PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17061, 14 August 1917, Page 7

PATEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Patea County Council was held yesterday, the chairman. Cr, Pearce, presiding. Mr Cave, elected to fill the vacancycaused by the resignation of Cr. Piper, Mcumahaki;,district, was welcomed., by, the chairman.

In view o: the request of Mr Back, who waited on the Council, it was decided to subsidise certain monies raised by settlers along Lower Taranaki Road, for roading purposes, the work of cartin;; to be done in February. The engineer reported that the estimated cost of Belmont metal for this road was 18s on the site, and 20s laid on the road.

Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P., wrote, enclosing letters from the Public Works Department, that the Resident Engineer at Wanganui had agreed to the requesi of Council that £300 from the unauthorised vote of £550, for the Puraroto Road on last year's . appropriation, should be diverted to the Upakonui Stream Bridge, and the balance of the vote be diverted to the liangitatau-Kai-Hiaruka .Road, officially known as tha Waitotara Valley Road. The matter woud receive "further consideration when the Public Works Estimates wer9 being compiled.

The Minister for Public Works wrota that the roads in the Upper Waitotaca and Rangitatau districts would receive consideration when he was preparing tho Estimates.

ENGINEER'S REPORT,

The engineer dealt fully with all ths woriss carried out m the various ridings during the past month. He state! that he had been to Wangaehu last week to arrange lor a supply of shingle, but owing to wet weather, the contractor, now carting this, is making very poor progress. Belmont Quarry Co. were likely to provide a steady supply of metal all the season. The road roller has been working on the length between Waverley and the Kohi Road, which is now completed. The roads in Waverley riding were in fair order for the time of the year. The filling of the approaches to the Kohi Bridge will be finished as soon as possible. In the Moumahaki riding the Valley Road below Ngutuwera was practically blocked for traffic. It was in very bad order, and the vote of £200 on the estimates would be far too small to put the road in a fit state for traffic. The surfacemen have been skipping the the shellronii in Verry's pit on the Valley Road, and there was very little to be got out without a big outlay, n a road could be got from the upper pit to the Valley Road, and there appeared to be no obstacle, the engineer ctmsidered that Verry's upper pit would be a very valuable asset to the Council. He promised to furnish a," report on the possibility of getting a road to the Valley from Verry's upper pit, to next meeting. During the month he went over the Waitotara roads with the Resident Engineer, Wanganui, who also interviewed the chairman and clerk re the Public Works Estimates and the votes for this year. Mr Reaney expressed approval with the proposal for the reconstruction of the Upakonui Bridge, i and recommended putting in a 50ft truss and protecting the embankments.