EGMONT COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1926, Page 10

EGMONT COUNTY

THE MONTH’S OPERATIONS MEETING OF COUNCIL, THE ENGINEER’S REPORT. The monthly meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake yesterday when there were present: Councillors W. C. Green (chairman), 1Young, J. Hickey inn., A. J. Lilley, JS. Tosland, G. Gibson, A. E. Collins, F. J. Shepherd and R. C. Watson. The chairman reported that the clerk was making satisfactory progress and was hopeful of leaving Wellington after Christmas. It was decided to grant Mr. G. W. Rogers three months leave of absence, and the necessary resolution was passed, authorising the assistant clerk, Miss Hirst, to operate on the banking account. Mr. T. H. H. Sinclair acted as minute clerk. The engineer (Mr. F. M. Corkill) reported as follows; — Main Roads Reconstruction—The metalling and grouting of the Main South Road from Waiteika to the Eltham Road junction has been completed. On the Eltham Road, near the railway crossing, the metalling has been completed, part being grouted and part water-bound. All metalling on this contract, except the gap at the MangaImnie bridge, has thus been completed. There remains to be done some five miles of two-coat sealing, and a mile and a quarter of sealing coat on the grouted work. On the Main South Road (Punihoj 42 chains were metalled and grouted from the county boundary southwards towards Warea. After reaching the Matanchunehu Stream the work was started from near the Bayly Road, working northwards. On the Eltham Road, only 13 chains were metalled and grouted. There have been variout delays, and the weather has been worse there than on the other jobs. The total length metalled during November was 133 chains. The second span of the Mangahume bridge on the Eltham Road has been concreted and the forms have been stripped. The handrails on one side have been placed, and filling is proceeding. One foundation of the Waiaua bridge (Wiremu Road) has been concreted and a lot of work has been done on the approach road. This work is proving very difficult on account of the great amount of water met with in the excavations for the foundations. T4je excavations for two piers of tie Pungaereere bridge on the Rajiotu Road have been/passed, and one has been concreted. while the other is being done. Maintenance patching has been done throughout the main roads. A great deal of attention was. needed by the new r bitumen work when it commenced to bleed during some of the hot spells. A good start has been made with the contract for delivering gravel for this work. Two miles and a-half at Warea have been trimmed up with the grader. One hundred and four chains have been scarified and re-rolled from Rahotu northwards. On the Main South Road four culverts have been replaced and ou the Eltham Road another four. Oeo Riding. —Patching has been done on the Opunake-Stratford, Titaki, Hone, and Patiki Roads. The 3ft culvert on the Opunake-Stratford Road, near Mr. Beer’s, has been relaid and repaired. Crofskey Bros, have done some work on the Upper Kiri Road as arranged with them. Opua Riding.—Patching has been done on the Upper Kina, Opua, Namu, Waiteika and Ihaia Roads. The new formation work at the top of the Opua Road is proceeding slowly. Rahotu Riding.—On the Lower Kahu! 19 chains have been re-metalled with 100 cubic yards of new metal and rolled down. The balance up to the township has been patched, and the lower portion near Rahotu is being scarified and rolled. The Manihi Road has been patched. Newall Riding.—All roads except the Paora Road have been attended to. New decking was placed on the first bridge on the Stent Road. The Burgess Road has been regraded with the grader from end to end, and the Ruakere was run over and trimmed up. The contractors are making good progress on the Wataroa Road metalling and the drains and culverts and a little formation have been done on the Stent Road extension. General. —The contract for the Okahtt Road formation and metalling was let by the works committee to Ehrhorn and Delaney, and has been signed, but work cannot be started until the monetary authority has been received from the Public Works Department. The report was adopted. ERECTION OF BRIDGES. The chairman stated that with th* engineer he had visited Wellington, and had waited on the chairman of the Main Highways Board, and had received authority to go on with the construction of two bridges, with the understanding that they would not receive any money until after March 31. They could now proceed with the erection of the two bridges; viz., the Pungaereere and the Humana. The chairman had also approached the chairman regarding further authority to construct main roads. At present there was no prospect of obtaining further authority, as all the money available for main road construction had been allotted. If later on, say in February. it was found that the council was making greater progress with its road construction than the chairman of the board anticipated, they could ap ply again and it might be found that some other councils had not progressed as fast as was anticipated, and money might then be available.

