Waipawa County Council.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIII, Issue 4164, 12 February 1901, Page 2

Waipawa County Council.

Monday, nth Feb., 1901. The Waipawa County Council met yesterday. Pressnt: —Messrs Sydney Johnston (chairman), A. E. Jull, H. H. Bridge, P. Gow, C. Baines, A. McCormack, J. Holden, J. Lyell. Leave of absence was granted to Mr Ericksen. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters and telegrams from Hon. J. G. Ward, Acting-Premier, re death of Her Majesty the Queen and proclamation of King Edward VII.—A resolution of regret was passed. From Department of Public Health, re provisions of new Health Act. —Received. From General Post Office, covering statement of receipts and expenditure of Matamau telephone line, to 18th December, 1900.—Received. From Valuer-General, rccost of valua-tions.—-Amount to be paid. The department to be informed that the Council consider the charge exceedingly high. From Treasury, stating that Tiratu loan of £7OO would in a few days be paid to Council’s credit at bank.—Received. From Department of Lands and Survey, re vote of £2OO for Danevirke Weber road.—Overseer to prepare plans for the approval of the Minister for Lands with the request that the work be done by tender. From same, re vote of £SOO for Maunga road, Waikopiro.—Government to be asked to allow the Council to spend the money in the usual way, owing to the scarcity of labor. From Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, re “ thirds ” from section in Block NV, Takapau S.D.—Commissioner to be requested to furnish the Council with a statement of thirds accrued in the Waikopiro. From Land Board, approving proposed expenditure of “ thirds ” and “fourths.” —Received. From Chief Surveyor, Napier, re vote of £2OO for Ahiweka road.—Commissioner to be asked to hand over £l2B in hand, for the Council to expend. From Auditor - General forwarding balance sheet for half year ended 30th September 1900 certified.—Received. From Ahiweka road settlers, stating that portions of the road under construction are not being done satisfactorily etc.—Work to be done according to specifications. From James Burns, contractor for contract 6, Ahiweka road, re bridge.—Overseer to make arrangements. From H. Carlson, Danevirke, making suggestions ie forming and metalling a portion of Mangatoro valley road. He would form tho road and accept the overseer’s estimate, the Council to pay him in three annual instalments.—Chairman, Mr Jull, and member for the riding to inspect with power to act. From J. Cullinane, asking for a refund of deposit on contract B, Tiratu road, he having made a clerical error when writing out his tender.—Deposit to be returned and offer accepted to carry out work at £2 12s per chain. From T. B. Insoll, Hunterville asking if a new piece of road in continuation of Taradale road, Danevirke, has been handed over to tho Council and asking that 20 chains of it be formed to give him wheel access to his property. —Mr Insoll to be informed that Council could not legally give effect to his wishes. From Inspector of Factories, Danevirke, forwarding application by W. F. Greenaway to register his Matamau sawmill as a factory.—Received. From J. Kearney, Makarahara, returning voucher and refusing to accept less than 8s per day wages.—To bo paid. All casual hands to be paid 8s a day. From Malcolm Clark, Maharahara, asking for formation and metalling of 5 chains of road leading to section 3 and 4, block Vll.—One chain and a half of metalling to be done on each side of a culvert. From T. Hyde, Woodville, re telephone service in Manga-atua Valley.— Clerk had replied. From E. Bedingfield, Makotukq, asking that the road leading to his section be completed.—Road to bo completed. Vaughan’s fence to be removed. From F. Forward, Makotuku, enclosing account for removal and erection of fence. —Overseer to report. From P. Vaughan, Makotuku, asking for 0 chains of road formation and metalling.—Cannot be entertained. From Inglis Bros., Makaretu, asking Council to take steps to compel Mr Connor to close the gates across the road.— Gates to be closed. R. M. Anderson, Ashley Clinton, offer-

ing to do tjaa 7 or 8 chains of road work isked for before for £8. —Received. From Manson and Co., Tikokino, asking. that the road from McLeod’s to Newton’s be metalled before the winter commences.—No action. Fom H. Hickey, asking that a slip be removed from road.—Work to be done at a cost not exceeding £2O. From clerk, Waipukurau Road Board, stating that the lowering ef road at Waipukurau was completed and applying for payment. —To be paid. From A. L. Allan, Hatuma, re opening of metal pits on the Hatuma estate.— Received. From A. S. G. Carlyon, asking that 80 chains of the Hampden-Maraekakaho road near his house be put in proper order before the bad weather begins.— Dealt with in Overseer’s report. From J. Howard, asking that the road fence at Makororo bridge approach be done at once.—To be done. From Napier Board of High School Governors, stating that Mr Crosse retires by effluxion of time on 31st March, and is eligible for re-election.— Mr Crosse re-elected. From H. F. Norris, stating that he has taken on the businsss recently carried on in the name of Loughnan and Norris.—Received. From same, giving opinion on question of slaughtering licenses. —Fee for the' current year, which ends on 30th June, to be 10s. From same, covering correspondence from C. Baddeley on subject of taking land for road through section 31, Umutaoroa, and asking for further instructions.—Referred to chairman and solicitor to arrange. From Hadley and Company, sending catalogue of road making machinery.— Received. From J. Devereux, Takapau, applying for fourteen days’ extension of time for completion of contract 228.—Request granted. From Blakiston and Blakiston, Danevirke, stating that Council’s contractors are depositing soil from a cutting in such a manner as to bury Mr Carlson’s fence on section 33 and 34, Tepapakuku.— Overseer to arrange. overseers’ f.eports.

