INGLEWOOD COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1928, Page 5

INGLEWOOD COUNTY

REPORTS OF MONTH’S WORK STATE OF ROADS AND BRIDGES. BUSINESS AT COUNCIL MEETING. A meeting of Inglewood County Council was held yeaterdav. Present Crs. R. Stewart (chairman), A. Corkill, J. Hunter, J. Grieve, H. R. Jones, J. Young, A. E. Cowley-and W. N. Willans. The consulting engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that bitumen work on the main highway between Tariki and Waipuku, covering a distance of about 71 chains, had been satisfactorily completed in its entirety and application could be made for the Highway’s contribution. No definite action in eon nection with the construction of the Bedford Road Waiongona bridge had been decided upon up to the present. The Bedford Road formation work had been parctically completed and the metalling would be started this week. It was necessary to appoint a spreader on behalf of the council’s interests. Satisfactory progress was being made with the work at the Maketawa deviation. The delay in starting was somewhat justified by reason of the fact that the contractor has other work on hand for the council. An early start, however, must be insisted upon and provision made for metalling to commence at a time suitable to both contracts. The overseer (Mr. Geo. Barrach) reported as follows.— North Riding.—The roads in this riding have broken up owing to the continued dry weather and considerable sheep traffic. Blinding has been done on the Rimutauteka and Bristol Roads for a considerable distance. Other roads in this locality will be attended to as soon as possible. A culvert’ on the north Kaimata Road has been thoroughly cleaned out. Another culvert on the Junction East Road near Durham Road has also been cleaned out and outlets made. Junction East Road, has been blinded from the top of the Zig-zag to Kaimata. Twelve 1-foot pipes have been put in to replace an old wooden culvert near the Suffolk Road. Lincoln Road has been raked and blinded, for a good part of its length. The roadman on this length was engaged on the tar work at Tariki.

South Riding.—Tariki Road has been i frem Leng’s co~:«r to Ratapiko. The Razor-’-ack has been rounded up and Kupara Road has also been attended to for its full length. In company with the chairman Mid Mr. Anderson, of the Power Board, I went to Ratapiko re the deviation. I would recommend the Council taking over the deviation, subject to the Power Board being responsible for any damage caused by their tunnels or pipes passing through the road. Mr. Grigg has commenced work at Bosley’s, ploughing, grading and putting in nipes, and is making good progress. A new outlet has been made for the water from a culvert on the Ross Road. The old creek will be filled in and the road straightened as. opportunit y ofi-rs. Metal has been spread on the Ross Road at '"’Byrne's property. Approximately 3 chains of Ngaio Road has also received attention, and Rugby Road has been blinded in places. East Riding.—The Junction Road has been blinded from the top of the Zigzag to Tarata township. Otaraoa Road has been blinded from end to end, also the Wiri Road for its entire length. Autawa Road has been patched with fine gravel from a pit on the road. The bridge over the Waitara River at Tarata will require some new decking as some of the planks are breaking up. This is being attended to. Scqtt has finished his contract, carting out 6131 yards of gravel from Riley’s pit and distributing it on six miles of the Junction-Road. This pit has run out to papa and a good deal of trouble was experienced in getting out the last hundred yards. Sixty cubic yards were spread on the Toro Road and 54 yards on the Opui Road. All the timber for the Pukemahoe bridge is now on the site and work is proceeding. West Riding. —The rotary crusher has been set up on the Surrey Road. As there are no banks suitable the crusher has to be fed off the drays. Durham Road west has been blinded for a good part of its length. Kaipi Road has been raked i.:id blinded its entire length. Egmont Road north has also been blinded, but the council will have to consider re-metalling a good part of this road. Egmont Road south has also received attention, and Lepper Road has been blinded in the worst places The Anderson crusher has been set up on the Bedford Road, and will commence crushing as soon as the contractor is allowed to proceed. The King Road is also being blinded as it is breaking up Badly. In reply to Cr. Jones the overseer stated that no one had given him authority to cart metal over the Razorback; he had takenit down on his own.

Cr. Jones considered that it was a mistake. If a settler were given four chains one year he would want six chains the next, until gradually the whole road would be metalled. The overseer said that he had carted 8 yards down, but as soon as Cr. Jones complained he had stopped and. would cart no more there. He had intended metalling the filling on the Tariki Road.

To Cr. Jones the overseer said that he could give the cost of the filling. Cr. Jones said that a good job had been made of the filling. He would like to know the eost as it was very annoying to be told by ratepayers that no work was done on the roads.

Replying to Cr. Corkill the overseer stated that 40 or 50 new planks would be required on the Tarata bridge. Cr. Grieve said the chords on one side of the bridge had been renewed and those on the other side would shortly require renewing. The clerk submitted a monthly statement showing that on February 7, the bank balance was overdrawn £10,624 19s 2d. On the main county Toads £5BB of the estimated amount had been expended, leaving £172 in credit. On the main highways £1499 had been expended, leaving 1323 available. In the north riding £lOB6 had been expended, leaving a debit of £76. In the south riding £1405 had been expended leaving £162 in credit. In the east riding £305 had. been expended leaving £lBl availabe, while in the west riding £1269 had been expended, leaving £lB9 available. In the main rot i's account the balance at October 1, 1927 was, £3599, the subsidy on completed work £2400 ( £ for £) £l2OO, a total of £4759) £2400 had been expended to date, leaving a balance of £2399. There was also the cost Lou the Majcelawa deviation estimate .£849

less subsidy £400) £440, and the Dudley-Bristol section estimate £936, subsidy £468) £468, leaving a balance of £1641, which, with a £ for £ subsidy, would make £3282.

