TARANAKI COUNTY WORK

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1929, Page 15

TARANAKI COUNTY WORK

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS

REPAIRS DURING PAST MONTH.

REPORTS RECEIVED BY COUNCIL.

The: monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. J. S. Connett (chairman), W. Hall, W. Cartwright, R. Woods, S. Vickers, L. Carey and TV. Thomas. The overseer (Mr. G. Meredith) reported that during the month the rotary crusher had been worked 17 days at the Stonely River depot, crushing 1679 cubic yards of metal and. chips which had been delivered as follows: Leith Road, 12 yards; Upper Pitone Road, 336 yards; Lower Pitone road, 16 yards; Perth Road, 8 yards; Dover Read, 16 yards; Main Highway side tracks, 52 yards; Puniho Road, 485 yards; Oxford Road, 18 yards; Hoanj Road, 2 yards; Kaihihi Road, 692 yards; Brophy’s Road, 6 yards. Shingle used for blinding Kaihihi Road was 36 yards from the dump at Okato. The Hope crusher was worked eight days at the Sunder’s Road depot, crushing 501 yards of metaT delivered as follows: 424 yards spread on Saunders Road; 45J yards dumped at the depot; 18J yards to Oxford Road Dairy Company and 13 yards to Mr. D.-Brophy. Metal was carted from the railway pit' at Sentry Hill as follows: Waitara Road 4 yards, Smart Road 4 yards, Auckland-Wellington Highway 8 yards.

The total amount of metal, chips and shingle carted with lorries during the month was 1975 yards. General maintenance work had been carried out in the Mangorei riding. Water tables had been attended to and the metal had been patched where necessary on the Mangorei, Carrington, Hurworth, Kent, Alfred, Albert . and Korito Roads. Asphalt patching and banking up had been done on the main highway. At the intersection, of the Junction and Kent Roads the culvert under the Kent Road had been shifted further south and the sides of the asphalt built up with metal; previous to this work being done the junction Road was very*narrow at this point. In the Waitara riding, the motor roller had been engaged scarifying and rolling on the Upland, King. Hursthouse and smart Roads. The grader had been used on the Tate, Waitara and Pennington Roads shearing off the grass shoulders from the metal. Metal patching and water tables had been attended to on the Dorsett, Hursthouse, Upland, Henwood, King, Corbett, Brown, Moun-tain,-Manutahi, Kelly, Te Arei, Waitara, Richmond and Cross Roads. The overseer had inspected the Te Arei Road from the gate- leading into the Aerodrome to Devon Road with a view of making a parking place for cars. To level that portion of the road on the western side of the metal for a distance of 25 chains would cost approximately £37 10s.

In the Omata riding, Foreman Seamark had been engaged cleaning out watertables, banking up and patching metal on the Hurford, Beach, Waireka, Pheany, Ngamotu and Barrett Roads. The asphalt had been patched and the side tracks repaired on the Main Highways. Foreman Sadler’s time had been taken up attending to water-tables and patching metal on the Frankley, Veale, Elliott and Cowling Roads. At the intersection of Frankley and Elliott Roads the portion that was widened had been metalled and blinded. In the Okato riding the re-metalling on the Upper Pitone and Puniho Roads had been completed. A start had been made with the re-metalling of the Kaihihi Road. Oxford-Saunders Road metalling had been completed a distance of 76 chains. Foremen Hayes and Gray had been engaged practically the whole of the month with the metalling on the Oxford-Saunders and Kaihihi Roads. Metal patching had been done and water-tables attended to on the Upper .and Lower Pitone, Main South, Greenwood, Timaru, Ahu Ahu, Surrey Hill, Koru, Plymouth and Kirih.au Roads. The bends on the Timaru hill, Katikara hill and Betts’ hill were now being scarified, shaped and rolled. The report was aiopted. WORK OF THE INSPECTOR. The county inspector- (Mr. R. Aroa) reported that he had found a few head of stock at large on the roads. Driving fees had been charged in one case and another was pending in court,. As a whole the roads had been exceptionally free of wandering stock. No cases of unlighted vehicles had come under Jiis notice during the month. He hoped that lessons. received in court would bear fruit. ..He had inspected brakes, licenses (drivers’), heavy -traffic licenses and general equipment on motor vehicles on different occasions. Two cases had been to court for unlicensed drivers, and one for inefficient brakes. All lorries coming under his inspection had had their heavy traffic licenses in order. Heavy traffic on by-roads had not given any trouble. Lorry owners were now working more in harmony with the council than was the case a few years ago. Though the month has'been very wet, byroads were in first-class order and showed no abuse of the restrictions on heavy traffic.

Fees had been collected during August amounting to £2B Bs, made up as follows: Heavy traffic licenses, £2O 10s; motor drivers’ licenses, £4; fines, £2 15s; plying for hire, £1; driving fees, 355. The report was adopted. The financial statement showed the following balances available; —Mangorei Riding, £2410 53 sd; Waitara Riding, £2378 16s 3d; Omata Riding, £325 Ils lid; ■Okato Riding, £2465 15s 9d. A complaint, was received of the condition of the trade along Beach Road, and it was decided that stone and shingle be brought up to make it negotiable. Councillor Thomas reported that he had inspected the Upper Saunders Road and estimated the cost of the work at from £lBO to £2OO. The council decided that. Mr. Wilkinson be asked to assist in obtaining a Government grant of £2OO to carry out the formation. The council decided that it was unable to metal the Lepper Road. The Upper Cowling Road would, be formed and metalled for 12 chains, decided the council, on condition that Mr. Pike contributed £lOO to the cost. It was decided that the re-grading of Tate Road be carried out as suggested by the overseer. It was decided that the Brown, Weld and Richmond Road tenders be invited as soon as the funds are assured. The tender of A. J. Chard of 2s 2d per yard for 400 yards of boulders at the Stony River depot was accepted. The overseer was instructed to inspect the complaints of Mr. G. Sole relative to traffic cutting up his entrance. Notification was given by W. L. Russell that he did not intend to renew his lease of the piece of land at present leased by him on the Waiwakaihq River. The fresh

leasing of the reserve was left to the. riding councillors to arrange. The New Plymouth Aero Club wrote thanking the council for the special effort made in constructing an entrance to the club’s aerodrome, and asked if the council could see its way not to charge for the work. The council decided to bear half the cost (£7 18s).

The Upper Puniho Road loan petition, stated a letter from Mr. G. R. Old, had been signed by Egmont County ratepayers and forwarded to Opunake. Mr. Old understood the Taranaki ratepayers had done the same and he advised that the matter be pushed on, as it was almost impossible to get up and down the road. Councillor Thomas’ . suggestion that a conference be held with the Egmont County on the matter in the Tumahu Hall wag approved. Plans and specifications approved by the Highways Board for improvements to the fourth mile of the Avenue-Junction Road were submitted by Messrs. Sladden and Palmer. The total cost was estimated at £3309 14s. The executive of the New Zealand Counties’ Association reported that the proposal to create a second Main Highways Board for the South Island was fully considered at a meeting on July 19. The executive unanimously resolved that the creation of a second Highways Board was neither necessary nor desirable.. The council supported the policy of the executive.

The Main Highways Board approved of work by the county on the following works and made grants as follows:—Ngamotu Road subsidy, £lB 2s 4d; OxfordSaunders Road subsidy, £429 Is 6d; Auck-land-Wellington highway, Waitara to Waiongona Stream subsidy, £126 4s 8d; Lepperton Junction to Puniho subsidy, £6Bl 5s 4d.