CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144086, 3 May 1913, Page 4

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING

The usual meeting of tho Clifton County Council was held at Waitara on Friday. The chairman, Mr. S. J’. Kennington, presided, and other councillors present were Messrs. R. T. Hicks, C O’Sullivan, A, M. Bower, VT. Jones, and H. Sander.

FOREMEN’S REPORTS. Foreman C. Selby (Mohan) reported haring taken over only 222yds. of metal from P. Taylor’s contract and asking that the contractor should be asked to expedite matters. Burkett Bros, had completed their contract satisfactorily They had tout down 22 chains 4yds. if metal, 10ft. wide and lOin. deep. The metal plough had boon taken from him, and the foreman ashed that another be sent to him, as it would cost too much to do the work with picks. Mr. Jo.U wanted the counter's drain on to his property cleared out and the writer requested that a man bo put on to do tile work.—The foreman was instructed lo proceed as soon as possible with the clearing of .Toll’s drains. Foreman D. Cl. Rowe (Okau) was engaged spreading sandstone most of the month, and also the burnt papa. There was a slip on the bluff, and he had a man for 12 hours helping to clear it. A day was also occupied in clearing fallen timber from near Putiki. Foreman Rowe asked the council to build him a hut, as the. present structure was a" very cold place.—Tho engineer was instructed to call tenders (to close at next meeting) for a roadman’s cottage at Okau, providing the site on the reserve Bs'octcd is vested in the council. Air. A. I\. Davis, who had charge of the road grader in the Pnkearuhe tilstrict. defended his action in grading portions of the road to 44ft. He -said he had nor. exceeded his authority, as the council thought, ns no width was specified, and the width was required to make a docent road. He. recommended that a box culvert bo placed in that bad place at Mr. Fisher’s, no as to keep the place in the good order the grader had left it. Ho had Martin’s Road graded as instructed, and had returned tiio grader to the died in Waitara. Ho had had severed slips removed from Wai-iti during the month. He added that the settlors wore very pleased with the way Mr. Coleman was pushing oil with his metal contract since the arrival of the crusher.—lt was resolved that Mr. Davis be authorised to repair Fisher’s culvert and deepen the drain to the satisfaction of Councillor O’SulliVa “' ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsett) reported that the progress of the-Okoko metalling contract was not as satisfactory as ho could. wi;;h._ Increased strengtbwas necessary to give the wi-ik more dispatch. Tho Piko Road work would probably be completed during the picsent month. The Alimi-Alokau metalling had been satisfactorily eoraplet.il, a distance of 22 chains having boon covered. The burnt papa contract on the Okau Road had been completed, and tho sanding contract was giving sate; faction and would be completed. in a few days. The Wai-iti metalling was being 1 pushed ahead, 20 chains having been already laid. The contractor for the Purangi Tunnel was given notice a mouth ago to proceed with the additional. work required, but nothing bad been done to date. Tho various works required on the Alatau-Alaugaoapa Road had been laid off and tenders would bo called to close at next meeting. HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS. Tho secretary of tho Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notified that under the new levy of Is in the £IOO the council’s annua! contribution would be £482 5s or a monthly instalment cf £4O 0s Od. Tho Chairman remarked that the amount had jumped up very considerably. Last year the rate was lOd, and the previous year 8d or 9d. It appeared to him" that it was jumping up every year, over since the Government’s new departure making Hospital Boards elective by tho ratepayers. Councillor Jones: The money has to be raised, hasn't it? The Chairman; Yes. we can’t buck. Councillor Jones: Then let us get on with the next business. The secretary r.lso made a formal request for £2557, the council’s share of the cast of tho new hospital. This cold demand led the chairman to remark that it was a fairly tall hurdle to jump. Ho understood, from newspaper reading, that the' whole amount was not required for perhaps two years, but they had to make arrangements to find tho money. He believed that a former county chairman (Mr. J. W. Foreman) had ruled that the conned had the power to, raise money for this purpose without asking the ratepayers’ consent, but as the council had now reached the limit of its borrowing powers from tho Advances Board, and until tho £SOOO limit was extended, the council could not borrow from the Government for this or any other purpose. He'would suggest that tho de.partmcut bo requested to relax tho limit for this purpose. It was only a fair request, seeing that the new hospital had been practically forepd on the board by the Health. Department. Councillor'Bower asked if it was not true that the Government gave a subsidy of 24s in tho £l. . Councillor O’Sullivan, a former member of the Hospital Board, said the subsidy was £ for £. Councillor Sander remarked that- he had seen that the chairman of tho board was getting into communication with the Government,- asking how the money was to be provided. He suggested holding the matter over to see what other local bodies wore doing. The Chairman: It will mean another Jd rate over the whole county to find the money. Councillor Bower said the only thing to do was to reduce the road expenditure, because tiio council could not raise the rates. The Chairman failed to see where any gopd could result from reducing the expenditure'on the roads. He considered" it would moan more patients for tho hospital. As there was no immediate hurry he suggested postponing discussion until a later date 1 , and this was accordingly done, tho chairman undertaking in tho interim to make inquiries from the other local bodies affected as to how they proposed raising tho money. ACCIDENT INSURANCE. , - Mr. H. R. Robinson, dork to tho Akitio County Council (Pongaroa) drew attention to the fact that local Government legislation did not give local bodies power to create a special fund for accident insurance.- ""Recently,” continued the-letter, “a majority of the