Cr. Corkill asked where the balance was of the £9OOO the council had at the commencement of the year. The clerk stated that the amount was about £7000; moreover, they had not received subsidy on the whole of the Waiongona section. There was a loss on the first section of Waiongona because it had exceeded the estimate, but on the second section they received £ for £. They should therefore endeavour to keep each section within the estimate. In allowing for the amount available for expenditure, he had estimated on a £ for £ subsidy basis. He considered the whole trouble was due to the plans not being sent in to the Public Works Department in the requisite time. Through this, though the work was carried out at a reasonable cost, there was a loss in subsidy. MAIN HIGHWAYS MATTERS. Mr. T. M. Ball, district engineer, Stratford, notified receipt of Mr. Dowsett's proposals for 'bitumen-grouting and sealing the New Plymouth-Kaimata highway from Maketawa to Manganui. As there were no provisions in the estimates for the work he would like to know before forwarding the proposals to the board if the council desired permission to proceed with the work and finance it itself until such time as money was voted for the work. Cr. Jones wished to know where tire council would receive the money to carry on the work. The clerk stated that they would get the subsidy on the Waipuku section, amounting to £l2OO, 'before March 31. The work had not yet been passed, but the inspector was very pleased with it. He considered it the best piece of road between New Plymouth and Hawera.

It was later decided to put in hand the Manganui-Maketawa section of the Junction Road as soon as authority was received and tenders would then be called for the-necessary boulders. The Main Highways Board notified that in designing and approving of struc tures for minor bridges up to 12ft span the board’s representative should note that in the interests of safety the width of the structure should be equivalent io the trafficable Width of the adjacent formation. SECONDARY HIGHWAYS. The chairman reported that at the meeting of the county councils included in the No. 7 Highways Area, it had been decided to recommend that the 19 miles of Junction Road from Kaimata to the county boundary at ’ Purangi should be declared a highway. Cr. Corkill said, that the Inglewood County Council had got its mileage of road included, but it would not save a great deal of maintenance on the 12 miles beyond Tarata. He noted that Taranaki had included six miles of the Egmont Road. Inglewood had four miles of the same road, which he considered should have been included, whilst the Lepper Road carried considerably more traffic and was more expensive to maintain. The clerk stated that he understood the balance of the Egmont Road was to be recommended for inclusion. W. H. Morine, Bedford Road, asked the council to consider forming and metalling the Bedford Road from Hastic’s gate to his property. Part had been formed but had got out of repair through neglect. The distance was half a mile and there was plenty of metal handy. He did not think the work would eost much, and they were quite willing to pay the extra rate when it was completed. The clerk said there were three settlers on the road and he understood they were willing to raise a loan for the purpose. The matter was referred to the c-lerk to look into with a view to raising a loan. COUNCILLORS’ EXPENSES. The Department of Internal Affairs .submitted a schedule prescribing rates of travelling allowance to be paid members on the basis of 8d per mile each way, or actual fare paid. Cr. James considered that the rate proposed would not pay for a councillor’s lunch. They could not expect a man to be out of pocket in addition to giving his time. Members considered that the present arrangement was satisfactory, namely, to pay the actual expenses incurred by each councillor, and it was resolved to submit this to the Auditor-General for hie approval. DECLARING MAIN ROADS. Cr. Jones moved in accordance with notice that the Tariki Road from its intersection with Mountain Road to its junction with Ratapiko Road, a distance of about o’.i miles, and Bristol Road from Junction Road to Rimutautika Road junction, a distance of about five miles, be declared main county roads. He said that such a resolution would make the maintenance of the roads throughout the county a more equitable burden on the ratepayers. He pointed out that when the county was first formed the Mountain Road from Lepperton to Waipuku, the Junction Road from the Waiwakaiho bridge to Purangi, and the Lepper Road to Kaimiro had been declared main roads, while the Egmont Road had since been declared a main highway. They had since expended £40,000 of loan money, the bulk of which had been expended on the. Junction and Mountain Roads in the west riding, and if that meant anything at all it meant cheaper transport. Councillor Cowley, in seconding, agreed that the West Riding was getting a little more than its Share and the South Riding, which carried a lot of back roads traffic, was being penalised.

