INGLEWOOD COUNTY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 8

INGLEWOOD COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL WORK IN THE VARIOUS RIDINGS. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF SCHEME. The Inglewood County Council met yesterday. Present: Ors. A. Corkill (chairman), C. R. Stuart, J. Hunter, W. M. Williams, J. W. Grieve, H. Jones, J. Stachurski and A. E. Cowley.

The engineer (Mr. S. C. Judd) reported that in the West riding grading had been done and general attention given to the Kaipi, Lepper, King, Durham, Johns, Upland and Bedford-Upland Roalds. The Windsor, Dudley and Norfolk Roads had been graded and rolled. Surrey Road had been graded and drains cleared and deepened. The Derby Road had been cleared and formed for half a mile with the grader and built up in low places. Water-tables had been cleared on Tee Tee Road in the North riding. The Bristol, Everett, Rimutauteka, Kaimata and Mangaone Roads had been graded. The worst hills on the Bristol Road were surfaced with screenings. In the South riding patching and blinding had been carried out where necessary on Tariki, Mana and Ratapiko Roads. An ISin. culvert had been constructed to replace a subsided tunnel four miles up the Autawa Road. The Durham East, Norfolk East and Suffolk Road had been graded while Rugby Road had been graded and patched. Overgrowth and drain outlets were cleared on the Motukawa Road. Water-tables and outlets were cleared on the Pukemahoe Road, in the East riding. On the Ngatoto Road the approach to the first bridge that was washed away in the recent flood was filled in. Planks were renewed ou the second bridge. The sft. Hoe Hoe culvert contract was progressing favourably, the earthwork being practically completed, enabling the pipes to be placed in position at an early date. Outlet and main drains had been cleared and a Bin. culvert constructed on the Tore Road. 1 i WORK ON MAIN ROADS. In regard to the main county roads, grading and rolling and extra surfacing where required was done on the Dudley East Road. The section from the railway to the main road was lifted to even grade and sealed. Lepper Road South was graded. The Junction Road East highway was patched and graded and overgrowth was cleared. The dangerous corner just past the Autawa Road had been cut back and the road widened considerably and metalled into the bank, making a decided improvement and a safer section of road. The stripping of the Tore Road pit was well advanced and the council’s authority was required to get out 1000 cubic yards of gravel during the coming month to strengthen the section of road from Oapui Road to the foot of the Purangi Zig-zag. That work would have to be completed by March 31 in order that they might avail themselves of the 3 to 1 subsidy already granted for that purpose. The authority of the council was also requested to put down a 5 chains experimental section of cold bitumen sealing work on the Junction Road East, which was at present in excellent condition for that work. 1

On Junction Road West metal was crushed, carted out and dumped near Kaimata ready for the super-elevation of the worst of the corners there. The concrete bridge on the Inglewood side of the Egmont Village was cleared of overgrowth and painted white. The shoulders of the bitumen were graded and rolled from Inglewood to the Waiwakaiho. Egmont Road North and South was graded and rolled. To date 1 mile 6 chains of re-coating work with hot bitumen had been completed at intervals on the Mountain Road South and North. The experiment of filling the worst depressions in the old surface with emulsified bitumastic concrete to give a more even surface before applying the hot wearing course had proved successful. The wings of the highway leading on to the Dudley Road East and West were also sealed. Four bridges on the south and one on the north end over the Waiongona River were cleared of overgrowth and painted white. The centre line at Rugby Road crossing had been clearly defined by white enamel curved lines painted on the bitumen. The shoulders of the bitumen were graded from Norfolk Road to Tariki. Plans for the Mangaone bridge, Tariki Road, and for the Pukuho timber culvert were almost completed and would be deposited with the Public Works Department at an early date for approval and authority to call tenders. RANGING OF ROADS. The ranger and traffic inspector reported that there had been a fair amount of mq,tor traffic on the main county roads. Mountain Road and Junction Road west carried a heavy volume of traffic, cars from all parts of the North Island passing north and south. During the holidays the roads were patrolled from the Waiwakaiho River to the Waipuku stream, and on the whole motorists observed the rules of the road very well. A decided improvement was also noticed in motorists approaching one-ear bridges from opposite directions. No speeding up was noticed to gain the bridge. The roads were fairly free from wandering stock. In reply to the chairman’s telegram concerning unemployment administrar tion, the Rt. Hon.' J. G. Coates telegraphed that he was anxious to secure full co-operation of county councils in placing men in productive work, and he appreciated the Inglewood County Council’s help in that direction. It was regretted that difference of opinion had resulted apparently in the resignation of the local committee. Arrangements had been made for an investigating officer of the Unemployment Board already in the district to visit Inglewood and report. Since the telegram was received, steps had been taken in the matter. The Unemployment Board’s investigating officer (Mr. A. G. Jenkins) forwarded the following suggested appointments: Two representatives of the borough council, two from the county council, one representing employing and business interests, one minister of religion, and the postmaster ex-officio as certifying officer. After considering the matter it was decided to write to the Unemployment Board explaining the method at present in operation, which