Sir, —I have the honour to submit the following report:— Waipawa Riding. —l have laid off 864 chains of Hampden-Maraekakaho road, from the top of Torr’s cutting to end of metal near Gwavas road entrance. There were 35 chains of formation and metalling authorised two years ago on this road, but was not done on account of the gorse not being eradicated, and the work was postponed to allow of. such being done. This distance, together with the present year’s allocation, will amount to 70 chains. The whole of the distance laid off is cut up into holes, and for long distances deep water channels; and such places will be very bad in winter. The 864 chains, with the exception of two short distances, would complete the whole of this road. Mr Carlyon will require to remove the road fence back to its proper position for a length of about 90 chains before the formation can be started. There is a very narrow and dangerous angle near the top of Torr’s cutting. The bullock teams cannot get round it unless at a great risk, and several have gone over the embankment. The road should be widened at this place for a length of one and a half chains; cost £4. The decayed straining blocks in the Waipawa traffic bridge have been taken out and new ones substituted. IMease instruct me as to whether the authorised fencing between Dr Todd’s and Waipawa bridge is to be. done by contract or day labour. Also the widening and fenening of eight chains near Mangatanoka river. Ruataniwha Riding. —A timber culvert has been renewed on the Takapau-Norse-wood road between the cemetery and the old Railway hotel. The old one broke down. Norsewood Riding. The authorised work has been completed at the Manawatu bridge and the bridge adjoining, by erecting new wing walls and diverting the river from endangering the road. I spent some time prospecting for metal at Matamau last month, but am not yet satisfied with the class of metal I found. I intend to further prospect that distriot after the meeting of the Council, If no better metal'can be found I would recommend screening, which would mean an additional 9d per yard. Ormondviiie Riding. —The authorised groin at the Manawatu river, KopuaPapatua road has been inserted. Tenders will be laid before you to-day for delivering 2720 cubic, yards river shingle on Ormondville-Norsewood road. I fully expect the cost will exceed the amount allocated, as that estimate was based on obtaining metal from the usual quarries instead of river bed shingle. I have laid off and prepared plans for 32 chains of Bengtson’s road, Ormondviiie, by two routes ; one is the surveyed line of road, and the other deviates from the survey line, starting at near the creek, curving round the faefe of creek bank in Mr Bengtson’s paddock, to where it joins the legal road at peg No. 35. The route by the old road will cost £BO more than by the deviation as pegged off (see plans). In fact the old road is prohibitive from between pegs Nos. 25 and 32, a distance of live chains, ihere being no place to deposit the material out of this block cutting except into private property. Therefore for the above reasons I did not call tenders for the formation of this road as ordered at the last meeting of the Council. The decking and hand railing of the bridge across the Mangarangiora creek, on the Ormondville-Papatu road is completely rotten and requires renewing at once to ensure the safety of traffic. The bridge is 107 feet long and will take 135/16 and 8/20 9x4. This together with the hand railing and wheel guards will amount to 8395 feet. Danevirke Riding. —l have further prospected the Weber road district for metal, The stone I reported about to the Council last month I find on sinking shafts is only surface, but there is a considerable quantity of that extending over an extensive surface. I have called for alternative prices from each quarry. I did not care to take upon myself the responsibility of getting the whole of the metal tendered for from this place. A. Gilmour, County Road Overseer.

