ELTHAM NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1926, Page 10

ELTHAM NEWS.

COUNTY COUNCIL AFFAIRS. PROGRESS OF THE MONTH. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. (From Our Own Reporter.) Eltham, Sept. 11. The monthly meeting of the . Eltham County Council was held to-day, when there were present: Mr. C. J. Belcher (chairman), Crs. R. J. Knuekey, A. MeWilliam, A. V. Messena, M. W. Barker, A. L. Campbell, IV. E. Carter, C. E. McGuinness and E. J. Gifford. The engineer (Mr. F. Muggeridge) reported for the month as follows; — South Riding.—Repair work had been commenced on the Rotokare Road bridge. General maintenance work was carried out. on the Mountain Road. Repairs to the Tawliitl track would be attended to during next week. Mangatoki Riding.—The contractor on the Skeet Road had made a start with his boulder contract, 152 yards being carted out to date. Water-tables and culverts were attended to on the Eltham, Duthie and Hastings Roads. Omona Riding.—Further work had been carried out in clearing slips off all roads in the riding. Water-tables and culverts were attended to on the Ra.whitiroa, Moewatea, Karewa, W.aiti-ri, Mataiwhetu and Matemarok Roads. The contractor at Omona had finished his quarrying contract. The surfacemen at Moeroa spent two days in clearing scrub off a shell-rock face at the township site. This would be inspected in company- jvith the riding member during next week. Kaponga Riding.—The committee set up to deal with the lower Mangawhero Road boulder contract decided to let it to Mr. D. Gome., The contract had been signed, and a start would be made with the work when the Skeet Road contract was completed. General maintenance work was attended to throughout the riding. Eltham Riding. —The repairs to the wooden bridge on the. Wingrove Road had been completed. Bitumen patching was done on the Mountain Road. Corners were widened on the Hu Road and metal patching was attended to on the Anderson Road. A start had been made to scarify- this end of the Tirimoana Road. An inspection of the Poti Road would be made next week.

General.—The foreman’s cottage at Omona had been completed except for papering and painting the new woodwork. The Leyland lorry ordered bythe council had come to hand and everything would be checked with Mr. Deny-s on Monday before finally- taking over. Repairs were effected to the three ton WThite truck, crusher elevators, workshop engine, and ranger’s car. During the month the chip crusher worked 15 days, turning out 743 yards of chips, 22 yards of sand, 229 yards of dust, and 42 yards of rejects. The special committee’s action in purchasing a petrol pump of the Bowser type was confirmed. The Eltham Borough Council requested the use of the council’s chip crushing plant to crush chips required for this year’s footpath programme. Approximately 200 yards would be required. They- would be pleased to supply labour required if so desired.—The matter was left in the hands of the chairman and engineer with power to act. The Under-Secret ary- of the Department of Internal Affairs wrote that in view of the large number of outbreaks of fire occurring in the Dominion, with the loss of life and excessive destruction of property caused thereby, the Government had published a circular on “Fire Precautions for Householders,” and he enclosed copies of the circular. It was suggested that local bodies might distribute these circulars in their respective districts, and for that purpose supplies might be obtained from the department.—The letter was received but no circulars were ordered,

The Railway- Department drew the council’s attention to the fact that several cross-arm notices required painting and re-lettering. These arms had been erected by the department at its own expense on condition that the council maintained them after erection.—The matter was left in the engineer’s hands.

The District Engineer, Mr. T. M. Ball, advised that the department had agreed that a monthly return of men employed on subsidised works would be sufficient as several local bodies had called attention to . the difficulty- of furnishing weekly returns.

The Highway- Boards representative, Mr, T. M. Ball, forwarded a copy of the main highways estimates for tjieir highway district for 1926-27. The district engineer, Mr. T. M. Ball, advised that there was no officer available who could undertake the work of repairing the Moeawatea Valley- Road during the next three months, but he was prepared to inspect the track in company with the council’s engineer and to make out an estimate of the cost. If this should exceed the £2O already- authorised he was prepared to recommend that extra authority be- issued to tiie council to enable the work to be carried out.—The matter was left in the hand 4 of Cr. MeWilliam and the engineer. The council passed a resolution congratulating Sir Walter Carncross, Speaker of the Legislative Council, “on his wisdom in giving the casting vote in the interest of the fanning community” against the Summer Time Bill.

Cr. McWilliam drew attention to the very sharp corner at the foot of the Mangainingi Ridge. A bank on this corner interfered with the vision of drivers, and as a result the corner was a very difficult one to negotiate.

The chairman said they had already approached the Highways Board, but so far no action had been taken.

On the motion of Cr. McGuinness the Hawera County- Council was thanked for the manner- in which they had looked after the Skeet Road for such a long time and for their co-operation in the matter.