MANGERE TARRED ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 23 May 1922, Page 6

MANGERE TARRED ROADS.

COST OF WORK CRITICISED. RATEPAYERS DISSATISFIED. The dissatisfaction expressed by ratepayers of Manpere at meetings last year against the departures from specifications in the tarring of Mangere Roads was again evident at a meeting of ratepayers held last evening, when Mr. S. W* House, the Mangere Riding member on the Manukau County Council, addressed a large meeting, and Mr. W. J. Lopdell, the engineer for the county, replied to the statements made by Mr. House. Mr. House, said that as a result of the assurance Mr. Lopdell gave him, the council, and the ratepayers of Mangere last year, to the effect that he could complete the work within his estimate, the council after having checked his figures, and having heard the engineer's explanation, agreed that the work should be :u/ain proceeded with this year. A new crushing plant, purchased last year, was placed in Mangere and everything was done to assist the engineer in carrying out the "work as economically as possible. In December a etart was made to assemble the plant, and trouble soon followed; not however, through the incompetenrv of the workmen, but through over staffing and there not being material on the riound to go on with. A start was ultimately made at the Crossing end, nnd here further difficulty arose, as no allowance had been made for regradiii;;, which was essential in forming footpaths md water channels. A resolution wns jiapsed by ratepayers affected requiring tiic grading work to be done. J'oforo tliis resolution came before the next nicotine; of the Manukau County Council nvor half a mile had been completed. The council Ihen decided that. as no grading bad leen allowed for, the cost, about £300 or £400, would have to come out of revenue. Insufficient workmen had also been engaged, and the work bad lacked proper supervision. THE ENGINEER'S REPLY. Mr. I.opdell said that when the protest was made last year against the excessive cust nf the work, be maintained that this was brought about by additional work at the M a nacre bridge. The estimates provided onh- for tar sealing there, whereas it was necessary to use 1250 cubic yards of metal besides metal chins. The scarifying and cartinc were also extras. Higher up the ro*d extra metal had ,-ilso been required. The total exce=s in the cost was £3723. This year at the Mancere Crossing end it had been necessary to u?p IS yards more metal lo the chain on account of the regradinp than would otherwise have been requirril. The cstirmtes had heen exceeded by £784. plus the lahoirr and cartage, on this work. From Massov Road on to whore the wmk was stopped he was keepinc within the estimates. That was the only piece nf road on which he had been allowed to proceed according to specifications. There was the cost of plant and the extras to be deducted from the £14.0n0 spent, to arrive at the expenditure on the roads originally provided for. Two miles fifi chains had been completed. The deductions amounted to about fnnoo. Further discussion took nlnee regarding the extra tar used with a deeper layer nf metal on Maseey Road at places where tlip surface had been broken through in regrading. The difference wns about Id. It was the -widnning of the road without authority that the ratepayers took exception to. and Mr. J. S. Montgomerie moved that before proceeding with any further works in Mancrere the Manukau County Council should dispense with the se-viees of the engineer. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. S. YV. House expressed his intention to resign.