PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1930, Page 19

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL

RATES FOR CURRENT YEAR •OPAHU ENDOWMENT FUND. REPORT ON THE MONTH’S WORK. At the monthly meeting of the Patea County Council it was decided to strike the following rates;: Otoia, Waverley and Moumahaki ridings, Id in the £1; Kapara, 2d in the £l. Those present at the meeting were Messrs. Belton (chairman), Lupton, Watt, Scown, Gibbs, Watkins, C. Johnston, Bach and Peat. The Wanganui City council wrote suggesting a conference of the bodies in the No. 9 Highways Council to consider the allocation of heavy traffic feee, the present agreement on which had expired.. The chairman, was appointed to represent the council. The Stratford Borough Council forwarded a protest against any diversion of the Opaku endowment funds and asked the council’s support, which was given. “It seems educational authorities in Wellington are casting envious eyes on the scholarship fund,” commented the . ehairman. “I think we should support the resolution.” The Wanganui Automobile Association drew attention to the drop off the bitumen on the south side of the Whenuakura Hill. The chairman, in moving that the automobile association be informed that the council was going to undertake widening work during the year, expressed the opinion that when such a complaint was based on the information of a motorist, that motorist’s name should be given. REGIONAL PLANNING SYSTEM. Reporting on regional planning conferences at Hawera and-Wanganui, the chairman stilted it had been suggested that Taranaki province should be one group but it had appeared to him-that it was not wise to split Batea, which had really more interests in common with Wanganui than with Taranaki. The idea of the scheme, about which there had been a great deal of misapprehension, was to co-ordinate activities within the regions. Legislation gave the various committees power to raise a special tax of l-5d in £1 for one.year only, and no option but to pay was given. The chairman alho reported on the proposal for the ’Wanganui, Batea and Waitotara County Councils to. employ a traffic inspector. A final selection of an officer had been made and he would like the council to confirm the appointment. ' This was done. The Post and Telegraph Department advised that reading operations had resulted in some telegraph poles coming down. As the department had received i , notification it considered the council wag responsible. The engineer was instructed to investigate the matter. WORK ON RIDING ROADS. The engineer, Mr. L- F. Row, reported as follows: — Kapara riding—The formation of the Magnate Road is in progress,, one contract being half completed ..and another was started recently. Contracts for metalling on the lower Waitotara Valley Road have been held up owing to wet weather and it is not proposed to make a start with the carting until the spring. The portions of the formation contracts where metalling was to be done were completed but, as the metal could not be catted and. as they were mostly through clay and papa these sections are in a bad state. The balance of the formation contracts are in fairly sandy country and the contractors are being allowed to proceed with the work. Minor repairs have been carried out on tho - Orangimea bridge. Moumahaki riding—With the exception of approximately two chains, all the metalling for the- Weraweraonga Road was completed before the wet weather and a short length of metal was spread on the Mangawhio - Road. Maintenance metal has been .spread on the Waitotara Valley Road ■ between Ngutuwera and Bunn’s bridge. A short length has been metalled on Lupton’s Road. Contract? for earthworks in connection with the improvement of the Moturoa Road north of the Moumahaki stream have been satisfactorily completed, and the road has been widened over the metalled portion of the hill on the south side of. the stream. ' Waverley riding.—Shoft lengths of metalling have been completed on Alexander’s and Southeombe’s Roads and metal for Stewart’s and Hunter’s Roads has been on order some time but so far has not come to hand. Batch metal lias been carted to Watkins’ Hill on the Kolii Road and the north abutment of. the Kohi bridge has been repaired. Stone chips have been spread on Karahake and Newlands Road. On Stewart’s Road a length of drain has beep opened alono- the swamp and some time has been° spent in cutting lupins which had encroached on the. roadway. Bitumen patching has. been carried, out in several on the Whenuakura Hill. Plans f.or the proposed.Karahaki stream bridge have, been returned from the Public- Works Department for further information and it is proposed to take borings and make a thorough investigation of the foundations with a view to submitting alternative proposals, Otoia riding . (east).—Metal from roadside dumps has been spread on Hukatere and Tinney’s Roads and several small patches of me.tal have been re-shaped awl blinded with stone chips. Chips for blinding metal on the Kaharoa Road have been on order for nearly .three weeks but. delivery has been delayed owiiw to wet weather. A long nine culvert on Otautu Road which had become totally blocked is being re-laid on a steeper grade. Otoia riding (west).— The formation of a dray track on the Hursthouse Road deviation has been satisfactorily completed and maintenance work has been carried out on the Manutahi Road. A smali length of metal has been spread on the Ingahape Road. On the. Lower Taumaha Road about ten chains of •metalling has been completed and .sa.ndhw, grading and general road. repairs have been done. Several faulty, culverts on the . Ball Road have been replaced by new concrete pipes. On the Main Road approximately a quarter of a mile of bitumen widening beyond Manutahi has been completed, and the work of, widening, the surface on the Kakaraniea.Hill.-is in progress.’: Repairs ,m- bvp. /!•'• -m3 £ f>c ! >

have been carried out on the Manawapou Hill. All casual men have been put off for the winter, and it is proposed to consolidate into one gang all the men usually employed in connection with graders and other plant.