EGMONT COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1927, Page 10

EGMONT COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL WORK OF THE PAST MONTH. REPORT OF THE ENGINEER. ■ The monthly meeting of the Egmont County Council was held at Opunake yesterday, when there were present:— Crs. W. C. Green (chairman), R. C. Watson, J. F. Shepherd, A. E. Collins, G. Gibson, J. S. Tosland. A. J. Lilley, J. Hickey junr., and J. Young. The engineer (Mr. F. M. Corkill) reported as follows:Main Roads Reconstruction. —Very little has been done this month. On the Eltham Road (contract No. 510) the sealing coat has been completed, except for a few places where the nearness of trees has kept the road too wet to be swept clean. The crusher has moved to the Otakeho River, but the contractors eventually decided to attempt no more work until the weather is more settled. Contract No. 508 (Warea). —The sealing coat was completed and five chains have been grouted under the first extension of the contract between the spells of bad weather. Contract No. 494.—The small pieces of sealing near the Okaliu and Oaonui Rivers have been completed. This contract is now completed, except for a few small matters still to be attended to.

Pungaereere Bridge (Main South Road). —The high state of the river has hindered progress, but one foundation is concreted and the other is well ahead. Steel and forms have been prepared and most of the groining has been done. The Punehu bridge, on the OpunakeStratford Road, lias been completed and is a good job. Okahu Road. —Weather has again made progress slow up in the high country. The metalling has been completed from Newall Road to the Kapoaiaia bridge, though some of the metal is not up to the requirements. Most of the drains and culverts are completed. All earthwork has been done except for a little at the farther end. Great difficulty is being experienced in getting good metal, but arrangements are being made which, it is expected, will get over this difficulty. It is probable that the work will be stopped from now until the spring. Plans for a further two miles from the Kahuia Road to the Ngariki Road have been prepared, and, I understand, the Public Works Department will soon be putting on a further 30 men on this work. Maintenance. —The main roads have been given the usual attention. The Oaoiti bridge had repairs. Thirty chains have been scarified and re-rolled near Parihaka. Crushing of Munro’s contract (No. 447) has been completed, resulting in 616 cubic yards. An additional eight yards was also crushed. Oeo Riding.—Work has been done on the Kiri, Opunake-Stratford, Oeo, Patiki, and Weka roads. The work for the Inglewood Bacon Company at the Pihama station has been done. O. G. Northcott is getting his stone out of the Nopera Road. Opua Riding.—The Kawaora, Waiteika, Nainu and Upper Kina roads have been given attention. Rahotu Riding.—The Saunders, Upper and Lower Kahui, Cape and Opourapa roads have been patched and otherwise dealt with. On the Upper Parihaka 63 chains have been scarified and rolled. On the Tipoka Road the work commenced last month has been completed, making 271 chains. Seventy-five yards of extra metal was used on this. At the Lower Parihaka Road, 337 cubic yards were crushed of the metal obtained from clearing out the pit on Mr. Taylor’s. This has been dumped for future use. Newall Riding.—The Carrington, Newall and Warea roads have had a good deal of work. Mataikahawai Road.—Apart from the eulvert outlets, most of which will be of considerable length, this work A well towards completion. * MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Mr. T. M. Ball, Highways Board’s representative, wrote to the effect that when the Highways Board was at Opunake, the council had placed before it a statement showing that for work already done, the board owed them approximately £14,000, and in order to carry on the year’s programme it would be necessary for the council to receive payment of the amount. In addition the council had intimated that, in order to carry out their bridge reconstruction programme, for which loan monies were available, they would like the board to make roughly £4500 to £5OOO a year available. It was intimated to the council that, in connection with the forthcoming estimates, the board would do its best to provide the amount required, in particular the £14,000 for bitumen work already carried out. The board, at a special meeting held since being in the district, confirmed the intimation then given to the council. The chairman said the letter was .very satisfactory. The Public Works Department notified payment to the council’s account of £ll2O 3s fid, being subsidy on maintenance work on the Lepperton JunctionTTawera via Opunake main highway, Puniho-Oeo section. The Main Highways Board notified approval of the proposed expenditure of £16,110 6s 8d on the Eltham-Opu-nake Road from Awatuna. This comprised 400 chains of sealed road and 320 chains of penetrated road. A subsidy of £6055 3s 4d, being £1 for £l, '.ess £2OOO already authorised, was also approved. CLOSE OF COUNTY YEAR. The Matamata County Council brought before county councils the question of an amendment to the Counties Act to provide for the financial year ending on June 30 instead of March 31. The litter date was open to objection as the accounts closing on that day did not really reflect the year's operations. Frequently, owing to wet weather conditions, road construction works were

not under way until December, and were continued until April and May. Very often Government authority for such an expenditure was not available for an earlier commencement, as a result of which all works were in full swing during February and March, and very few commenced during one financial year were finished until the succeeding year. It therefore followed that any statement of accounts covering the financial year' were not a record of the season’s operations; in fact, it was usually possible to include works up to February 28, as costs for March were not paid until April. By June the year’s programme was completed. The clerk stated that while March 31 did not give a reflex of the year’s operations, the financial year closed on that date to enable the returns to be tabulated and presented to Parliament. Cr. Shepherd said there was the danger that in March councils would reduce their staffs so as to live within their means. The chairman did not consider the position detrimental, as it was at present,. but ha would be quite prepared to have it discussed at the counties’ conference. It was resolved that the council expresses its sympathy with the proposal, but could not express its approval without further consideration. EXEMPTING MILK TRAFFIC. Mr. Vai Duff, secretary of the Taranaki Automobile Association, wrote that some months ago the association had made representations to the authorities with a view to having a specially reduced rate charged to dairy farmers who own light lorries and used them

