TARANAKI COUNTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1927, Page 10

TARANAKI COUNTY.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL MAINTENANCE OF ROADS. WORK OF PAST MONTH. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present:—Messrs. J. S. Connett (chairman), W. Hall, W. A. Cartwright, R. Wood, S. Vickers, L. Carey and W. Thomas. The overseer, Mr. G. Meredith, reported as follows on the work of the month: Plant and General. —The crusher has been worked 9J days at the Stony River depot crushing 968 yards of metal which has been delivered as follows: Four hundred and fifteen yards spread on the main highway between the Timaru and Pitone Roads; 165 yards spread on the Minarapa Road, 93 yards dumped at Stony River depot, Pitone Road 24 yards, Leith Road factory 8 yards, Kaihihi Road 17 yards, Hampton Road 17 yards, Komene Road 17 yards, Oxford Road 23 yards, Hoani Road 32 yards, Main South Road between Katikara and Puniho 96 yards, Puniho Road 9 yards, Brophy’s Road, 6 yards, Perth Road 15 yards, Leith Road 17 yards, H. Moss 1 yard, W. Evans 3 yards, B. Gray 2 yards and Okato Tennis Club 8 yards. The crusher was then shifted to the Timaru depot, set up, and has worked one day crushing 81 yards, which has been spread on the Weld Road.

'fetal was carted from Monty’s pit, Sentry Hill, and 60 yards was used for metalling the new bridge and approaches on the Te Arei Road. During the broken weather the staff have been engaged in making pipes, forming Greenwood and Breach Roads, spawling stone at Timaru depot and carting timber from the old bridges on the Te Arei, Corbett, Alfred, Kent and Korito Roads to the depot at Wai wakaiho. Metal handled for the month: Crushed 1049 yards, pit 60 yards, concrete material from Kyngdon’s to Waiwakaiho depot 3 yards, a total of 1,112 yards.

Bridges.—The carpenter has been engaged taking down the old bridges on the Alfred and Kent Roads, and is at present setting up the Hope crusher at the lower end of the Pitone Road.

Mangorei Riding.—The formation on Sheppard’s Road is now completed. The surfacemen have been engaged blinding metal and attending to water-tables on the Korito, Hill, Maude, Kent, Carrington, Mangorei, Baker and Junction Roads. Foreman Dryden has repaired the wash-out on the Mangorei hill on Junction Road. On the Hill Road a 9 inch pipe culvert has been put in to replace an old 6-inch culvert. Foreman Keast has also formed up a portion of this road beyond the metal.

Waitara Riding.—The contractor has done most of the formation work on the Kelly Road, and a start has been male with the metalling. On the Ackworth Road, the contractor has about 25 chains of metalling to do to complete the work. Foreman Jury has been engaged in this riding with the grader on the Te Arei, Mahoetahi, Tate, Waitara and Devon Roads. Foreman Proud has opened up the drain at the foot of the big hill on the Dorset Road. A concrete pipe culvert, 42 feet by 36 inches, has been put in to replace the old wooden culvert. Approximately 95 chains of asphalt sealing and repairs to edges has been done on the Devon Road between Big Jim’s Hill and the Mountain Road. The foreman has been engaged with the usual repair work.

Omata Riding.—The foremen in this riding have been engaged with the usual miscellaneous repairs. Metal hgs been blinded and water-tables attended to on the following roads: Hurford, Waireka, Beach, Barrett, Pheany, Ngamotu, Frankley, Veal, Elliott and Cowling. Okato Riding.—The 90 chains of on the Main South Road between the Timaru and Pitone Roads has been completed, a total of 1608 yards of metal being used. The Minarapa Road metalling is now completed. A start has been made with the Weld Road metal, ling, but owing to the broken weather, v< ry little progress is being made. The formation work on the Greenwood and Beach Roads is practically finished. Clay blinding and water-tables have been attended to on the Puniho, Dover, Main South, Timaru, Surrey Hill, Plymouth, Kiribati and Koru Roads. Foreman Hayes is at present engaged repairing the unmetalled portion of the Saunders Road below the Carrington Road. INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The inspector, Mr. It. Aroa, submitted the following report.—‘‘l have not found as many unlighted vehicles on the roads during March as I did in the two previous months. I have had several of these cases at court; and I hope it will check this menace to some extent. Wandering stock have not given me very much trouble. I have found stock on the roads at times, but nothing to warrant taking action in court. I have impounded two horses in the Fitzroy pound. “I find a great many motorists driving at night without tail-lights on their vehicles. On the night of the Opunake races no less than nine cars passed me without any rear light showing. I have not so far taken action in any of these cases. I should like to warn motorists that I intend to take some of these cases to court in the. near future unless more attention is paid to the matter.” Fees collected by the inspector for March were;- —Heavy traffic licenses, £lO 9s; drivers’ licenses, £lO ss; fines, £8 10s; dog tax, £2 1.55; driving fees, ss; total £3B 14s. During the year the following fees were collected:—Heavy traffic licenses, £685 7s 8d; dog tax, £199 12s 6d; motor drivers’ licenses, £66; fines, £32 10s; traffic licenses (not heavy traffic), £5 Os; driving fees, £2 9s; total £991 5s 2d. The appointment of a mechanic to be in charge nt the shed and to take care of the lorries and ears was left in the hands of the machinery committee. The Taranaki Automobile Association drew the attention of the council to the grave danger created by pedestrians using the roadway between the Waiwakaiho bridge and the showgrounds. As there is no footpath at present, the residents in the large number of houses which have been erected in the locality have no choice but to use the asphalt. The association requested the council to take steps to form a footpath from the bridge, cither to the acid works or to the showgrounds. The matter had been before the council several times, said the chairman, but the construction was by no means inexpensive. It was- decided to keep the matter in view. The district engineer. Mr. T. M. Ball, in reply to the council’s ;letter in connection wuth the Ackworth Hoad, stated that the council might extend metalling

as suggested, up to the total amount of £l5OO, so that the balance of the vote of £550 could be re-voted next year. BRIDGES AND ROADS. After considerable discussion it was decided to instruct the engineer to report on the state of a bridge, built on private property, over the Stony River, so that the council might consider taking control in order that a settler might have access over it. The alternative method of giving access was the formation of about 60 chains of road. It was decided to obtain a report on the state of the suspension bridge over the Waitara River at Tikorangi in view of the proposal to rebuild it at a cost of £2300, of which the Public Works Department would provide £766 13s 4d (one-third of cost), the Clifton County Council £920 and the Taranaki County Council £613 6s Bd. Application would be made in Jhis year's estimate for £767, £1 for £2, the cost of the bridge to be financed by both councils until the subsidy was obtained. The Egmont, County Council wrote stating that it had been requested by owners of sections to raise a special loan tc form and’ metal about two miles of the Puniho Road (upper). The Egmont council was prepared x to entertain the application and asked the Taranaki council's views on the matter, the control of the road being under the latter’s jurisdiction.-—The overseer was instructed to make an estimate and furnish particulars to the Egmont council. Appreciation of the spirit shown by the county workmen in pushing along work as fast as possible before the coming of the wet weather, was expressed when it was stated that several of the men had voluntarily worked on their half-holiday on the Ackworth Road.