STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14011, 16 September 1909, Page 4

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

llli<: .MONTHLY .MEETING

I'he Monthly tiKM'tiiig ol the btrat!onl t iiuiitN Council was held at the i on nt » Uiiim, .Si ufioi il, \i,terd.i\ I. hi i i .iik lilwi - Miiiliaut, in t Iki liuii. 'I houiooii, C ill istottei. Astbui\. _\i..i it'll, \\alUi, i'oinU anti llatil.iv.a,, .

ENGINEER'S REJ'ORT. Mr. I'l V. Koliiuvm, eugineei . iepoiictl tiial kmiiUms iini i>i>i'ii called Im tin - u | > j l l >• ol l(ilMl(ul>u \anl- ol Ixxilder.s loi leinctalling ami maintaining North Mountain Ho. id. At (he i truest ol the North ltidiuti iihihlki- lie had inspected tiie York l{oa<l .md louiul it to be with the exception ol a blil.il! portion at the lowci cud, which was tar lMiiii good, id a worn out condition, file only sati.-lactoiy wuj ol dealing with the road would lie to treat a certain length annually In dislodging I lie old p.iichet ol i>ould»Ts and spaw Is, winch go to make up the piesent < - oviiiiig .iml inetaliiiig in a proper nrinii"i ' Failing this, the .liltinatuc was co loiitinue emptying n.to the I'oles that eoiist.inilv iippoiireil liutlier supplivi oi shingli — :t:i ob\ ioum." unsatisi,utor\ w.in oi tr.Mii'i to better the condition of the ro.id. He had insj>ected the creek crowing the .Salisbury Road near Mr. Latham s property and lound that it required cleaning out tor a distance of about 1) chains from the road downwards. The road at this point required raising about 18 inches or two loot, the deck oi the small bridge being raised correspondingly .or the bridge done away with and a set oi concrete pipes'substitiitcd. Sonic- work also needed to be done at Mr. hntham s approach to prevent the silt washing down on to the road. He considered uHieient metal could be obtained trom tin- deposit on Mr. Mischewski's proM.itv <(W, Roaih to metal 12J chains iron! the end ol the present metal to ,he top ol the hill. He recommended that lmestigation lie made to ascertain the extent of another deposit ot stone „n the property The foundations weie being opened tor the new bridge over the Ngaere Stream on the Hircl KViid and the piers would be put in ■-hortlv The supply of maintenance metal" ordered from the Government for the East Ruling hath all been received ■vi.l tpiead. The contract tor the ereci;,,!i of a Mirtaeeman's cottage at Carditi had been let tor £130. He had • rone into the matter ol remetallnig the Opunake Road No. 1. with the exception oi a tew pieces recently treated and estimated it would cost £800 exclusive ot supervision and cost ot any special rating, etc. . I „ . + u» It was decided to investigate the deposit of stono on Mr Mischewski s tarm; also that Mr. Misehewski be asked if he has any proposal to J"«ke as regards assisting the council m getting the 12 i yards ot metal he asks for.

It I DING REPORTS. North Riding- -Foreman Brown reported that the ronrls under his care lore in fair order The York Road was improving with the dry weather. He had had to do a lot of repairing on the Radnor Road, which would require a lot more stone to keep it open next season at the upper end The Monmouth Road was in a had state from end to end, and required 150 yards of metal. The Denbigh Road would require about 75 yards for repairs. lne Flint Road West jjequired some gravel or metal. No maintenance metal would be required on the Pembroke RoadThe metal asked for on the Denbigh Road was granted. The question of repairs to the Flint Road was referred to the engineer for a report. Foreman Arms (east foreman INortn Riding) reported that owing to the very wet winter experienced, more metal would! be required on some of the roads than he estimated previously. Various North Riding matters were referred to the riding members to confer and report. It was decide.] to call Von tenders. for a supply ot boulders for ih<> Salisbury Road; to l-o dealt with h\ the chairman and Councillor I'ornU. The tender of Mr. Carer at 2* Utl n*er yard was accepted for the carting of KW cubic yards of boulders for the North Mountain Hoad. Soutii Hiding.— Foreman Parker reported that all iho roads wviv .:> good order. Tvelve chains oi' the C luel Road and six chains on the Inni'Mty Road had been remetalled. It was decided to call for tenders for 1030 yards of boulders, for tin-- riling. West Riding — Foreman Uobr'vn in his report stated that all th<- r -"Is in his charge wore in fair order, with the exception of Opunake Road No. 1. East Riding. — Foreman Wilton reported that the last few days of hue weather hr^l made a great improvement on the roads. Tip Straihmore I saddle was drying up very fast, and if the fine weather continued until th<> end of the week, he thought the trouble would be over with this portion of the road for the year. He asked fi.r authority to replace broken wo«;!"n culverts "with pipes as hOOll *' ' loa( ' was m a lit state to put them in. He had lued all the maiiiteininee stnii- 1 trom tiie seventeen-mile ne^ East [lead to Strathmore, and suggested tl>rt tenders be called for shell rock r.s j>ooii as convenient ior this road. TI" 1 other metalled roads were in very good order. It was decided that it the culverts referred to we.ro on the unrcetalled portion of the road the lon>man 'x- instructed that they must be roplatod with timber.