local bodies-, (borough and county councils) within the Wairarapa Hospital and Charitable Aid Board district were desirous of co-operation in the matter of establishing a Special Employees’ Accident Fund, but were unable to do oo as there is no power to create such a fund—in fact any county council is debarred from creating a special insurance fund in order to cover its own risk (notwithstanding the fact that local bodies are not compelled to insure their .workmen). 1 would, therefore, bo pleasel if you would ask tho member for your district ■ to support an amendment to the present local government law in tho direction of giving power to co-operate and create a Special Accident Insurance Fund when required ' over any area. My council arc of opinion that ,a saving would be effected if a certain number of local bodies united their efforts for the purpose of establishing such a fund, and point out that under the existing law it has even proved profitable ior certain councils to take their own risks, as the annual premium for covering the surfacemen, etc., employed by local bodies is. very heavy as compared with tho risk involved.” , The council received the proposal as an excellent idea, and decided to support the scheme, provided it is applicable to all tho local bodies throughout the Dominion.. Mr. Wilson', ■M.P., will be communicated with in tho matter. THE URENUI HILL. Air. TV. J. Bowman wrote asking if something could not be done to improve the stare of the hill leading from Hremii. Papa had been used as blinding on the metal and the consequence was that after heavy rain the surface of the road was as slippery ■ as ioc. Motor-cars had great difficulty in making tho ascent and he had noticed that horse traffic also ran a great deal of risk. Ho did not know if the council was liable in the event of an accident occurring, but supposed someone was responsible for tho road being in such a dangerous .state. As for motor traffic motorists -were already penalised by the heavy toll, and it was not fair, lie contended., that a part of the road should be made almost impassable for tboui in wet weather. Ho pointed out that there were several owners of cars who wore ratepayers in the county, and maintained that it was not fair that they should pay such a heavy toll when they did less harm to the roads than most of tho other traffic. Ho was sorry that a previous appointment- debarred him from waiting on the council re these matters, but hoped Isomothing would lie done to improve tho state of affairs. —The letter was received. THE URUTI ROAD. Four settlors on this road petitioned the council, to raise a loan of £2OO for the purpose of metallifig" the road from the cud of tho present metalling to the Mold Bridge. - They , were prepared to agree to a special rate of id in the £ On the value of their properties, . ' Another -petition was . signed by 14 settlers, including the four on the first petition, asking that £7OO be raised for tho purpose. A further letter bearing the signatures of four settlers, Two of them on the second petition, asked tho council to refer tho petitions back to the settlers for further consideration. Accordingly the matter was again referred hack to tho settlers. > At a later stage Mr. F. Kirton waited on the council in support of tho petitions, which were really the same as the previous scheme for raising £2OOO. All ho could now ask tho council to do was to see that the. £2OOO which was on last year's Government estimates for the work would bo put on tho estimates again this year. Councillor O’Sullivan assured Air. Kirton that tho sum had been on the estimates for six years and would go on again this year. Two hundred pounds of the amount could bo claimed by the council to-nvorrow. Tho Chairman assured Air. Kirton of the. council’s hearty support, whereupon he withdrew. Air. Chits. Alusker waited on the council asking permission to fill in the' drain opposite tho Uruti Hall. He said that no water now ran in the drain, and it was dangerous to people going to and from the hall.—Councillor O’Sullivan, member for tho district, offered no objection, and said that something would have to be done there for the benefit ot the hail.. The committee was willing to do:tho work. Ho then moved that tho committee be given permission, to do the work, which is to bo done to the satisfaction of tho member for tho district. PUKEARUKE REQUIREMENTS. ■ Air. Herbert Wells asked tlm board to metal the small hill north of -Jr. A. R. Davis’s gate, a distance of about four chains. There was a lot of good shingle on tho beach now oulv about 15 chains away, so that it could oe dons very cheaply—not more than £4 or £o per chain. Air. John Skinnor was willing (if the council was Agreeable), _ to spend-the £lO .granted at last meeting to open tho Gilbert Road, in metalling tho hill, if the couniil would find the balance required. Ho thought the ratepayers interested (Air. Skinner and himself) were entitled to a little con-. sidoration as they were paying the whole interest on tiio loan of nearly £3OO for deviating the road five years 'ago.—The council decided to find halt the cost of the work, tho settlers to find tho other half. Councillor Hicks gave notico < of motion to move that tho resolution granting Air. Skinner £lO for work on the Gilbert Road, passpd at last meeting, bo rescinded y find tbnt tiio money bo utilised in metalling tho road as mentioned above. TENDERS. It was decided to invito tenders for quarrying 1000 yards of shell _ rock, ready' for the crusher, at Uruti. THE BRIDGE LOAN. A formal resolution, levying tho special rate of l-16d in tho £ as security for tho Bridge Loan of £3995 which is now being raised, was passed. Iho rate will "bo an annual recurring ono during the currency of tho can, a period of 36) years, or until the loan is fully paid off. GENERAL. AY. H. Foreman ■ (Okau) wrote that iu connection with tho expenditure of £4O thirds on the Tool Road, ho begged to apply for a grant of £5 from rates for the purpose of putting in a ■ filling over some concrete piper, which are allowed for in tho £4O. Failing a grant at present he would do tho work and wait for payment till next year’s rates or thirds were available

