CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16610, 6 December 1919, Page 10

CLIFTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The Clifton County Council met at Waitara on t'nday, those present being: Couuciiioi's R. Jl. figott (enuirman), T. M ■i.veuzie. b\ C. Jones, 11. Waite, S. J. jveuuingtoii. [ PROPOSED RAILWAY SURVEY. ! Replies were received from local bodies which had been circularised m connection with the suggested Wai-tara-'ie Kuiii railway. The Nciv Phmouth Rorougn Council agieed tnat it was in the best interests oi the district that the route should be surveyed and later autnoiised. 'J.'ho eleriv to the A'.vakino County Council notified that the matter would he relerral to his council at its meeting at the end of November. Ho mentioned that preliminary steps had already been taken . for forming a railway district and set-'. ting up of a. railway board under the Local Hailways Act,' Willi the idea of constructing a railway from Puketutu . to Aria. " It was very likely that I this poind be extended to Waitara. The , Te Kuiti Rorough Council notuied that, it had been unanimously resolved to | support the Clifton Council's scheme, i and to join the Waitomo, Awakino and j Clifton Counties in forming a railway league for the furtherance of the proposal. Further action was deferred pending the receipt of replies from other local bodies concerned. CORRESPONDENCE. Thomas Cochrane wrote that he could not see his way in view of lack of camping and travelling facilities to accept the appointment of bridge foreman to the Council.—The engincowas authorised to procure a suitable covered conveyance if a foreman waavailablo. J. 13. Carr, Okau, made application on behalf of tile settlers for leave li. graze Meaner calves on the Okau Roac between'thi! hours of sunset and sun rise as from, say, Decemuer 1 to Apri 30. It was claimed that iiiis clas of stock would not damage the road and would help considerably in keep ing down ruboish.—The. request was not acceded to. The district, engineer of the Public "Works Department (Mr. H. li. Sharp.) wrote, in reply to tlie county engineer, that the .\iuu"-,ter had premised to provide £t>oo free money to enable the lait, bah mile oi three miles of the Lruti Roa<l to be metalled. The deputation had stated that the £ tit IJ free money was required in order that the full three miles of ro.u! might be melahed, and it was assumed that the council would not appiy for payment of the free money until the litmiles, to which a £1 for £1 item or rll-Hi on lho Estimates related, had been completed. G. L. l'oting, ranger. Toko, reported that the Mai.au North and Waitara Valley Roads were again being abused with wandering stock, and were, at the top ends, in a. shocking condition. It was' decided to inform C. E. Sanson that the County Council accept no responsibility for damage to his land by water i'lom the main roau of which I he wrote complaining. The districi engineer asked which of the works lor winch vous had been ma.de the council dr-sircd to proceed with immediately. I lie information bein o- desired to enable tile Minister of Public Work-; to decide which of the works should be approval lit-,; of all.—l It was decid.d io j eply iliat the order! of urgency was as tokow.-,: I'ruLi (£.l . for ill) 11-bi; Kaipikari (21 for £ij \ £-100; Okoke (CI for £1) C UO; I'iko : (CI for £l.) £•")(!!) on account of £3",00: ; j Kaka (L'l for 1:1* C 1! 10 on account of i JL'SliO; Ivioie to Matau Co,I ; Turaugi ' (LI for £1) £-100 on account of C'JuO. Advice was received from .Mr. C. | A. Wilkinson. M.l\, through the El- ; I thain County Conned, tiial the Minis- j ! tcr of Public Works was obtaining a I veoort mi the c >st of completing and ! reinstating the Wuipuku-Mount Eg-' inont line, the cost of rc-erection of quarrying maebin-'ry and file estimated cost of metal to local bodies on ) trucks at the railhead or quarry. ENGLXEEP\S REPORT. The county engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowsetf) presented the following re- i port : --- 1 Wailii Riding—Additional boulders have been deposited at the Waipapa depot, and ihe quantity on band will suliice for present needsili future requirements will bo at Onnero, lo replace the gravel opposite tno pah, and I have arranged lor 300 yards for this purpose. There is nothing further to report- in connection with either the Xikorima or 'J'urangi met ailing. The Inland North Head metal can be putdown more expeditiously by supplyin"' boulders ami crushing, on tlie site. i in" place of spawling at the pit and I hand-breaking on the. road, and the I