for carting their milk to the factory, and possibly manures and other goods from the railway station. It was felt that it was inflicting a hardship on those farmers to ask them to pay the ordinary fee, in view of the fact that they used the roads to such a small extent. It was understood that some of the local authorities in Taranaki did not levy any fees in such cases, and the North Island Motor Union, before taking the matter up further with the Minister, had asked them to ascertain just how far the practice extended. lhe chairman said the position had been made clear at the last conference of the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association, when it was agreed that local bodies in the group would stay their hands and not collect fees on farmers’ lorries for milk carting unless over two tons.. Of course commercial lorries used for collecting cream, etc., came under a different category. The council could not pass a resolution agreeing not to collect the fee as another local body might force their hands. As far as he knew there was no lorry which with load exceeded two tons carting milk in their factory. Councillors generally' considered that the Act never intended such vehicles should be taxed, and if they were taxed undoubtedly it would be an injustice. It was resolved to reply that as far as the council knew there were no such lorries operating in their district, but that councillors considered that heavy traffic fees should not be imposed in such cases. A SETTLER’S APPRECIATION. A. 11. Wan wrote expressing appreciation of the prompt manner in which the council and its staff had given effect to his request that a bridge be constructed over the Waiau River at the Wiremu Road creamery. His request had been made to previous councils and no results had been forthcoming, a fact that, he thought, added credit to the council and staff for their successful efforts in securing the funds and having the work completed in an expeditious manner. The cartage of materials for construction at the bridge, he stated, had badly cut up the surface of Wiremu Road leading from Ihaia Road to the bridge, and he asked the council to have the portion of the Wiremu Road and the approach to the bridge from either side metalled. That piece of road had in the past been kept passable by the work of Mr. King and himself. Members expressed appreciation of the splendid work done by Mr. Wan, and it was resolved to authorise the engineer to obtain an estimate of the cost of metalling with a view to obtaining a Government grant which the council could subsidise. It was stated that the council could not possibly do any new metalling out of rates. THE MIRIHAU ROAD.

G. E. Watson, Puniho, on behalf of the settlers, drew attention to the state of the Mirihau Road, about one and a quarter miles of which was mud whilst the Matanehunehu Stream had to be forded. In flood time the stream rose so high that they could not cross it with their milk. But for the generosity of neighbours in allowing the use of their paddocks, they would at times have to feed their pigs, etc., on new milk. They were anticipating raising a loan to get the road metalled, and asked the council to approach the Government with a view to securing a grant. The chairman thought the council should use its endeavours to secure a grant, as he understood there was some money available. Cr. Lilley pointed out that the road would only benefit one man, and he thought that a grant there might prejudice the securing of a grant on the Newall Road, which would benefit several settlers. The matter was finally referred to the chairman. Crs. Gibson and Lilley to report to the next meeting of the council. GENERAL. Referring to the letter from the council urging the revision of the valuation rolls for the Egmont County, the Valuer-General advised that the deterioration which had taken place in several other counties had made the position so acute that preference had to be given to the revision of those counties. He realised that Egmont County required revision, and would have the work undertaken as soon as a favourable opportunity occurred. It was resolved to draw the attention , of the Opunake Power Board to the necessity for removing poles that had been placed in a dangerous position. D. F. Greenway asked- the council to metal about 12 chains of the Pungare.hu Road from the end of the metal to his

boundary. He offered to do any forma- | tion required. The matter was referred to th© engineer to report with a view to | having the work carried out H. Wiltshire (poundkeeper) reported having visited various roads and impounded 35 bullocks, 22 cows, four yearlings, and eight horses, a total of 71 animals. Mr. R. Day, chief inspector for the New Plymouth borough, forwarded a statement for the January-March quarter showing the apportionment of heavy traffic fees as approved by the Locai Bodies’ Association. This showed that the Egmont County was entitled to £45 15s 9d, being £3O 9s 3d on a mileage basis and £l5 6s 6d on a capital value basis. Stratford borough would pay £45 3s and New Plymouth borough 12s 9d. In connection with prosecutions foi breaches of by-laws, it was resolved that the engineer and clerk be appointed to decide on each case, whether the evidence was sufficient to warrant prosecution.

E. Maxwell wrote asking the council to effect improvement to the drain at the Ngariki Road. The action of the engineer in clearing out the drain was confirmed. It was also resolved that, providing Mr. Maxwell find the pipes for one crossing, the council will put it In. The Local Government Loans Board forwarded a copy of a circular letter requesting local authorities to furnish a return of estimated loan proposals for the financial vear ending March 31, 1928. The Conservator of Forests, Rotorua, notified that the services of the department in the way of advice, etc., were available to any local bodies desirous of planting small reserves, etc. The Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, notified that arrangements had been made with the Minister of Stamp Duties that in the preparation of town planning schemes local authorities wore given leave to conduct searches of records for town planning purposes without payment of any fee.