has proved satisfactory, and proposing that on the local committee there be one borough councillor, one representing the borough commercial interests, and a minister of religion. In the same connection the Rev. S. W. Golding and Mr. j. G. Mulholland (postmaster) accepted the council’s invitations to act on the committee. The Inglewood town cleik advised that the Borough Council would consider the matter after the holidays. The organiser reported that applications received to date totalled 36, while 21 were granted. Six applications were held over and one declined. All men reporting for work had been on farms. It had been laid down, by the committee that fresh applications had to be made after 14 days, but owing to the men’s time being cut down to half, 1J and 2J days for class B and C men respectively, he had granted the farmers a further 14 days’ work with the same men and would like the council’s approval. There had been a large number of call,, at the office by men seeking information and advice about the scSeme and others seeking for extra labour for harvesting. The men on relief seemed to have found plenty of extra, work. In general the scheme was working very satisfactorily, the men were contented on the farms, transport was fairly well arranged, insurance preTYiiiiTnA, were being paid in advance, and

farmers stated that good value was being obtained. ' In regard to 1931-32 road estimates, the Public Works Department, Stratford, advised that the cash allocations in respect to the council’s application for funds totalled £835. This included Bedford Road (south of Norfolk Road), £2 for £l, £270; Bedford-Upland Road, £2 for £l, £133; Kupara Road, £2 for £l, £150; Upland Road, £2 for £l, £133; half-share Croydon Road, £1 for £l, £5O. This did not include moneys for expenditure by the department for relief on other works.

Writing in respect to an inquiry from the medical officer of health as to whether camping was permitted in the Everett Road Reserve, Mr., W- D. Armit, chairman of the reserve board, said that the automobile associations had listed the place as an official camping o-round, and the use of the reserve as X camp site was likely to increase. The associations, both north and south, had been generous in their treatment of the board, and for that reason, it was not desirable to prohibit camping and request the associations to delete the Everett Reserve from the official list. The matter was discussed by the board some time ago. If, however, camping was tacitly agreed to, it appeared that a source of revenue might be found to assist the

board in administering the reserve. MrArmit asked the council to furnish him with its views on the subject—as to whether it considered that the honorary inspectors might be asked to inspect the reserve at frequent intervals and collect a fee during the holidays amounting to, say, Is a day for any camping parties. The whole position would be discussed again at the next meeting of the board, but in the meantime it appeared to Mr. Armit that if they agreed to campino- of any description a fee should be collected. Mr. Armit could not see any objection to that course being followed, although it would infer that the board was agreeable to camping. The council was in favour of a tee being charged with restrictions concerning sanitation, etc. lO per cent, penalty on unpaid rates will be imposed after a certain date. ' . .