and ninety-one yards of shingle and sand have been'carted into the Bird Road.

East Riding (Toko). —The Ahuroa Road (West) and a portion of the Toko Road have been water-tabled and the metal clay blinded. 'Water-tabling has also been done on the Mangaehu and Waiwiri Roads. A set of five 9-inch pipes has been placed in the clay portion of the Toko Road. The concrete foundation has been put in and the bricks carted to the site for the erection of the tar boiler near the Toko School, a start will be made with the setting in on Monday. A start has been made with the crushing of the metal at the Gordon- Road pit for maintenance on the Douglas and Toko Roads, the screenings being placed on the Ohura Road for tar blinding.

East Riding (Douglas). —About three miles of the Ohura Road have been wa-ter-tabled, and the culverts on this length have been attended to. A portion of the Ohura Road on the eastern side of the Strathmore Saddle slipped away, 'and this has been repaired. General maintenance work has been done on the Ohura Road between the county cottage and the Toko School, the tarred portions of this road have been patched. On the upper part of the Makuri Road the rushes have been cut and the holes filled in. Metal patching and watertabling have been done on Gordon Road.

East Riding (Huiroa). —General sur--face work has been carried out on the Mobakau Road. The drag log has been run ever the road, and a set of five 9-inch pipes has also been put in. On the Douglas North Road considerable work has been done, and further formation work is being done on the approaches to the new bridge. Repairs have also been carried out on the Douglas South, Autawa and Makuri Roads.

West Riding. —The widening of the formation on the Ronald Road has been completed. The grader has been run over the grass sides of the following roads: —Ronald, Toto, Hastings, Finnerty, Palmer. Duthio, Climie, Brooks and Brecon, and this work has the effect of blinding the metal and cleaning out the water-tables. Nine hundred and thirteen yards*of screened shingle have been distributed on the Opunake Road. Twelve yards of sand and shingle have been obtained from the Waingongora Stream.

Mangaehu Riding. —Practically all the clay roads have been run over with the grader. The drag log has been used on the Puniw’hajcau, Mangaehu South, Tc Wharenikau, Mangaehu and BrewerTa ihore Roans. Water-tabling, ferncutting and metal patching have been done on the metalled roads. About one hundred yards of shell rock have been taken out in widcinng the Mangaehu Road at Mr. Norris’s property and carted to the crushing site. A further fifty yards will probably be obtained. THE MAKURI ROAD. Ten settlers of Huiroa petitioned the council asking that the creek at the two concrete bridges on the Makuri Road be deepened and widened, and also that a the ravages of wild pigs, which, he said, had cost him £2OO since the war. Mr. Murray said that on one occasion when he was away for five days pigs had

large pipe culvert be put under the foad between the two bridges where the metalled road was nearly cut through by the action of flood waters.

The low-lying portions of the Makuri Road near Malone and Worthington’s property, the chairman said, were in a 'bad position. The level of the stream seemed to be continually rising, and parts of the road were frequently under water.

The engineer said this road would never be satisfactory until it was deviated, but the chairman wanted to know where they would get the money to carry out such a big deviation. There had been requests for the lowering of the bed of the stream, but this was not practicable unless the work was started a long way down the stream. It looked as if a huge scheme would have to be undertaken in this locality, but the whole question was one of money. The value of the little work they could do now would .'be negligible. The road was really acting as a dam, and it mignt be raised a little for some distance to hold the water up until the stream drained it away.

Ur. Jacobsen expressed the opinion that a canal 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep for a distance of from four to six miles was necessary to drain the several thousands of acres which the stream served. It was decided that the chairman and engineer meet the petitioners as soon as possible. FINNERTY AND HASTINGS ROADS. Mr. T. Harry Penn, on behalf of the directors of the Lowgarth Dairy Company, drew the council’s attention to the urgent need of improvement to both the Finnerty and Hastings Roads. It was stated that the condition of the metal on each road was not fit for traffic according to present-day standards. It was hoped the council would put the work in hand this summer. Councillors expressed the opinion that the roads were not in a bad condition Preparations were being made for repairing the Hastings Road, and it was decided to inform the petitioners that the council hoped to tar-seal both roads in due course when money is available. GENERAL.

A. W. Yeates wrote complaining of the practice of motor lorry drivers in failing to pull off the road to allow traffic to pass, and asking that the council issue a warning to a certain driver whose number was submitted.—The council decided that it had no power in the matter, and it was reported that ■the complainant had been informed of the owner of the lorry in question. H. E. Dudley (Huiroa) asked permission to allow his fence to remain encroaching on the road where he had fenced off a swamp.—The permission asked for was granted.

Only one tender was received for the crushing, carting and spreading of metal on the Makara Road, and this was not accepted.

The Taranaki Automdbile Association sought the council’s support to the opinion that motor loriy drivers should be compelled to fix traffic mirrors to their lorries to give warning of the approach of cars from behind. —It was pointed out that mirrors were provided for in the by-laws, and that the inspector was watching the matter. • R. Willis, Kaponga, offered to pay the council £'l2 IGs for the use of a piece of about eight acres of land at the corner of the Opunake and Manaia Roads, the council to use the land as desired from time to time.—The matter was left in the hands of the engineer. • The dog tax was fixed at the same fee as last year, namely 2s 6d for working dogs and 10s for sporting dogs.