After a lengthy discussion rpj'..jrding the alleged indebtedness of tl'o East Riding and the position taken up by <ts members, the council negatived a motion that tenders be called lor the supply of 4UO yards of metal -ior the Ohiir'a Road betwwii tlie saddle and Stratlirrore. A rlii isioh nas call "d f<»\ the votinjj l>ei pjx j's follows- -- \ves . Councillors M.-rfell, Maxwell, nr '' Walter. Ntcs: The Chairman, Cou .'-iilnrs Thouison. C'l'.ris.toffel. Astbury, iciritt* and Hathaway

Coiiyrillor Astbnrv moved tlii't "unon Councillors Marfell, Maxwell, ati'l Walter fiivirp an nssiirnr.ee tlmt tl'ev \< ill abandon the threat of Suprc, c C'-nirt proccpdiiiKs on the question of riding accounts, tenders be invited I"" the supply of metal for maintenance vi the Krt-t Ili:!i)iy; in quantities the council iri'-l.t di^Mo to I)'- noccssarv. r'')tinc-i:lor Porntt &econclod. C'H'icillor^ Tlmii'sofl hit! H;i'.!in\ir ihoiifrht it would lie better t' r tit question to yo to court and I>< d« h iiiti'lv settled orce p. id for <*\\. If <b> mot'on vas carrie-l fliffiniltlc^ night a^pin croD uo In tJ.e future. ' Cojuicillor Marfell oi>)><> ed tl'.e n % o tion on the ground that the <<>Miici' I'nd pl.need noll>in^ l.ef.jte the Ei«»t and M-iJi^aehu lUdirtis as to J'ow tin- council v ouH n;cet lb«»ni.

Councillor \Vi)t^r wns opposed tr the motion on the san>e ground.. The irotion tvas l^st. the voli"«r being— Ayes: Tho Chairman. C'Mincillors Chnstoffol. A>thnry. and Porntt Noes- Councillors Thomson. Jljixvoll Marfell. Walter. and Hathawa^ Covnrt'l or Marfoll then ;nov< d that tenders be c«|ied for 1200 yards of metal for maintenance on the East Riding wiiere required. Councillor Maxwell seconded the motion, which was lost. A slip on the Kiore Road, which prevented a settler Retting access to his property, was referred to the chairman. Manjrnrhn Hiding. — Foreman Savage reported that most of tho roads were in fair order for this time of the year. The jlangaehu Road oecuuifid a great dcpl of his time in keening it open. He had screwed up the Tututawa. Puniwhnkau, and Taitore Bridges: also the bridge on the top end of the Puuiwhakau Road. Councillor Maxwell conwiiMiied that works authorised in the riding several months ago had not yet been put in hand. The rhairmnn explained thi<t the matter had not I>een lost sight of and that the engineer had them in hand. The engineer will have two chains of fencing sit n tilling on the Matnsaehu Road South attended to at once. DOUGLAS DRAIXACJK. Tn response to n deputatitm of Dniij-1-s »et tiers, tli<- council decided to refer the question of Dousrlas dr:-i'!agc lf> the- Minister for I'uhlic AVoiUs on the occasion <>f hii proposed \i,it 1o Strattord. nn/1 to nsk him to visit Douglas and 'meet the settlers. The dcpiitati< n pointed out that the <|iiestion was becoming very icrioii 1 - as the vater whs flooding ronsideraWe areas ot the settlers' properties. TI'TI'TAWA-PrXIWHAKAU K f )^DS LOAN. A deputation rcrircsenting s» ttlers (.., (1 K > Puriwl'Skaii Hoad will*'- 1 on the council and asked for its simi'irt ;>i (iskii>g the MniKtor lor Puhlir Work- to vUit the district with :• vieu to obtaining a subsidy of £ for f * on i he loan of C»000 raised for nieti'ling the l'uniwhiikair-Tutiitawa !?<»;i'U Failii'«i this, the denutation asl."' the '•c.infil to snnd p deputation to N'"l)iii"ton to place the position before the Mi"i.!<'i Tlw (outifil :<<zr<'C"\ to use its e-'dea-\Mlirv. to t 1 1 f> the lion. Vl'H- ter '•> tl" i <•].-♦ i-W-t o'l ti'/i <><•<'!! -lion of liis i"' •>' •>«' | ' i^it 1( i Failing 1h i - the rouncil will consider tho one 4 •• o f j sending a deputation to Well »- -rt '>»» y\r. Hasti" wrote asking ho" '••• ich ill"' the !<>s"i 'if £0000 rcm.ii'ii> ! -"-v ponder]. }le t,tatr-d that a ineeli"" i<f , .(, „r , «.., t» l>« called to c >"^ '-r Ihe adjustment of the loan betxsc •■ 4 h« two roads, and that it was proposed to