if the council was willing. He offered to contribute -Jth of the cost of the work.—The matter was left in the engineer’s hands. Mr; Tiros. Sheehy applied or a leaso of a- portion of- the road reserve near the junction of Tongaparutu-Ma-ugaroa and Okau Roads. The land was not now used and was next his holding. Ho enclosed a tracing showing the land in question.—The lease was granted. - ™ ~ The secretary of the New Plymouth High School Board of Governors (Mr. Walter Bewley) wrote that ho had been informed that ii considerable amount or gravel had been taken from the board s reserve now in the occupation of Mr. Syme. Ho pointed out that it was now four years since any royalty had been paid by the council, and he requested that the engineer be instructed to measure the total amount removed from the pit and forward the royalty due to the board. —In the absence of Councillor Elliott the matter could not bo dealt with, and the question was referred to him to deal with. Mr.' B. J. Field, secretary of the Purangi Domain Board, asked permission to erect a fence close to the edge of the Ngatoto Road. The fence was between the/domain and the Ngatoto Road.—Permission was granted, provided no barb wire is used, and the work is done to Councillor Sander’s satisfaction. Tlic Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. G. H. Bullard) replied to, the council that the reason why the supply of monthly schedules was discontinued was in order to bring this district into lino with other parts of the Dominion. Ho understood the council would be able to get the required information from the Valuation Department. .With regard to the Pukearuko Domain, the Commissioner pointed out in a further letter that as the board had been revoked, he should be 'glad if the council would supply explanation of any accounts that had been paid with details when the liabilities were incurred, 1 as expenditure by other than the Domain Board could not bo recognised.— The council passed the only account owing and decided to hand oyer, the books and vouchers to the Land Boara. One of the county foremen again complained of the wandering stock nuisance on the roads in his length, and reported no less than 13 cases. The council resolved to issue the usual warning to all offenders; a second-of-fence means prosecution. Tho council formally endorsed the letter scut by the engineer to Messrs. Sladdcn and Palmer, relative to the construction of roads in the Mokau Land Company’s estate, aucl resolved that all culverts bo either of earthenware or concrete, and that all plane and soeoifleations of bridges be submitted to the council for approval. The secretary of tho Uruti Valley Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., replied that the council’s offer, of £25 for the piece of land required had been accepted, provided all costs of survey, transfer, etc., wore borne by tho council. A portion of the Kiwi Road and the Matau Township Road to the Tarawa! Road, have been . declared ’county roads. Accounts ampunting .to £1164 155.9 d were passed for payment. '