former method I would recommend. Further quarrying will be carried out at thq Onnoro pit for this and the I'rc.nui Riding. Tikorangi Ruling.—The Otnraoa Road contract has been signed, and the work of formation has already commenced. I 'Winter has arrived from Purangi and I taken up his duties, and crushing is expected to commence this week. Pipes have been ordered for tho creek giving access to metal pit in Mr. Allemau’s. Tho Bertrand .Road suspension bridge , will require, attention early in the New 1 Year, the truss being very much de- | caved iu places. An inspection was i made of the proposed deviation on the Tikorangi Road, and as there is opposition to entering private property, I propose, submitting estuna.os tor cutting down grades and metalling same. Kgatimaru Riding.— J. Hartigan lias taken up his duties at Tarata, and instructions given as to the work required. On the Junction Road gravelling has been proceeding from the Pukehuu end and carried to the Purangi zigzag, anti this length is now in good order. On the Mangaonpa Road the contractor has some 12.000ir. of timber I : ready for tho small bridges contract, and is now squaring out the remaining ! iinooti. The formation party have got I lie large culvert in position, and tho : idling completed, and this allows a fur- [' ilior section of the road open for dray . i trailic. On the. Malnu-Kdore road various | points have been taken olf, and fillings raised, and tour sets of concrete pipes have replaced wooden culverts. Nearly the whole of the timber for the erection of tho Manna made .Stream bridge is now available. Tbo foreman is engaged on the North Matau Road in improving bad section tlirmm’' the hush and upon completion will a attention to the grader work. U reini i Riding.—Qtrarrying is proceeding in the native reserve, and patching and re-coating have been carried out. but I should prefer larger supplies ;o meet all requirements. When the foreman is at liberty, metalling will oroeeed on Nikorima i-treer an 1 cutting imm grade on YViiakapaki Street ;n tho township. On the Piko Road ascining and metalling have been enmdeted opposite Section 3. where tho

road traverses the bush. Tho Black bridge requires renewal, and if an offer is made, to cut timber in the locality I will .submit proposals and estimates of the work. Two sets of 42in. raonier pipes will be forwarded to replace small bridge 'on the Okoke Road, opposite Section TO. I hope shortly to have the pit road completed and proceed to cart out metal for repairs. Nothing further has transpired in connection with tho Kaka, Piko, and Okoko metalling loans, and tho boulder contract from the foreshore at Urenui is still in abeyance. Mokau Hiding.—Additional repairs have boon clreclcd to the .Mangamaeho, Uruti, and Jupp’s bridges. The District Road Engineer was communicated with in respect of the Uruti Road metalling grant, and his reply is placed before tho council. No applications have been received in connection wi’h the shell rock contract. Tho bridge, carpenter became suddenly ill on November 10 and was removed to the hospital. On the T’ukearnhe Road forming up in connection with the completion’ of the metalling contract, will be proceeded with, and the repairs to the I’apatiki Bridge v.nl shortly bo olfectod. The Nopera Road work will be undertaken when the- other parties are ready to assist. Ihe Maijgaliia Bridge will shortly be. undergoing removal, and I propose taking a section of tlie site of .Maugarnaelio Bridge for rebuilding purposes. Further timber is arriving lor tho Okau Road bridges, and opportunity will bo taken to get it to the various sites. Explosives were ordered lor improving points on the Kiwi Road, and a suitable man is still required at the Kota to end. Owing to tho non-arrival of tho council’s car, I have beta considerably hampered in my duties during tho month. The report was adopted.

MISCELLANEOUS. Eight T.irata. settlers petitioned for a loan of £2OOO to be raised., conditionally on the Government granting a £ for .£ subsidy, to complete the metalling and improving 01 tiio Autawa and i'lUi roads lroin the Junction Koad (larata) to Sections 1 and 2, iilock 3, Huiroa ri.U.—The required application is io be made. There was some discussion on the point oi whether £2501) would be a suiticient sum.

Fourteen ratepayers requested the council lo take the necessary stops to raise the loan required to secure the Government £ tor £ subsidy standing on the estimates for metalling portions of the Kairiikari Road.—The request was acceded to. 'The council decided to spend the evening in considering a copy o£ the proposed uniform by-laws for Taranaki local bodies. A nuisance caused by horses, including stallions, running on the roads in tho Waihi-Tikorangi district was referred to by Councillor .M'Kenzic. Councillor Foreman ashed the council to authorise the placing of some metal in a cutting on tho Oiaraoa Hoad whore earthwork was being carried out. on Foreman’s Hill.—lt was decided to metal tire cutting. A honorarium of £4O was voted to tho chairman in recognition of his services during the past year and to cover travelling expenses, which had been unusually heavy. Accounts amounting to £756 2s 3d were passed for payment.