COUNTY’S ASSISTANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1935, Page 7

COUNTY’S ASSISTANCE

EGMONT NATIONAL PARK MEETING OF TARANAKI COUNCIL. REPORTS OF OFFICERS RECEIVED. Members of the Egmont National Park Board and the North Committee of the board waited on the Taranaki County Council yesterday in connection with the board’s recent agitation to obtain regular revenue far the upkeep of the National Park from local bodies benefited directly or indirectly by the preservation of the bush area. The deputation comprised Messrs. W. C. Weston and F. H. Waters, and Messrs. F. Amoore and W. H. Moyes. In addition to support of an endeavour to institute some scheme whereby the park board’s income should be fixed by compulsory levy, Messrs. Weston and Waters asked support of an endeavour to have the roads giving access to the mountain gazetted as highways and maintained as such. Members of the deputation emphasised the difficulties under which the park board was working in an endeavour to maintain the forest land which so materially benefited the province in assuring water supply and rainfall. The council received the deputation’s suggestions sympathetically, promising to support any endeavour to improve the board’s position by having the maintenance of roads taken off its hands, and indicated its intention to subscribe to any reasonable scheme that might be advanced to secure revenue for the ■board’s work. The chairman, Mr. S. Vickers, however, made it clear that the council could not subscribe to any rating suggestion. The council approved a grant of £49 to the board for forest preservation as Its share of contribution on the valuation basis for the year ended March 31, 1935. Those present at the council meeting were Messrs. Vickers, W. A. Thomas, L. Carey, L. G. Andrews, W. Hall and W. Cartwright. • n . A letter was received from Mr. C. a. Wilkinson, M.P., stating that he was endeavouring to arrange for a conference at Wellington between Taranaki members of Parliament, county .representatives, the acting-Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Works for the purpose of discussing problems created by the recent severe flood damage. The date suggested was June 11, and it was desirable that the Taranaki County should be represented. Tfie chairman and Cr. Thomas were appointed the county representatives. PIT METAL ROYALTIES. The Main Highways Board advised that it would not contribute to any court expenses over any royalty on pit metal. Mr. P. Keller, board’s district representative, wrote:—“l have to advise that the board is not prepared to grant any subsidy towards the costs or expenses which might be incurred by your council in the event of the matter being taken into coiirt, but as a special case the board has agreed to subsidise at the rate of £1 for £l, the cost of the survey and give access to the metal supply in the Stony River.” Roads in Mangorei riding had been surfaced with shingle where required, reported the engineer. Pipes had been laid on the Upper Alfred Road and on the Korito Road. Metal patching had been done on the Upper Mangorei Road and the New Plymoutli-Kaimata highway had been patched and banked with gravel. The Waiwakaiho Bridge had had the centre pier underpinned and two new joists fitted;' In the Waitara riding the metalling of Manutahi Road had been completed and the surface ' rolled an blinded. Surfacing with shingle had been done on the Smart, Egmont, Paraiti, Te Arei, Hursthouse ancl Upland Roads. Five chains of metalling on the Matarikoriko R£ad had been completed. The strengthening of the south pier of the Mangaoraka bridge was proceeding, and the decking on the Waiongona and Kelly Road bridges had been attended to. Work in Omata riding included metal patching on the Frankley, Barrett, and Veale Roads, and surfacing with shingle on the Pheeney, Frankley, Elliot and Cowling Roads. Doralto Road had been scarified, strengthened with metal, rolled and surfaced with shingle. The Upper Frankley Road and .part of the Veale Road had been scarified, rolled and blinded. Ngamotu Road, where a washout occurred, had been metalled and banked. ... , In the Okato riding the protective work at the Mangatete River had been completed. The Okahu Road bridge southern pier had been underpinned and a wmg wall built to protect the approach. The repairs to Carrington Road, between Dover and Pitone Roads, were proceeding Two wooden culverts on the nortn side of the Momona Stream had collapsed and were replaced with concrete pipes. The metal washed off the Carrington Road by the floods was being replaced with shingle. Surfacing with gravel had been done on the Oxford-Saunders Highway, Oxford-Saunders detour, and Carrington Roads. EXCESSIVE LOADS. Good work had been done in clearing road frontages during the past month, stated the inspector, Mr. :R- Aroa, in his report. Mr. Area stated that he had watched roads for excessive loads and carriers had been requested not to exceed three-quarters of a cord of Jrewood. Although no excess loads had observed there was reasdn to believe some were being carried. Motor licenses were not coming in as fast as in previous years and unless a great number, renewed before the end of the month the figures would be behind last years. Revenue received for May comprised motor drivers’ licenses £59, heavy traffic licenses £9 9s 10d, fines £1 ' l°s, h »wke r S license 10s, driving fees 2s, total £7O Ils 10d Mr A T. Cattle, the council’s mechanic,’suggested that, as the county required constant welding work to be done, an acetone welding plant would be an economical purchase at £22. He could operate the plant himself in.the council's own workshop. The suggestion was referred to the machinery committee for question of repairs to Paraiti Road was discussed by the. council and left to the riding councillors for action. The question of excess loads reportedlto be travelling on York Road was left to the inspector. Messrs. Sladden and. Palmer reported that repairs and strengthening had been completed on the Waiwakaiho bridge on Junction Road. The Mangaora bridge on Devon Road had also been strengthened to carry ordinary, traffic but a low speed limit was recommended. It was resolved to test the foundations of the bridges of the Mangaoraka and Waiongona Rivers in Devon Road and the Junction Road Waiwakaiho bridge. Mr. P. Willers waited on the council and asked that attention should be given the Upper Alfred Road which, he said,; was in an unsatisfactory condition. The new part of the road, approximately 12 chains in length, will be metalled, and the chairman and riding councillors were empowered to deal with repairs. The following schedule of roads will be forwarded to the District Highways Council for declaration: RichmondManutahi Road, Te Arei Road from East Waitara Road to junction, Bertrand Road to swing bridge, Carrington Road extension to Frankley Road junction, Waitara

Road from the main road to the sea, Saunders Road from Okahu.to Carrington Road. Tenders for the construction of the Waiongona bridge on Te Arei Road will be called.