raise separate loans to finish work as onginaliv intended. Ihe information will be supplied. MAKURI ROAD. Mr. W. G. Malone applied for the opening up ot the Makuri Road from the Akawa Road to some convenient point on the frontage of the section owned by him. A cneese factory wss being erected at the corner ot Akawa and Makuri Roads and he would like access to it. He suggested that the engineer be instructed to inspect and report as to the probable cost. Then ways and means could be gone into. He also asked that the engineer prepare an alternative estimate ot the cost ot opening the road right through ' from the end of the present formation to the Akawa Road and of opening it trom the Akawa Road to a poiut, say, 80 chains south of the northern corner _ peg ot his land, estimates to coyer separately cost ot formation, including draining, cost of metalling. The matter was referred to tho engineer.

COUNTY ROADS. Mr. C. A. Budge, clerk to the Hawera County Council, wrote with reterenee to Government roads being summarily declared county roads and their sole control being foisted on the local bodies. Invariably, he thought, these roa<k were opened up to give access to Crown lands, many of which were not taken up and therefore produced no revenue at all for the local bodies, and in cases where they were occupied the valuations were tor many years so low that the income derived from them was quite out ot proportion to the heavy cost ot upkeep of the road. But even apart from this .nhase ol the case the experience of his council was that these roads were made through very rough country and wero handed over to the controlling body in a very crude and incomplete condition. They had one very strong instance in tho Tongahoe Valley Road which traversed hilly, papa country and was declared a county road in April last. Following notice to this effect the council had the road inspected by the county • engineer, who reported that he coujd not express himself fully enough in advising the council that in taking over a road in the state of this road it was saddling itself with a big mortgage bearing a very high rate of interest. The batters were mostly perpendicular and in many places leaning dangerously over the road. The corners were at such an angle that would court danger, and in many places the road only measured 9ft. In his opinion it would take one man doing nothing else but to keep the papa slips clear of the water tables. Apart from the good grade obtained the road had been handed over to the council in a most unfinished state. Despite a very strong protest to the Minister for Roads, the council had to accept the position and arrange for a continuous expenditure to maintain a road which would never answer requirements. He strongly urged that united effort should be made to endeavour to force the Government to have the roads properly constructed before they cease to control them. It was suggested that the engineer be instructed to report on such roads as may be on a similar footing to that of ihe Tongahoe Valley Road and that therefore all local bodies, interested should take decisive action. If necessary his council would be pleased to arrange a conference. The council expressed its sympathy with the object of the letter. MANGAOAPA-MATAU DEVIATION. The Roads Department forwaded a tracing of the Mangaoapa U> Matau Road deviation and asked the council to sign its consent to same. All other persons interested in the deviation had done so. The Chairman was empowered to sign ] consent to the deviation on behalf of the council. j A QUESTION OF LIABILITY. . A letter was received from the Whs-; ngamomona County Council suggesting that .the question between the councils incurring liability for upkeep of Ohura Road be referred to a commissioner in preference to a conference being held between the two councils. It was decided on the motion of Councillor MarfoU to inform the Whangamomona County Council thfct this council fails in with the idea and asks the Whangamomona County Council to .join with it in requesting the Governor to appoint a commissioner.

GENERAL.

Mr. W. T. Mills, chairman of the Denbigh School committee asked for a supply of metal to be spread at the School gate. Soft metal for the purpose could he obtained a short distance from the school. The request was acceded to. The Minister for Public Works acknowledged receipt of the council's letter forwarding a copy of a rew»lution» requesting the Public Works Department to supply 100 cubic yards of stone at Douglas free as part compensation for damage stated to have been don* to the Ohura Road in carting supplier in connection with railway works. He explained that he was obtaininn a re-i port on the subject .and would write further when the requisite information was to hand. Mr. T. Ronayne, General Manager of Railways, wrote with reference to the| council's letter asking .that the department should provide 160 cubic yards of crushed metal to the council free of charge and stating that the crushing plant and material were taken to the quarry by rail. 8o far as could be discovered no material wss taken to the quarry by road, and In these circnm-. stances the request could not be acceded to.