WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 8 April 1913, Page 3

WAITOTARA COUNTY COUNCIL.

■MONTHLY MEETING

In -attendance at the usual monthly nv&eting of the Waitotara County Council, held - yesterday, were ■ the following; Councillors W. Ritchie (chairman), W. Morrison, C G. Russell, G. Mitchell, £>. G.-Handley^andJ. Dempeey."" :- Technical College.—The principal of tho Technical College "asked whether the Council .would become a - contributing body to the College.—Received. Proposed Alteration in-Rate Collbot•Dg - Method.—The Wadmato Countj* J CnDiincil-forwarded ' a resolution urging an -alteration in the law relating to the collection of, rates.' The support o'; the Waitotana Council was asked. The writer pointed otit the disadvantages of the present system and said that the lcsolution would'tend to-improve "it. Tho Chairman stated that the Waitotara County was-satusiied with tho pres'<snt "system, ana "the letter was' received. " Monthly Schedules of Transfers Stop- , ped.—The Department of Land noti- ' fod tho "Council that it was not in future pr-oposed- lo son-d monthly schedul- I ca of transfers, etc.," of land, tx> "County Councils. Whanga-womona" Councjl wrote .asking the -C-ouncil's approval of its move objecting- to the depart- ] \ ment's decision. It was decided to ' *;<rree with the Whangamomona Council's l)roTH»al. I

A Surfaceman "Wanted.— Mr. J. H. Burnett-drew attention to" the settlers' .desTpe .thai a "surfaceman shoiiild .be appointed .to the Ahu Ahu galley road, and pointed out the damage to which tho road was now subjected. —It was reported that the Council had done-as much justice to tlis road.as was possible, and that a surfaceman, had been appointed. A Neglected Road.—Mr- F. Moore drew attention to the" neglected "state of-the" road at Oamaranui. —Received. - iax- on ■ Motors.—lt wae decided to /ooeive a•letter from the Woodville Borough Council respecting a proposed tax on motor .vehicles. Noxious Weeds on Reserves.—Messrs. .-Williams Bros.' informed the Council tl»at-the noxious weeds at the Te Tuhi tending reserve had been destroyed. They asked the Council to contribute something towards the expenses.— It ■was ■ decided that £1 be granted. : Supply, of-Australian .Hardwood. — Tho'Under-Secretory inquired whether the Council would be prepared to purchase Australian hardwood timbers from 6cocks held by the Government.—' The Chairman .said that tho Council could get tho timber cheaper at Wanganui tlian the Department could. He thought tho move was a bad ."spec" on the .part-of "tho" Government. The letter v.'as, received. ' . Pukirimu Road. —Tho cnginc-or was instructed to proceed with the work of ir^tallinf; Pukirimu road. Mosstown Boundary Road.—The Castleeliff -Town Board asked tho Council if it would agree, to-bear half tho cost vf putting the Moestown boundary road uito repair. Tho matter referred to the engineer for his report. Tenders.—'Mr W. Nicholson's tender of £174 for making tho Kai Iwi bridge approaches was accepted. Fitzherbert Corner.—A petition sign-c--J by fourteen ratepayers" asked why Ihe work of forming and metalling tho Fitzherbert earner had not been proceeded with.—The contractors were notified Ut ieommeaco their work at once. . ' A N-ew.'County Road.-^The 'UndeTtfecretary informed the Board that a ?><jrt'ion .of the Lower Waitotara valiey road -has been declared a county load by Order-in-Council.—Received. Receipt of Thirds.—The Receiver of Lsmd Itewnuo informed tho Council that'£7o lls 10d of hypothecated "thirds Lad been lodged with tho Bank of N-aw Zeab.jul.—Received. Traction Engiiio Driver appointed.— John G. Lawsnij was appointed traction cigine driver to th c county at £3 Ws <i week. Accounts.—Tho isum of -£1230 lls 7d general accounts, and £1543 6s 7cl loan account. v.n» passed for payment. EXGIXEER'S REPORT. Tho onginec-j-, Mr G. H. Dickson, sybmitiu'd tho following monthly report vhich was adoi)taj: I'rogress.-^Tiio weather has been '.fry favourable for the'prosecution of iuad works during tho past month, and •«i most instaiices very good progress has been made-with the works in hand, and the roads 100, speaking generally, may bo considered in fair order. During the e-arly, part of March three gravelling contracts have been completed on the Brunswick and Western Lines and Mission and Missionary Lines, and v week ago .the contract for carting tho timber for building the proj.osed bridge over, the Kai Iwi stream en the-Watershed; road was completed, liio number of "men employed during trio month ■ was, approximately 83, of this number, abaut'6s being employed on tho contract works and the" rest on casual works and'minor repairs, etc. Contracts, in Hand.—ln some instanc<*,ve!'y slow,progress has been made with the works in hand, particularly so vith-tho work of building the bridge -cv.«r-the Kai Iwi'stream on the Brunswick Line. A commencement lias been rnado with the contract let at your iVUueh mepting fo^- building a bridge c\ev th o Iwi Iwi strc\im Watershed load and also for the work of carting .-nd stacking giavel along the sides of U o Great Noi th-Western Road between boiougli boundary and the Western Lino Junction. This contract will be completed in a, few days. I would ad- )',%? Cotiocil to get air additional JW or 100 cubic yards of gnavol-de-]>iored along this load in the vicinity ot tho Wc&toin Lino The other conliacts in piogi^-s aro the Kai Iwi valley joad improvements; five format on contracts on the Ahu Ahu Valley load, four on tho River: Bank road .'•■ nd one for clearing, etc., on the.Springl valo road. I expect to eoe tho latter v ork completed in about two weeks Aou Ahu Valley Road.—On Friday and Saturday last: two contracts (each jalf a mile in kngth),. too let Cat tho estimate) for,forming and culvei-t----mg on tho Ahu Ahu road. I am sorry .to report that one of tho contractors-■ for ■•improving..the-Waneanui •Kiyer cml of. this road . met with a mhous accident when working on his ■ooma-actvabout' ten days ago,, which iseettwitjfted his- removal .to the WanKsmuj Hospital, and lip (Mr Peter Evan) n still an inmate of that institution, from all accounts Mr. Ryan's- condition is very grave.;l hope ho will vo-y sr>on regain.his usual health mil strength. • . 'Cooper's Road.—At . your (March n^eeting application was made to you to have this road put in.order for've--1 iciilar traffic, and a few days ago I inspected the road. The repairs required, r.re not very costly. One man ■r.bout throe' xtoys would do all that is necessary. Condition .of Roads. — Complaints have- been made to you. Mr Chairman, relative to the condition of the Upper Tnk.arak.l roa-d, and the branch road loading-from the inner end of the Ran- . fXitatau Wast road to the property occupied by Mr Fred. Moore. Taking into consideration the contour of tho bcalrties through which these roads pass, and the nature and extent of tho traffic they arc required to carry, I li'.ust say i don't consider they are in a seriously bad condition.; in fact, with tho <>x:.-eption of y.^ou'c I'hros places or -tho. Upper Pakaraka mad, I would *v«' they -are in very fr'oo<l order: in-il-"*A.•' u-ith re<rard to tho branch road f Muded to, it was never in better con-