Councillor Hunter pointed out that at the first meeting of the newly formed council, the Jnction Road and the Mountain Road, as well as the Egmont and Lepper Roads in the West Riding, the Tariki and Kaimata South Roads in the South Riding, the Bristol Road to the Manganui bridge and the Wortley Road to the Lincoln Road in the north, had been declared main county roads. Later the chairman at the time gave notice of motion and the resolution was altered, leaving on the Junction and Mountain Roads, as well as the Egmont Road from Kaimiro to the radius line and the Lepper Road from the Junction Road to Kaimiro as main roads, both being in the west riding. Later again, the lower end of the Egmont Road was declared a main highway. The roads of the north riding at present were in worse order than those of any other riding, and. unless they could have that portion of the road declared a main road they would have to increase their rates very much. He pointed out that there was a lot of traffic along the Bristol Road to the Everett reserve which was becoming increasing!' -.1 ,4 /■

Cr. Young said that recently there were 20 cars and three motor-lorries at the reserve with a total of 150 people, and he was surprised to find what a fine place it was. The chairman held that the first duty of councillors was to the council as a whole, and not to any particular riding. He submitted figures showing that during the eight years of the county’s existence, the north riding had contributed out of its maintenance money £854 3s 6d, which had been used in work that should have come out of loan money, and was at present indebted to the general fund to the extent of £1317 Is, so that it was in the weakest portion of any riding. The south had similarly contributed. £1553 6s 7d, or practically one year’s maintenance ( £1567). The east riding had contributed £453’ Is 9d, or practically one year’s maintenance ( £486), and" the west riding had contributed £297 9s 2d, whereas its allocation had been £1458.

He was prepared to admit that tile west riding had received concessions, and he was prepared, if a riding was in a strong position, that it should contribute something to the weaker ridings. It had not been shown that the west riding was making any headway with its roads, which had to carry very heavy timber and firewood traffic, in addition to the ordinary farmers’ traffic. Indeed, with the latter only they would have no difficulty in maintaining their roads. The south riding already had the Dudley Road off its hands, and also hi.l the Junction Road right through to Purangi declared a highway, so that it would not need to collect the same rate next year. It was not entitled to any concession. He, however, felt that the north riding was entitled to some consideration, and therefore moved as an amendment that the Bristol Rond from the Junction Road to Rimutautika Road junction, a distance of five miles, be declared a main county road. Cr. Young seconded the amendment Cr. Corkill could not see his way clear to support either the motion or the amendment. The mileage of roads le’.t to the ridings to maintain should be the basis on which they worked, and they had no definite information as to that. If there were a greater mileage of roads in the north and south ridings in proportion to the amount of revenue they received, then they should get assistance. The south riding was served by nineteen miles of main highways, but the west, which had a little more mileage of main highway, was nearer the port and had tremendously heavy traffic to carry. Cr. Cowley said that the districts out back did not get the same value for ■every pound spent as did the districts more readily accessible. Cr. Oorkill: That is the trouble We are not getting value for the money expended. Cr. Jones said that the amendment was ridiculous, as it meant that the settlers in the south riding had to find the money to maintain the bulk of the roads in the county. He strongly deprecated having to pay anything towards the upkeep of the road to the mountain, which should be wholly maintained by the Highways Board. He considered the statement that the south riding was wealthy was wrong. The amendment was lost, only the mover and seconder voting for it, and the motion also was lost, only Crs. Jones, Cowley and Hunter voting in its favour. BRISTOL ROAD DEVIATION, Cr. Corkill said he was not satisfied with th© way the work was going on at the Bristol Road deviation. It was a job that carried a subsidy and required a qualified engineer. He therefore moved that Mr. Dowsett be placed in charge of the work. Cr. Cowley seconded. The chairman agreed that their overseer was not a qualified engineer, but thought that he was quite capable of carrying out the job satisfactorily according to specification. From the viewpoint of economy also Mr. Barrack's appointment was desirable. The work was now half-finished. Cr. Jones considered that the Public Works Department would be more satisfied if the work was in charge of the engineer. Cr. Corkill said that there was no reflection whatever on the overseer, but it was an engineer’s job. The motion was then put and carried, GENERAL. In connection with the York Road metalling contract the successful tendered (Mr. A. C. Vincent) asked that the work be handed over to the next lowest tenderer as, owing to the council having divided the work into two separate contracts, he would be delayed in starting and the work would not be profitable.

It was decided to call fresh tenders for the metalling. J. Hayes asked permission to repair and use 'portion of the Derby Road to enable him to haul timber to the Norfolk Road. He also asked permission to temporarily stack timber on tho roadside for the lorries to load. —Left in the hands of the overseer, with the understanding that the road had to be clear by May 1, when the heavy traffic by-laws came into operation. A. O. Kidd, Stratford, wrote claiming £2O for the cost of repairs to his motoi lorry, which was damaged on December 24, 1927, owing to the truck going through the rough covering ou a culvert on the Mountain Load, near Waiongona, which had recently been concreted. The contractors, he stated, had given permission for the truck to proceed oyer the road, stating that it was safe. In fact, it was stated to have been safe the previous day. Apparently, the letter stated, the filling in had no ’ ; been properly done or the truck would not have sunk into the roadway at all. It was decided to accept no liability. W. Dowman reported that good progress was being made with the construction of the Pukemahoe bridge It would have been finished before this tat for delay in the arrival of timber H. Eichstead, Waipuku, asked for permission to plough a smad corner m a cutting on th© Kaimata Road, so as to facilitate clearing weeds on his frontage—Left in the hands of the overseer.