HIGHWAYS SUBSIDIES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1935, Page 2

HIGHWAYS SUBSIDIES

TARANAKI COUNTY £6500 TENTATIVE APPROVAL BY BOARD. REQUESTS FROM RATEPAYERS. Provision for the expenditure of approximately £6500 on main highways under the jurisdiction of the Taranaki County Council has been tentatively approved by the Main Highways Board. The council was advised of this at its monthly meeting yesterday. Although it was not possible to announce the final approval of the sums listed there was very little likelihood of any of the amounts being reduced, it was said. Provision is made for the following works under the heading of revenue. Auckland- Wellington via Taranaki £624 (subsidy £3 for £1), Lepperton Junc-tion-Hawera via Opunake £2036 (£3 Ml £1). Mangaoraka stream bridge, £1287 (£2 for £1), New PlymoUth-Kaimata, £228 (£3 for £1), Waiwakaiho River bridge (on account) £5OO (£2 for £1), Egmont Road radius line, £466 (£3 for £1), Lower Mangorei, £165 (£3 for £1), Oxford-Saunders, £403 (£3 for £1), Carrington Road, £146 (£3 for £1), Ngamotu, £39 (£3 for £1), Waitara-, Huirangi, £399 (£3 for £1). Provision was made for £5OO (£3 for £1), ° n account of improvements on the Oaktira hill on the Lepperton Junction-Hawera via Opunake highway. The Main Highways Board’s representative, Mr. .P. Keller, advised he had received satisfactory specifications for . the following works. Lower Mangorei highway, 2 miles 15* chains of maintenance at an estimated cost of £108; WaitaraHuirangi highway, maintenance, estimated cost £264; Egmont Road-Radius Line, maintenance, estimated cost £312. Messrs. Taylor Bros., Koru, asked that they be given an access to their property from the upper end of Plymouth Road. The work entailed the formation and metalling of a road and the construction of a bridge. Councillors expressed doubt if tne council had a road leading into the area described. Mr. Taylor waited on the council and said he had searched the files and was certain that there was a paper road running through his and neighbouring sections. Cr. Thomas said the difficulty was that there was no legal road and the chairman intimated that the council would investigate the matter. If there was no legal road the council could take no action. The Mangorei Dairy Co. advised that it was prepared to pay half the cost of the construction Of lorry turnings on Korito and Huatoki Roads. Mr. J. G. Stronge, Tataraimaka, asked the council to expedite the erection of a bridge on Beach Road as he was unable to cart manure to the back sections of his farms. It was agreed to advise Mr. Stronge that nothing could be done Until the council received advice from the Government in connection with general flood damage. Messrs. Scott, Simons and Simons, Breakwater Road, drew attention to the condition of part of Pari tutu Road. Ten nr 12 chains required metalling it was claimed. The council had done all it could On Paritutu Road with the finance at its disposal, stated the chairman. Since the recent wet weather the metal pit at Frankley Road had shown faults and was in his opinion unsafe, advised Mr. T. Mather. He had accordingly advised the quarry inspector, who stopped work. Before any further work could be done on the face the overburden must be stripped back to leave a 10 foot bench above the stone. The loose metal at the foot of the face could be cleaned up. It would be impossible for him to carry his contract after cleaning up the floor of the pit. The matter was referred to Crs. Vickers and Wood. Mr. A. B. Leach, Sentry Hill, asked that a set of pipes be supplied at the intersection of Kairu and Richmond roads. The condition of this section of the road was very bad in the winter. The matter was referred to the overseer. In company with Messrs. P. Keller, S. Judd and C. Clarke they had inspected part of the Waiwakaiho River, which was eroding its banks at a point in Mr. N. Gibson’s property, wrote Messrs. Sladden and Palmer. It might in a heavy flodd break through into an adjacent stream, which was a tributary of the ■Waiwakaiho. It was unanimously agreed that to straighten the stream and to protect the banks would cost a considerable amount. As the banks where the erosion was occurring were about 20 feet in height and the level of the bed of the adjacent creek was about 10 feet above the water level of the Waiwakaiho, there was no immediate danger of a break through. Therefore any protective work might be left in abeyance, although a careful watch should be kept. The creek was a very small one and ran into the Waiwakaiho further down, said Cr. Vickers. It was very satisfactory to know that the danger reported Was non-existent. Short groynes should be placed at two points where erosion was occurring on Alfred Road, stated Messrs. Sladden and Palmer. It was stated that the ordinary wire-netted groyne could be regarded only as a temporary expedient and might or might not cause a permanent diversion of the water. The foreman, Mr. G. Mackie, reported that work In the Mangorei riding was done on the Huatoki, Alfred, Albert, Kent, Carrington, Mangorei, Junction and Korito roads. He had inspected the No. 1 Hill Road bridge and found the stringers were in a very bad state. Repairs should be made as soon as possible. WAITARA RIDING WORK. Work was done on the Paraiti, Egmont, Smart, Brown, Wills, Corbett, Devon, Te Arei, Kelly, Cross, Richmond, Mountain, Manutahi and Waitara roads in the Waitara riding. Shingle was being quarried at Rothery’s pit as opportunity permitted. The metalling of the Waitara-Huirahgi highway was being proceeded with. The decking on the Mangaoraka and Waiongona bridges, Devon Road, was attended to. The contractor for the new bridge on To Arei Road had commenced work on the concrete work for the centre pier. Work in the Omata riding was done on the Sealy and Barrett Road hills and Frankley, Harford, Pheaney, Veale, Elliott and Cowling roads. The approach to the Wairau Road bridge in the Okato riding was filled in. Pipes were laid in the Komene Road and the decking on the Stony bridge, Carrington Road, was repaired. Road work was done on Lower Pitorie, Upper Timaru, Oxford, Saunders, Puniho, Carrington, Hoani, Leith, Pitone and Minarapa roads. Work was also done on the Oakura hill on the hiain highway. The question of repairs to the No. 1 Hill Road bridge was referred to the bridge carpenter for investigation. A fair humber of stock was found at large on the roads, the county inspector, Mr. R. Aroa, reported. Proceedings had been taken in one case of persistent grazing on the road, and other offenders were warned. There ■-as still a number of frontages that required cleaning up. Motorists on the whole had not given much trouble, although, of course, there was still a small percentage of

drivers who failed to observe the common laws of careful motoring. An application from Mr, A: Topless for permission to- extend the length of a fence he had previously, with the council’s permission, moved on to the coiiricil’s property was referred to the inspectoi. Those present were Crs. S. Vickers (chairman), W. Hall, W. Cartwright, L; G. Andrews, R. Wood, L. Carey arid W. Thomas. - ■