CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16503, 2 August 1919, Page 11

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. 'Die Clifton County Council mot at Waitara on Friday. Those present were: Councillors K. H. i'igott (ehairiilun). T. M-Kenzie. C. Muskcr, H. AVaiie, S. J. Koimingtou, E. C. Jones, if. A. Foreman. ENGINEER'S REPORT, Tl l o county engineer (Mr. C. I' • Dowsctl) reported as l'olV>ws;— AVaihi Riding.—Further repairs have been carried out to the beach road, and the contractor has already started to cart his stone to the depot. The cnlvert near the old pound site. Maun Road, docs not show any immediate necessity of removal, but should in the near future be replaced by a Jft. concrete pipe. This would cost about £2O. and to straighten the creek on the lower side for about lour chains would cost a further CIS. The timber at the AA’aiau Bridge is being sold by tender. Tikorangi Riding.—The inreman has been engaged with assistance in quarrying a few yards of stone, .lor urgent repairs, and I recommend that a further fifty yards bo procured from anj accessible place to be crushed and pul down from the library northwards. Duplicate plans and specifications are in course of preparation for submission to the Resident Road Engineer for the Otaraoa. Road improvements.

Ngatimaru Riding. Arrangements have been made whereby the foremen at Rurangt and T;rata will assist each oilier in quarrying sufficient gravel tor urgent repairs on the Junction Road. Work still continues on the Rita and Pukemahoe roads. The erection oi the Mangaoapa Bridge is proceeding satisfactorily and the present month should see its completion, when the two smaller bridges, arrangements for which were made ou the ground, will be proceeded with. The road party arc pushing ahead ami with promise of increased assistance should soon make a substantial showing. A small tunnel on the Mangamaire Road I was unable to let, but propose calling tenders locally to close at the next meeting. The timber for the South Mntan .Bridge is now coming to band. I’renni Riding.— A start has b<;en made with the boulder supply contract, a few yards having been recovered from the foreshore. Further small supplies of gravel have been carted out from the Native. Reserve and the contractor verifies my statement in connection with the owners’ consent in reference to the access thereto. On the Kaipikari Road a small sum was authorised for repairs to be carried out by dbe settlers. A further inspection on the Okoko Road indicated that a good seam of gravel existed near the old workings, and it is proposed to expend a sum of about £25 to give access to the lace, the gravel to be used for general maintenance and repairs.

Mokan Riding.—The. lack of labour at Rniti lias prevented even ordinary maintenance work being carried nut, and the roads in consequence are shelving the want of necessary attention. Last week I engaged men for both the Oknn and Unit! districts; the former eventually declined it. and the latter is due this week. 1 again urge the conned to make provision for renewal of the gravelled portions of the Main Road with broken stone, also the reconstruction of the old wooden bridge in permanent materials. Further stone has been recovered from the foreshore at Wnl-iti.

Gravel.—The crushing plant is being overhauled and will be ready for conY mission in the near future. - I have applied for the following grants:—AlimiMokau. jfinOOO: Otaraoa Road, £250; Matau-TCiore. £SO; also for Urn following subsidies on a C for £ basis: Maiaro. £1000; Niknrima. £;!50 : Okoke. £1000; TCaka. £800; Piko £2000; Urnli. £125: Pukearuhe. £100; Kaipikan, £000; I’araninihi. £225; Mangana pa. £500; Turangi. total. £11.500. BOUNDARY OF PROPOSED INGLEWOOD COUNTY. The Minister of Internal Affairs forwarded a copy of a. letter in which the Commissioner of Crown Lands at New Plymouth and the District Valuer recommended that the eastern boundary of the proposed Inglewood County should ho altered to allow a. certain area to he absorbed Into the Stratford and A\ hanganiomona. Counties, and the boundary to be the natural boundary along the top of a bigli range. iho opinion was expressed that it was a matter oi opinion whether the Pnrangi Saddle (t)ie high range spoken of) was the natural boundary. Councillor Konniugton remarked that, for the Matau settlors the road to Inglewood was a. better motor road than that leading to Stratford. The Chairman said that the matter of the boundaries was a. question for the ratepayers to settle, and Councillor Jones said that when the matter came before the Local Rills Committee (as it would have to) the first tiling asked would be what was the feeling of the settlers. In order to ascertain the desire of tho settlers in the Ngatimaru Riding was decided, on'tho motion of Councillor Foreman, to call meetings of ratepayers at MataiJ and Tanita to decide whether they desired to secede from the Clifton County. MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE. It was decided, on the motion of Councillors Jones and AVaite, to support the remit framed by the Taranaki conference, hold at Eltham in July, with tlie object of .securing Government assistance in order that main roads might be maintained without toll-gates. During discussion it was mentioned that the proposal was that tho Government should’ pay a subsidy of 10s in the £ on all rates, whereas at present a county levying a rate of R 1 was granted os in the ,£, and the Clifton County Council, being forced to levy a high rate, was receiving a little less than 2s in the £ as subsidy. MISCELLANEOUS. Two complaints were received concerning stock wandering on tho Matau Road. Mr. AV. M. Coard wrote on July 5 that I here were 15 or more cattle wandering (in the south end of tho road, and said it seemed a favourite place for one or two settlers further up the road to dump thou- cattle every winter. Air. C. A. Simons complained of stock on tho North Matau Road, and asked if it was fair for him to be prosecuted for allowing stock to wander on the road and for tho county surfaceman to turn over 20 down the road and annoy tho writer by getting in a. small paddock bo had shut up for a winter cow. —Tho matter was referred to Councillor Kennington to ba investigated.

A returned soldier owning a farm in fho Urenui district wrote inquiring whether the County Council could remit rates. It not he would have to nlacc his

position before the Repatriation Department as, owing in loss of income during his absence and his property going back, he could not see his way to pay arrears of rates, rents, interest, etc.—lt, was decided to reply that the council had power to remit rates in a case of necessity. Councillor Musker, on behalf of the settlers residing on the Uruti Road, asked the council to support a petition by the settlers to the. Minister of Public Works for the metalling of hnll'-a-mile of the road from which no rates could ho derived, owing to the manner in which it was situated. The settlers had metalled two miles of the load, and wore willing to metal two more miles.—Tho council decided that, tho Chairman should wait on the. Minister, in company with a representative of the settlers concerned, when next in 'Wellington. Mr. F. W. Sutton. Inspector of Stock, drew attention to the spread of noxious weeds—blackberry, gorse and ragwort—along the portion of Ngatimarn Terrace extending from the bridge over the Waita.ra River at Tarata. to the boundary of section 'll. The writer said that, ns owners in tho locality were being pressed to clear woods on their properties, he would bo glad if tho conn, c-it would! give tho matter attention. — Tlie riding members wore authorised to deal with an offer from Mr. W. Lncleinann ('Tarata) to clear the weeds for a certain sum and keep them down in the future if granted a lease of the land. Six ratepayers on the Mangahia Road, Urnti, authorised tho council to raise a special loan, carrying a £ for £ subsidy from tho Government, for metalling two miles, more or less, of the road.—lt was decided to apply to tho Government for a subsidy on the loan of £I3OO to bo raised by tho settlors. Accounts amounting to £931 16s 2d were passed for payment.