HIGHWAY CONTROL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 December 1926, Page 4

HIGHWAY CONTROL.

PA TEA COUNTY COUNCIL. MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Patea County Council was held yesterday, when there were present: Crs J. Gibbs (chairman), G. H. Alexander, It. G. Scown, W. G. Belton, W. H. Watkins, C. E. Johnston, W. Back and J. Taylor. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer (Mr G. AY. King) submitted the following report, which was adopted: Main Roacl. —The contractor for the earthworks on Burke’s gorge has made very good progress, the work being now very nearly completed. The portion being done by the county men is also now practically complete. Me(ul has been laid along nearly the whole length, and this will be left to consolidate before proceeding with the grouting eoat later on. The roller and .party will bo moving to Moumahuki to do the length there according to schedule. On the way down to Moinnahaki it is intended to seal the Patea station road, as this length of road is urgently in need of it, after which I do not think there will bo any trouble with it. The fencing on the Whenuakura. hill has been completed. Metal from Kapuni will now be coming to hand any day, the contractor there having advised me that everything Is now ready to commence. Metal has been ordered from Te Wera, and is now beginning to come to hand for the shoulder work at Kakaramea.

Otoia West.—Some metal patching has been carried out on Peacock’s cutting on the Taumaha road. More metal has been ordered to complete this work and make a good iob of this length. Since last meeting hardly any work has been done on A. Pearce’s road, owing to the continued bad weather conditions earlier in the period necessitating the withdrawal of the teams on to the main road works. This will now he resumed and completed. The motor grader has been working on the Kakaramea, Hursthouse. Hunter. Crompton and Ball roads. This grader is now laid un awaiting a small part from Auckland. A new culvert has been placed in position on the Crompton road. Metal has' also come to hand and been spread for repairs on the Kakaramea road. Oloia Bast. —The surfaceman and another man have been engaged the whole month on the Mahen road repairing flood damage. The greatest damage was the washing out of a large filling owing to the culvert blocking. Timber and pipes have been supplied, and all this work is now nearing completion. Metal is coming to hand for urgent repairs to the Kaharoa road. Waver ley Biding.—The grader has completed tile round of the Kohi and Karahake roads. Metal for Wyhourlie’s, Miss Watts’s, and McFarlane’s roads .is now on order. Lunins have been cut hack on the Whenuakura and Racecourse Beach roads.

Moinnahaki Biding.—Timber for repairs on the Wcraweraouca bridge has been carted out land thi<* work wilt be done in a dav or two. The surfaceman on the Waika.ro length is complaining about the wliare accommodation supplied. This certainly is very small and hardly suitable as a permanent camp. T would recommend that I be empowered to move down the w I tare now idle at- the lakes and that he hare the two whares. Slips have been removed on the various riding roads and repairs carried out on the Tuke Tuke Boad. Ivapara Riding.—An inspection has been made of the Lower Waitotara Valley Road up to the Piraunui bridge. The! road is at places in very bad order owing to the heavy bridge carting during the winter. Extra, labour has been put on. and T propose sending a grader up as there is a considerable amount of useful work that could he done that way. Plans for the Tawhiti Bridge are now complete and arc being forwarded to the Public Works Department. On the Upper Waitotara. the .surfacemen have been engaged on removing slips most of this period. The roads are now dry and open for traffic, but a'great deal of work is to be done filling ruts, etc. BEQUESTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS. Mr D. Carroll, of Waverley, drew attention to the very bad state of the road leading from Ngutuwera to Waitotara. The council had in. the past made repeated promises, to have the road attended to. but nothing had been done. He was writing on behalf, of all five settlers in that district, and trusted that the matter would be given the council’s earnest- consideration. No action was taken, it being agreed that the: council had not sufficient •funds on hand to undertake the work, a considerable sum having been spent on the road during the last two years. The secretary of the Wanganui Automobile Association advised that a number of accidents, due in all. oases to skidding, had occurred on the lowest bends on the Waitotara Hill. This length was particularly dangerous 1 to cars proceeding towards Wanganui, and was due to the lack of banking to the road.

After a short discussion: hi committee it was decided to reply to the association that the council was of opinion that the bend was not dangerous if care were exercised, but doubtless the bend would be .improved in the course of time. Mr C. Anion, of Alton, requested the council to do the work necessary to give access to bis property, and the fencing of the edge of the cutting for the protection of his children, and he asked that this be completed before the holidays. Renentlv a. butcher fell down the ladder on the face of the out +1 "n v through the earth at the top of the ladder giving way.—lt was decided to inform, Mr Amon that- the engineer had the matter in hand. GENERAL. It was decided to instruct the engineer to call tenders for the earthwork in connection with the improvements to the bad bend on the south side of the Manutahi gorge, these to lie borught forward lor consideration aF"the February meeting. lltr. A. C'. Vincent wrote offering to deliver 500 yards or more of crushed pit metal at the end of • the Maori Road. Opnku. at the rate of 16s 6d per card. — It was decided to inform Mr. Vincent that the council could not see its way clear to take advantage of the offer. • The tender of N. D. Jones, ol Munaia, for supply of dog collars was accepted, and V. [Miles was appointed collector of the tax. which was fixed at the same figure as last year.