TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144778, 7 September 1915, Page 3

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. ■ The regular meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held to-day, and was attended _by Messrs. J. Brown (in the chair), J." Andrews, A. Morton, D. M'Allum, C. Andrews, AV. Binnie, G. A. Bridgeman, A. E. Laurence, and J. S. Conuett. The Chairman extended a hearty welcome to Mr. Connott, who has been elected fqr tho AVaitara Hiding.—Mr. Connett briefly acknowledged the courtesy. THE MOA MERGER. The Chairman reported' that Mr. Morton and himself wont to Wellington as the delegates of the council with reference to the Moa County Bill. There was nothing to report except what was already known—that the Local Bills Committee of the House had thrown out the Bill. The utmost friendship had existed with the representatives of the Moa Road Board, and members of the committee stated they had never known a local Bill which caused so little friction or bitterness. AVhile on the subject, he considered that a committee should be set-up from the council to meet the Road Board to endeavour to arrive at an amicable arrangement to merge the road district into the county. The delegates of the Moa Road Board bad agreed there would be no possible chance now of getting a new county, and under the circumstances, it would'undoubtedly be better if the district were merged in the county. . j Mr. J. Andrews thought it would bo the best thing to do. Mr. iAf‘Allura suggested that a committee of four be set up. The election of a committee was held over till later in the meeting. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr. R. AV. Fisher) reported:— Crushing Plant.—The plant had been engaged as follows during the month: Completing at Atkinson’s depot, 192 cubic yards; Durham Road depot, 596 cubic yards; Rugby Road depot, 668 cubic yards; total, 1456 cubic yards. The plant was now at Tariki. The large roller bad been with the crushing plant between Inglewood Borough boundary and Rugby Road. It was found necessary to lay her up for a few days for the purpose of overhauling. The small roller had been engaged completing on Foreman J. Holmes’ length, and then wont to Foreman Batten in Mangorei, and was now .engaged on Foreman Seamark’s length, Omarta Riding, i . . . . Moa Riding.—The roads in this riding were in good order, with the exception of the length recently metalled between Inglewood Borough boundary and AVaiongona on the Mountain Road. The foreman bad been fully engaged with the - crushing plant at the other depots in his length, but was now devoting his attention to blinding and raking in metal. The Zig-Zag had been cleared of all slips and was now in good order. The bridge on Bathurst Flat reported on at last meeting had been repaired, together with the remaining, bridges on Foreman Bennett’s length, which had had new docking put on where necessary.' _ . Mangorei Riding.—Roads m this riding wore in very fair order and maintenance work had proceeded satisfactorily. There were several small heaps of stone along the toil ends of Kent and Maude Roads which had been picked up-from time to time and have accumulated to the extent of from 40 to 50 yards. They were too large for patching, but would repay for carting and putting through crusher when she was at Korito. Ho was instructed to report on a complaint from Mr. Lalley at the upper end of Alfred Road. He found that there were several places where large boulders were cropping up through the cart track and these he had instructed Foreman Batten to remove. Some of them would require blasting, and for this it would bo necessary for tho foreman to engage a man to assist him for a day or two. (Permission was granted to employ a man.) He had laid off the Hill Hoad tunnel as instructed when taking over duties, and after careful consideration he did not feel justified in advising the construction of this tunnel. At a low figure he estimated tho cost of the tunnel, including timber and clearing river-bed of boulders for five chains on the nn-stream side of .tunnel, at £3OO. Added to this there was the filling at site of the existing bridge, about 2500 cubic yards, say £123. Ho would recommend that tho bridge should bo reconstructed on the present site in concrete. The span could be considerably reduced, thereby enabling the work on tho hew bridge to he proceeded with under the present bridge, which would continue to carry the traffic for the time being.—A committee will be set" up to confer with the engineer on tho whole matter. . ....

Waitara Riding.—The roads in this riding were in good order. A timber culvert 2ft. square collapsed at the foot of Big Jim’s Hill, near the Waitara Borough boundary, and it had been necessary to replace the culvert with concrete pipes. This culvert carried the water across the main road of what was the boundary creek between the Waitara Borough and this county, and therefore’ it was incumbent on the Borough to share equally the cost of renewal. He had relaid the culvert with 30-inch concrete jiipes and made the road safe for traffic. It would, however, he necessary to extend the culvert when pipes were available and to intercept the creek at a point higher up-stream than formerly, which would improve the course of flow and would enable the existing drinking place for cattle to be filled in. He had conferred with the Mayor of the borough (Mr. Beckbessingcr), who had concurred that the drinking place was not required so close to the borough, and that the widening of the road at this point would he a very distinct improvement. The bridge carpenter had renewed several of the joists and redecked the, Waiongona Bridge, on the Manutahi Read at Lepperton, and tightened up the truss rods, and was now engaged similarly on the bridge near the mill on the Richmond Road, Omata Riding.—These roads were in very good order. Foreman Eva was engaged getting stone out of the Frankley Read,pit and was making excellent progress. The chairman had been over the reads in this length and they had reduced the quantity for the current year’s requirements to 350 .yards. Foreman Seamark had the small roller in his length and was making very good use of it, effecting distinct improvements, and ho ■ suggested that the" portions that had been scarified and remetalled would provide a good opportunity for applying “soltar” or other preparations, which it was proposed to test on the county main'roads. He recommended that 40 chains over which the test was sanctioned should-commence from the foot.

of the Omata Hill towards the borough boundary. The tost on the hill would be severe, with the heavy traffic it has to carry, but he considered' it advisable if the question of adopting it generally through the main roads is to be consider® (Tho recommendation was adopted The creek had been turned through die Tukapa tunnel and he found it would bo necessary to call upon tho property owners to clear the willows at the lower end of the tunneL Before serving notices he would bo glad if a small committee could visit the locality. Okato Hiding.—General maintenance work had proceeded and the roads were very fair. The Tiraaru tunnel repairs had been completed at a cost of £47 5s 6d, which was £2 5s 6d in excess of his estimate, which could be explained, as he had improved what formerly was a very bad corner of the hill by _ a side cutting around the point, which had proved a great improvement. Ho had laid off the Hoani Hoad loan of £650 and the plans and specifications were laid on the' table.. He recommended that the work be let forthwith in two contracts, one for formation and the other for metalling, and he had prepared the specifications accordingly. Some work was required on the Minarapa Hoad. At present at a point about 25 chains down this road the surface water was running on to private property, and it would bo necessary to remove a small bank for a distance of two or three chains to permit of forming a water-table. The bridge carpenter would be in this riding shortly and would put up a plank bridge, and hand-rail on the Upper Pumho Road as instructed. He estimated; the amount of the loan required to bo raised on the Lower Pitone Road for the purpose of forming and metalling at £1550. The length of tho road was three miles.. The foreman had been engaged on this road effecting improvements already.