WORK OF CLIFTON COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1929, Page 13

WORK OF CLIFTON COUNTY

MAINTENANCE OF THE ROADS MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. RAISING OF LOAN FOR OKAU ROAD. 4 The monthly meeting , of the Clifton County Council was held at Waitara yesterday. Those present were Councillors H. A. Foreman (chairman), F. Sarten, C. H. Barnitt, H. A, Bower, J. A. Watson, J. F. Phillips and G. W. Rogers. The North Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union wrote pointing out that a suggestion had been made by the Urenui branch that the existing by-road by-law relating to heavy traffic, should allow cream and manures to be carted, and that the matter of granting this •concession should be left to the engineer ;or riding member or an inspector. The importance of the request was stressed : as it was absolutely necessary' for farmers to send their cream out and obtain supplies of manures for top-dressing. The council decided it would have to adhere tb the by-law to avoid confusion. The council decided to apply to the Local Government Loans Board for permission to raise a loan of £125,0 for the Kaipikari Road. A license fee of £3 is to be charged Tor each benzine pump within the county. z To an objection by Mr. T. Hayward against any more fencing being erected on his road boundary the council decided to reply that nothing would be done until there had been an inspection by the works committee. A request for the closing of four and a-half acres of bush road reserve near to the property of R. Vautier at Okau was referred to the. works committee. The sums of £1382 Os 6d in respect of work done on the Pukearuhe-Waitara section of the .Auckland-Wellington highway, and £149 5s 3d -for work done on the Ngatimaru Road, were forwarded ■by the Public Works Department. TERMS OF OKAU LOAN. /Notification was received from the local Government Loans Board that the application for an increase in the term of the Okau loan of £2OOO from 20 to 20 years and a decrease in the sinking fund rate from '3 per cent, to 2 per cent, had been considered by a meeting tl’e the board, which decided to adhere, to. its. previous decision. The board considered the increased annual charges necessitated by reason of the .shorter term were so small as not to press:/unduly, on the ratepayers in the special rating area, and furthermore that a loan for the same period as in the case of the Onaero-Mataro Road Joan was not warranted. The actual* difference in the annual charges would be £2O per annum spread over 27 ratepayers. The average difference in rates would not exceed 15s for each ratepayer. The board pointed out that although traffic on the Okau Road was very light and not likely to develop very rapidly, the section to be formed and metalled was a portion of a through route to Ohura. Cr. Barnitt thought the payment of l'ss more a year over 20 instead of 26 years was only a small consideration. A suggestion that the ratepayers Should wait to see if the Highways Board might take over the work was made by the chairman. The road would eventually become- a highway and he thought such a position probable. ■Opposition to marking time was expressed by Crs. Barnitt and Bower, and the latter was asked to place the letter before the ratepayers concerned. Plans for the Mangawhero, Mangatana and Boar Creek bridges were approved and the engineer was instructed to apply to the Public Works Department for approval and authority to proceed with their construction. The council agreed to subsidise £1 for £1 up to £lO, .the work of metalling two chains of the entrance of the road to the Urenui Domain. A deputation composed of settlers on the Upper Okoke, Piko and Kaka Roads waited on the council requesting that something be done to remove many of the very sharp corners on those roads. The road would still be narrow if the, comers were cut off, said the spokesman, Mr, G. C. Whitaker, but the vision would be improved and the risk of accident lessened. Last year a man was run over- by a lorry and there had been many narrow escapes as well. DANGER TO SCHOOL BUS. It was pointed out by other members of the deputation that the great difficulty and danger arose from the bus which conveyed children to school. They had ehanged it from one road to another, but had not been able to avoid the difficulty of cars or lorries meeting it at awkward places. On some of the corners it would be impossible -for it to pass a cream lorry, and one morning when the two did meet at one corner it had been only the merest chance that the school bus did not go over. As it was the children had to be transhipped before the vehicles could pass. He fully realised there were a mTmber of dangerous corners, replied the chairman, but to cut them all back was a matter of finance. The council might put »in hand some of the worst corners shortly. The surfaceman had been instructed to do what he could, and if the settlers were prepared to help the council would have some of the work done more quickly in the coming summer. The settlers had to remember that they were living in a back district and could not travel at such a pace as they would on a main road. The report of the engineer stated: — General maintenance work has been attended to on tlie roads in the Tikorangi riding. I propose to grade the Otaraoa Road and the other clay roads this month, provided the weather remains suitable. Ploughing and grading the sides is in progress on the Inland North and Turangi Roads in the Waihi riding. Water-tabling and backing up metal had been attended to on the Ohango and Mataro Roads. Tenders for the metalling of the top end of the Mataro Road should be called as soon as possible in order that the whole of the summer may be available for the work. Water-tabling, backing up and cutting scrub have been attended to on the Kaipikari, Pukearuhe, Okoke and Piko Roads in the Urenui riding. The grader has been run over the Okoke and Piko Roads. The end span on the MangaJiao stream bridge, Piko Road, became dangerous owing to the abutment washing out, and the necessary piles and sheeting have been sent for repairs ami work has been commenced. Approxi-

mately 2% miles of the Pukearuhe Road have been scarified, planed) rolled and gravelled, and 360 cubic yards of quartz gravel has been used. I propose to continue' this work until th" roller is required for Johnston’s metalling contract. The contractors at the top end of the Pukearuhe Road have continued with the earthwork, and have hauled off a further 650 cubic yards of spawles. They propose to commence crushing and metalling this month. Tenders for the.erec- . tion of the Mangawhero and Mangatana stream bridges should be called as soon as the Public Works Department has approved and issued authority. The Mimi stream bridge, Pukearuhe Road, is in need of fairly extensive repairs, which include new jarrah decking, repairs to main braces in truss, and painting, and I recommend that'' the necessary timber he ordered at once. Water-tabling, clearing slips and cutting scrub have been attended to in the Uruti riding on the Uruti, Moki, Ngatoto, Rcrckino and Puke Roads. The wash-out at the foot of the Moki Saddle has been repaired and the men have been attending to that on the Rerekino Road, and to repairs to culverts and the clearing of slips. The metalling of 25 chains on the Moki Road will be put in hand as soon as the Uruti quarry is reopened. The 4ft diameter culvert for the Mohakatino Road in the Mokau riding has come to hand, and will be placed as soon as convenient. Ploughing and grading have been attended" to on the Okau, Mangatoro, Mangaongaonga and Mangaroa Roads, and I propose to have the Hutiwai and Mohakatino Roads' graded as soon as possible. Tenders for the erection of the Boar Creek bridge, Okau Road, should be called as soon as the Public Works Department issues authority. On the Auckland-Wellington main highways the contractors at the Urenui River bridge have driven 34 concrete piles and have completed the coffer dam on the eastern end. Excavating and concreting of pier B will be commenced this month. The regrading and foundation work on this road have been partially completed to mile four. For this work 552 cubic yards of metal and 71 cubic yards of screenings were used during the month. Water-tabling and grading has been attended to on the balance of the road. Approximately 230 cubic yards of metal has been crushed at the Turangi depot and carted out along the bitumen for. metalling ' the shoulders, and this work will be put in hand as soon as possible. Nineteen heavy traffic licenses and fourteen drivers’ licenses were issued during the month, reported the inspector, Mr. G. H. Rowe. The amounts collected were £94 2s 9d and £3 10s respectively. Very little wandering stock had been found on the road and poundage collected amounted to only 10s.