Sir,—l liave the honor to report as follows on the different Ridings:— Waipawa Riding. —Two pipe culverts have been inserted on the Waipawa-Hamp-den road near Milbourne road, the old ones having fallen in. The metalling contract through the Hampden township is completed. The contract of 1000 yards metal on this road is in progress. Waipukurau Riding. —l have inspected the contract of lowering the ground and con structing the footpath in the Waipukurau township, and find that the footpath is not made to the specified width, it being three to four feet narrow in many places. I have written to the clerk of the Waipukurau Road Board to that effect. The formation and metalling cotsPWt* on the Lower Gorge ro.ad is being proceeded with. Ruataniwha Riding. —A double row of concrete pipes on the Onga Onga-Waipawa road have been cleaned out, and on examination I find that most of the pipes are broken at the joints, thus enabling the roots of willows to grow through and causing silt. I would recommend that the joints be cemented. The following contracts are in progress, 120 chains metalling Onga Onga-Wakarara road, formation of Fletcher’s road, Wakarara, formation and metalling 60 chains Waipawa river road, forming and metalling 265 chains of Taka-pau-Waipukurau road, and the formation and metalling 80 chains Ashley ClintonSherwood road. The formation contract

on the Blackburn Ridge road, and the 350 yards of metal on the Taka pau-Ashcott road, have not been started. The 1200 yards of metal on the Blackburn Ridge road near Mr Steed’s is completed with the exception of breaking the large stones, which are being attended to. The contracts of formation and metalling on Fair-field-Takapau road and Onga Onga-Hamp-den road are completed. Ormondviiie Riding. The following contracts have been completed during the month, viz.: —Seven hundred yards metal on the various roads at Makotuku, reforming and metalling Ormondviiie-Wai-kopiro road and the formation of 80 chains of Ahiweka road (Louden and Co., second contract). The contracts, now being proceeded with are—Forming and metalling Donghi’s road and the formation of 80 chains of Ahiwika road (Louden and Co.’s last contract). J. Burns is proceeding very slowly with his contract of 80 chains of formation on the last named road. He Will require to make better progress to have it completed within the specified time. The widening of Neilsen’s road, Makotuku, has been done as authorised. Norsewood Riding. —The 200 yards of metal on South Makaretu road is completed. The formation and metalling of Kopua-Norsewood road is being gone on with. The metal contract in the Norsewood township is completed. It will require an additional 50 yards of metal to complete the portion left, that is to complete the full width of the road. The road between the portion metalled and the gravel pit also requires about 40 yards of metal to put in good repair. Danevirke Riding. —The contract on the Tiratu road has been commenced. The contract on this road has not been signed by the contractor. Bernsten and Co. have completed their first contract of metalling on the Danevirke—Weber road, and are now proceeding with their limestone metal contract at the Papapanui hill. The metal contract on Smith’s road, Uinutaoroa, is completed, also the formation contract on Tahoraite mill road. John Dalton has not yet completed his formation contract on Victoria Avenue road. This contract has been on hand for some considerable time, the contractor evidently being very dilatory about its comletion. I would ask your Council to terminate the contract at your next meeting if in the meantime it is not completed. The approach to a small bridge on Smith’s road, Umutaoroa, has been widened during the month.

Woodville Riding. —The contract of 900 yards of metal on the various roads in the Maharahara district is completed. Two culverts on Graham’s road have fallen in and I have instructed the surfaceman to have them repaired. The sides of the road have been ploughed off on Pinfold road, Woodville, to allow the water to escape freely. J. Sergeant has completed his contract on Davey’s road satisfactorily. The stumps in the Manga-atua stream at the crossing on the main road have been removed. This was necessary to allow the stream to scour to a greater depth. M. Murray, County Road Overseer.

RECOMMENDATIONS. Mr Gilmour’s report. Waipawa Riding.—Work on Hamp-den-Marakakaho road to be done. Fencing near Waipawa bridge to be done by contract. Widening near Manganokoa river to be done. Ruataniwha Riding.—No recommendation. Norsewood Riding.— No recommendation. Ormondviiie Riding.—Bengston’s offer accepted for deviation. Bridge to be repaired. Mr Murray’s report. Waipawa Riding.—No recommendation. Waipukurau Riding.—No recommendation. Ruataniwha Riding.—Joints of pipes to be cemented. Ormondviiie Riding.—No recommendation. Norsewood Riding.—No recommendation. Danevirke Riding.—Dalton to be notified that his contract will be terminated if not completed before next meeting. Woodville Riding.—No recommendation. MISCELLANEOUS. The chairman said he had inspected Ross’s slaughterhouse and found nothing objectionable.—License granted. A penalty of 10 per cent was imposed on all rates unpaid on 31st March. It was decided to get the statutes of the colony for reference. It was decided to pay Mr T. Butler £lO, for additional carting on his contract on the Ahiweka road. It was resolved not to accept tenders received after the advertised hour of closing. It wag resolved to borrow £I3OO from the Government for the Maunga road. A special meeting to be held on 3rd April to confirm the order. It was decided to call tenders for the erection of a bridge over the Manga-atua oreek, at Victoria. Steps to be taken towards completing the signatures for the Pinfold road deviation. It was decided to widen the worst part of the cuttings on the Urautaorqa road, near the dairy factory. BYE-LAWS. The bye-laws, as drawn up, were considered, and with the exception of certain alterations affecting the license for traction engine traffic were favourably received. Mr Bridge moved “ That the proposed bye-laws be referred to the Council’s solicitor, and be returned in time for next meeting of Council, with a legal opinion attached.”—Carried. Mr. Bridge’s notice of motion re repeal of bye-laws was further postponed.