HIGHWAYS MATTERS. The Main Highways Board notified Approval of plans and estimates for the maintenance of 271 miles of the Lepperton Junction-Hawera, via Opunake highway, from Pvniho to Oeo, a distance of 27A miles. The total estimate was £2799 19s 7d, and it would carry a subsidy of £1.399 19s 9d on a £1 for £1 subsidy basis. A voucher showing that this had been paid to the council's credit at the bank was received. The Main Highways Board also paid to the councils account the sum of £5780 19* 9d. being. subsidy on the cost of road construction between Rahotu and Arawhata, and Op’ia-Opunake. The Main Highways Board notified that it had authority to advance to local authorities such loans as might from time to time be determined, it being understood that the total amount must not exceed £50.000. It was necessary before local authorities could take advantage of the loans, that authority

must first be obtained under the Local Bodies’ Loan Act, either by poll or consent. The board had not laid down any set rule or principle for th® purpose of deciding the applications, but proposed considering each on its merits. Mr. R. Day, chief inspector, New Plymouth, forwarded a schedule of heavy traffic license fees, showing that the Egmont- County Council -was entitled to receive £l5 16s Id from the Stratford Borough Council, £55 12s 8J from the Opunake Town Board, and £1 12s lOd from the Eltham Borough Council. The council’s delegate to the Counties’ Association was given a free hand in the matter of the allocation of the heavy traffic fees. MORGUE FOR OPUNAKE. The Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote to the effect that the Health Department had notified the board that a morgue was very necessary for the Opunake district, and hearing that the boafd was considering the provision of one at the Cottage Hospital, they asked if the board would be prepared to join with the Egmont Cosnty Council and the Opunake Town Board towards that object. The Hospital Board had a building now on the police station section, which they were willing should be used for the purpose. They were prepared to provide a site at the Cottage Hospital and the building referred to, the two local bodies to pay for its removal, and re-erection, and necessary fittings inside to make it suitable for the purpose. It would then be available for the three bodies to use when needed. Future maintenance would be shared equally by the three bodies interested, and each would pay whatever cost was incurred when used for morgue purposes for their particular district. It was decided to ask the Hospital Board to forward an estimate of the cost, the council intimating that they were prepared to fall in with the idea providing the cost were not excessive. GENERAL. Cr. Tosland reported that he had investigated the claim made by W. H. Wilson for grazing, etc., in connection with the stone taken from the Arawhata Road beach, and recommended that £7O be paid in full settlement. He also recommended that Mr. Wilson be sent a return of all stone and chips taken from the beach, as he was under the impression that some royalty was still outstanding. The report was adopted. . \ It was resolved that the dog tax be the same as last year, viz., 2s 6d for cattle dogs and 10s for others. Mr. H. Wiltshire was appointed dog tax collector and the tender of E. J. Wallis for dog collars at 9d each was accepted. Settlers on the old Coast Road, near the Bayly Road, asked that some three foot pipes should be supplied.—The matter was deferred till the new financial year. Settlers interested in the extraordinary work now being carried out on the Upper Kiri Road, W’ho have not already sent along their contribution to the work, are to be asked to do so. Messrs Isherwood and Bellam’s application to hire the county plant for a Town Board contract was granted. The engineer was granted permission to attend the annual conference of engineers at Auckland on March 14, and was granted the use of the county car for the purpose. It was decided that the office should be closed for the Christmas holidays from December 24 to January 6. The Awatuna Co-op. Dairy Company was granted permission to instal two kerbside benzine pumps. Permission was granted subject to the engineer’s approval. The Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association notified that it had been decided to levy half the annual subscription. The works committee notified that four tenders had been received for the formation and metalling of the Okahu Road. The lowest tender, that of Messrs Ehrhorn and Delaney, at £1616 13s, was accepted. In connection with the appointment of trustees to the Pihama public cemetery, the Under-Secretary of the Lands Department notified that the power delegated to the Hawera County had now passed to the Egmont County Council, which should appoint the trustees.— The council resolved to appoint Messrs B. .T. Duffy, J. D. Conaglen, A. Campbell, J. Harrop and J. Pettigrew.