dition than it was on the date the i complaint was mads to you, and with j referenco to tli-3 Upper Pakaraka road 1 the necessary repairs would under orc'.nary circumstances have been taken i:i hand a month ago, but had to give precedence to other more urgent and :i]}portant works, such as repairs to an extensive erosion on the Rangitp.tau West road, and other necessary works <-n-tiiis road; and now these places'have bean put in order the-Upper Pakaraka read is receiving attention, and in the course of another w-eek or so I ex"j~r. to see the road in good condition. oawell Road. —I have arranged for the execution of the improvements prom:fJ3d- or authoiivteed last vuftn-^str on thf> Sewell road-. . River Bank Road.—l have had 31 cubic yards, of fine gravel put along j the rough places between the Upokon- ! p.aro Ferry landing and Mr Lowe's house. The cost was 8s per yard. The gravel was taken from the roadside in Mr Earle's property. The /■:gh price of the gravel is owing to the long distance haulage. Maintenance. — Th© cost of upkeep if the Rangitatau East and West roads in the Patea county, including a charge of 5 per cent for supervision, amountfed to £58 14s 3d for the year. This expenditure does not absorb the whole of the funds available for the maintenance of the portions in.question. I think in the course of a. month or two a contract could be let for improving these- portions of the Rinnen'tatau East f.nd West roads, situated in the Patea county. In the meantime it could be ascertained from the Patea County Council tho amount available for exrencPiture on tjh-sse portions up till ' the «nd of March, 1914. Contracts on Hand. —Some months ago a contract w-as let for forming and gravelling Fitzherbert Avenue, and a, couple of_ months ago the contractors npplied to you for a few .weeks' extension of time for commencing the contract, winch was granted, but wheil:er the contractors consider their few weekn' grace have not yet expired I tf-nnot say; but from what I can gath-c-.i from the contractors it will b© two or three weeks yet before they. iare rondy "to commence the works, and when they do start it will not take tl em . long to complete "the contract, | so tho contractors say. Surfaceman, —I engaged a man to take charge of the Ahu Ahu valley roads repairs, and he is to commence v'-ork on Wednesday next, April 9th, I under tho same conditions and wages as your other surfacemen.