TENDERS. The following tenders were dealt with:—

Contract No. 214.—F0r delivering 300 cubic yards metal on Blackburn Valley road.—R. Staunton, 2s 6d per yard (accepted).

Contract No. 223.—F0r the formation of 12 chains and erecting bridge on Neilsen’s road, Umutaoroa.—J. Cullinane, stumping, &c., 47s per chain, erecting bridge £35 ; A. F. F. Dittmer, 35s per chain, and £3l 10s; S. Newman, 30s per chain and £25 (accepted). Contract No. 226.—F0r reforming and metalling of 304 chains of Dickenson’s and 244 chains of Miles’ road, Ashley Clinton.—Fresh tenders to be called.

Contract No. 231.—F0r delivering 700 cubic yards river shingle oq Harding’s Kumeroa road.—ls. Hederman 2s 3d per yard, W. Galbraith Is 8d (accepted), R. Wall 2s 4d. Contract No. 232.—F0r the formation and metalling of 254 chains of Onga Onga-Wakarara roadon flat near river.— E. P. Cowen 34s per chain, R. Staunton 35s 6d (accepted.) Contract No. 235.—F0r stumping, clearing and formation of Thompson’s and Hirst’s road, Wakarara.—E. Turfrey 208 per chain (accepted.) Contract No. 236.—F0r the formation and metalling of 5 chains of Douglas’ cutting, and completing the road approach to Makaroro bridge, Wakarara.— Fresh tenders to be called. Contract No. 237.—F0r the formation and metalling of 70 chains of Symons’

road, and 3 chains of Fletcher’s road, Wakarara.—Fresh tenders to be called. Contract No. 238.—F0r carting and delivering 2720 cubic yards river shingle on Ormondville-Norsewood road.—T. Butler, delivering metal 2s 2d, formation £l6; Olsen, Leopoldt and Nioholls li lOd (accepted). Contract No. 239.—F0r delivering 700 oubic yards river shingle on main road, Umutoaroa.—Fresh tenders to be called. Contract No. 240.—F0r carting and delivering 600 cubic yards gravel oq Sturdey's road, Maharahara.—M. Hederman, Is lOd per yard (accepted); W. H. Graham, 2s 2d. Contract No. 241.—F0r the formation and metalling of 25 chains of Mangatoro Valley road, Danevirke.—Held oyer. Contract No. 242.—F0r quarrying, breaking and delivering 570 cubic yards limestone metal on Danevirke-Weber road.—J. Cullinane 8s 3d, 5s lOd and £2B (accepted), C. Bernsten 8s 6d. Contract No. 7o.—For stumping, clearing, and formation of 45 chains of Aheweka road, Waikopiro.—Louden <fc Co., £3 11s 8d per chain, H. L. Wolland £2 Is 9d (accepted.) PAY-BHEET. The pay sheet amounting to (general account £1455 lls2d, loan account £135 14s 7d, and deposit account £59) was passed for payment. Authority was given to the Chairman to increase overdraft if necessary. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting was held, when the special order levying special rate for ths Ahiweka road was confirmed. JOINT MEETING. A joint meeting of the Waipawa and Patangata County Councils was held at poon, for the purpose of electing representatives on the Harbour Board. Mr S. Johnston presided. In addition to the members of the Waipawa County Council Mr D. H. Potts was present. Mr Bridge proposed the re-election of Mr Gow, seconded by Mr McCormack.— Carried. Mr J ull moved the re-election of ths Hon. J. D. Ormond. The chairman read a telegram from the Hon. J. D. Ormond declining reelection. Mr Jull said it was about time the country ratepayers took a more intelligent interest in Harbour Board affairs. Judging by the last report of the Harbour Board meeting the country people were going to have their rates steadily increased, in order to relieve the merchants of Napier. By this they could see the possibilities in store for property owners. If land owners and local bodies did not take more interest in the matter they might know what to expect. He proposed Mr Sydney Johnston. Mr Johnston said he would have to decline, as he would be out of the colony shortly. He would like to hear an expression of opinion regarding a new loan. Mr Gow said it would be necessary to have a new loan to complete repairs to the breakwater. He had found it very little use attending the Harbour Board meetings, for the Napier members had everything cut and dried. He would also like to know why the expenses of country members were not paid. Mr Jull said he would not like to commit himself until he had further information. On the motion of Messrs Baines and Lyell Mr A. E. Jull was elected. On the motion of Messrs Potts and Bridge it was unanimously resolved “ That the Napier Harbour Board pay the expenses of country members.”