CLIFTON COUNTY AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1933, Page 2

CLIFTON COUNTY AFFAIRS

HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS . CRITICISED BY CR. BARNITT. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. A strong protest against the expenditure now being undertaken ori the main highway near Urenui was made by Cr. C. H. Barnitt at the monthly meeting of the Clifton County Council at Waitara yesterday. He held that the expenditure of such a large amount at present was a waste. Two or three years ago the council had made a good job of the Onaero comer at a cost of £2OO and he considered the work now being undertaken would cost considerably more. He recognised that the Main Highways Board was finding a good deal of the money, but even so that came from the ratepayers. The discussion arose when the engineer (Mr. N. C. Fookes) stated that 250 yards of metal would be required to complete the comer. Replying to Cr. Barnitt, the engineer pointed out that Cr. Bami-.t was the first man to suggest that the corner should be improved and the staff was authorised to do the work. Cr. Barnitt contended that the work was being done on too elaborate a scale. In order to secure the £3 to £1 subsidy the work had to be done according to main highways standard, Mr. Fookes said. He could not make a half job of it. Cr. F. Sarten said he had not anticipated that the work would have been so elaborate, though he recognised that a good job had been done. The chairman (Cr. H. A. Foreman) said the work had been authorised by the council and must be completed. The engineer stated that half the work was being done by relief labour. He estimated that the council’s share of the cost of the metal would be £3O and of the labour £4O. It was decided to procure the necessary metal. WORK ON RIDING ROADS. 'The metalling of Otaraoa Road was almost completed, and arrangements had been made to establish maintenance dumps of metal at every half mile throughout the length. Maintenance had been done on Nikorima Road, Bertrand Road and Tikorangi Road. The entrance to Nikorima Road near Mr. P. Cole’s had been widened and the earth used for banking on Main Road. General maintenance in the Waihi riding was done on Mataro Road, Onaero Road, Turangi and Ohanga roads. The stripping of the gravel in the Onaero pit had ceased, as sufficient gravel had been stripped for next season’s metalling In the Urenui riding work was done on Kaipikari, Okoke, Nopera, Kaka and Piko roads/ including clearing slips and widening the roadway at underslips. On Wai-iti Road a narrow place giving access to McDonald’s had been widened. On Waikaramarama Road a start had been made with widening several narrow places. The plans and specifications for a new bridge over Bull Creek, Piko Road, were being prepared. In the Uruti riding the work of clearing Rerekino and Makino roads had been finished for the present, but the roads would' require further attention in the spring to enable the Makino bridge materials to be transported to the site when the roads dried sufficiently. On Moki Road, slips, water-tables and culverts had been cleared; on Uruti Road, patching, draining, water-tabling, clearing slips and culverts had been attended to; on Mangahia Road, culverts, draim and water-tables had been cleared.’ A horse and dray had been purchased. Extensive repairs had been made to the decking handrails and wheelguards of the Mangaonga bridge at Okau Junction. The plate girders were chipped and tarred. Repairs to the decking of the bridges on the coastal stock track had been effected. Temporary repairs were being made on the Te Reinga and Kiwi bridges on Okau Road pending the erection of new structui s. The metalling of Mangatoro Road was progessing rapidly, two miles having been completed. Maintenance work had been attended to on Okau Road, Mangaroa Road, Kiwi. Road, Mangaonga Road and Hutikai Road. ■ On the Auckland-Wellington main highway the sharp comer near Smith’s, near Urenui, had been widened and super-elevated, and metalling would be completed during September. A considerable amount of banking had been attended to throughout the bitumen length. The macadam and gravel length had been patched, graded and watertabled at regular intervals. Pukearuhe Road was graded, water-tabled and patched. Slips had been removed, drains cleared and scrub cut. Ngatimaru and Inland North roads had been graded, patched and water-tabled. The county inspector (Mr. G. F. Rowe) reported that during August, 24 driving licenses and one heavy traffic license were issued. He had had less trouble with wandering stock than during the previous months, only 15 head were found straying. Fees totalled £ll 10s, including heavy traffic license £4 ss, driving licenses £6, dog tax 15s and poundage 10s. MOKI AND REREKINO ROADS. Writing in connection with the proposed scheme for metalling Moki Road to Rerekino Road, for which he understood the council intended to use £3OO of Rerekino and Makino thirds, together with a cash contribution of £2OO from six of the settlers interested, Mr. D. Mcßean suggested that the metalling should be continued along Rerekino Road to the

Makino bridge. He stated that he and Mr. Wilton would be prepared to contribute toward the cost and that another settler should be asked to contribute. He was unable to be present at the original meeting. The chairman said it would necessitate the metalling of a further four and a half miles of road. He understood Mr. Mcßean was prepared to contribute £lsv. If the Public Works Department was prepared to do the work the council would first have to agree to maintain the road, which would be a difficult and expensive proposition owing to liability to slips. . Cr. Barnitt said the metalling of Moki Road would be of benefit to Mr. Mc-jean as it would enable him to take a vehicle five miles closer to his property throughout the year over the worst portion of the road. It would give access also to several unoccupied Crown sections. The chairman understood the matter of further metalling was being looked into by the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the district engineer of the Public Works Department. It was resolved to reply to Mr. McBean to that effect. , The Bank of New Zealand notified approval of an overdraft limit of £362 10s on the Mohakatino loan account against hypothecation of debentures for that amount.

Mr. G. Whittaker junr. was granted permission to build a shed at or near the end of Okoke Road, subject to the approval of the engineer and during the council’s, pleasure. The council declined the offer to lease a house in the Uruti township for the use of the surfaceman, it being held that it was not central.

Mr. Ernest Silby drew attention to the state of the road leading to the beach at Onaero. He pointed out that the erection of a fence by the Maoris had directed all the traffic on to the old track and he asked that the council give him work for a day or two in order to straighten matters. No action was taken.