Council Paper.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1155, 24 May 1870, Page 2

Council Paper.

REPORT OF PROVINCIAL ENGINEER. • Provincial Engineer's Office, < Napier, May 18, 1870, Sin. — I have the honor to report that, during the present financial year, the roads generally unr(er the charge of. my department have been, kept, on the whole, in as good a state as L could be expected, considering the amounts available for their maintenance, which has been small find not sufficient to get them into thorough repair. This, I hope, however, to bring about gradually. While speaking of roads, I must draw your attention to the absolute necessity of employing an efficient road-overseer to continually overlook them, and see my instructions carried out by the contractors. The maintenance of the roads will not bo nearly so expensive if continual attention is paid by contractors to keep them in shape and to keep the water in the proper channels. This I cannofc cause them to do without the constant supervision of an overseer, arid lam quite sure that, so faa. from the overseer being an additional expense, he will save to the province considerably more than his pay will amount to, and the roads will give more satisfaction. In my proposed estimate for works, which I give below, I have estimated, as successfully as the information I have been able to gather since my arrival here has enabled me to do, the greater part of the roads I have already looked over, but a few I have not yet bad time to visit. The sum of £180, for public buildings, is in excess of* last year's vote, the extra amount being required for rather exten-

"*->•{-■. -■ >'.■■■■-.:-...■-. ■ - .-:•■ „ sive repairs 'required, to the Emigration :- s; Barracks, which have become very much dilapidated^ '•" ' The maintenance offences, pumps, and wells, I have left, the same as last year. The nest iteni; £20, for keeping in order" the grounds round the Government officeSj .: will not, I think, need expianationT-' v l?he( sum of £100 for strengthening three cells in the Gaol, Js necessary to provider 'for the safe keeping "of 'long sentenced prisoners, the cells being at present nobrsuifi- r ,-, ; cietitly "strong '"'for iueiTof 'determined bad V character. ..,-.. Tie sum of ;£3OO, for fencing and starts ing a botanical garden^will provide for a want which must, I should think, have been long "felfc in Napier. - V v The-suin of £1800,. f0r the main-s outh road, is some £400 over the expenditure of last year. It is, - however, • small iv com-, parison with tho amount of work required^ to make this (the road to the seat of •Government) at all passable, much of it' not having yet been formed/or metalled.. The next sum of £500, for grants in aid, wbuld be a judicious expenditure as ia* means of assisting the opening up of thje* country. The next item, £200, ; for grant it^ aid for road from Meanee bridge to Little Bush, I will say nothing about until' \ go into the matter thoroughly in a report I am now getting the necessary infor-r mation to prepare. ■"'"'■ '■ ";• • . ''•'.■• The Middle Itoad I have left at the ']' same as last year; as the traffic. is not 5 .< heavy. The next sum, r £300, for road contingencies, is small, considering the ex- " '" tent, of roads, in: the province, and the 1 " heavy damage sometimes caused by floods rendering immediate expenditure •u'eevssary, which cannot be foreseen and provided for. The.'Eereru road I-'have put '. down at £10 in excess of last year's vote, as that sum proved insufficient. . .Tho items— Aorangi road, Napier; to Petune • and Pohui, Petane to Wairoa, Waipawh to; Hampden, Haropden road, and coast road, by Pourerere, I have left the same as last year. The Piikeiapu to Patoka I have put down at £100, as a purtion of the Taupo traffic is, I believe, likely to go that way. The sum of £200, for strengthening the' .Ngaruroro bridge, has become necessary to make the bridge safe iniloods on account of a considerable scour. which has taken place' under the northern part of the bridge, causing longer piles to be necessary. The next sura of £100,' for pile-driving plant!' is necessary to enable me to '."purchase* proper plant for pile-driving, which the 1 Government is, not at present possessed ' of. The sum of £50 for Porangaliaii road, mr n near the township, is necessary to take. " the water off, and form, parts which at present are next 1 to impassable. The sunVg; put down for Waipukiirau toltuataniwha,: and Eparaima and Blackhead, are necessary to keep those roads passable. The: 'sum' of .£l2O, for roads to West Coast, although £60; in rexcess of: last y ear's vote, is little enough, considering the extent of these roads — some 70 miles — 40 or 50 being through bush country. The sum of £100, for roads about the town, ship of Wairoa, has .become, necessary, as. the settlers there are commencing to fence' in their allotments and the roads trill consequently be impassable unless means of crossing bad creeks and swampy ground' are provided. The amount of £200, for grant in. aid for Patangata bridge, is nW sufficient for the work which will become' necessary there if the river is not diverted;" but the settlers interested will, I have nodoubt, subscribe towards. this work. The' sums of £50 each, for the Papakura and' Hikutoto roads, are necessary for culverts' and drains. ' In conclusion, I may say that I. am at present getting tho necessary information to enable me to report. to you generally, with regard to the Ngaruroro and Meanee' country, which I will do at as early a date as possible. ; SUBVET DEPABTMENT. During the time I have held office the following field work has been done. The available land in the Te Whare Omarae* nui block has been cut up into sections which have been murked out on the ; ground. The Lighthouse reserve has be.en divided into two sections, and various other small matters ha ee been attended to.. My duties as Provincial Engineer have :not left me sufficient time to pay that attention to the office work connected with : thif^epartment, which I consider to be necessary; "I wilt, however, endeavour to do the Wst I can, with tho assistance at' my disposal. According to your instruc- \ tions I am preparing a plan showing a proposed diversion of road in the Pukahu block adjoining sections the property of Messrs. Scully and Miller, and another, showing a proposed road diversion in the Te Mata block, between the properties of Messrs. Forster and BusselJ. In concluding, I will ask your favourable consideration of the application of Mr. Jartnan the Draughtsman for an increase of £50 per annum in his salary. I have found him, as far as I -have seen, a painstaking and good officer. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, .Tames Eochfout. Provincial Engineer and Chief Provincial Surveyor. His Honor the Superintendent, Napier. IS7O-71. PUBLIC WORKS AND UNDERTAKINGS. £ s. d. Maintenance of Public Buildings ... 180 0 0 Mitinti'nnnoo of Fences'... . •. ... ... 20 0 0 Maintenance of Pumps and Wolls ... 20 0 0 1 Msintonance of Grounds around Public Offbt'S ... , 20 0 0 . strengthenings ci'lls in Gaol .. ... 100 0 0 Fenoinir in ' Hotanical Reserve, Nanipr, • Biiilfling Cot tace. starting and maintenance of Gat den ... ... 300 0• 0 "■ " 1 . £640 0 0 . ROADS. Rosid Overseer, at 12-*. Gd. pe-r diem ... 227 5 0 Miiin Road from Hayeloek to Southern . ; ' boundary of province ... ■ ...1800 0 0:. kGrants in aid of Roa<l.s " ... ... 600 0 0 Grantin aid of Road fromlleanee Bridge to LitUo Bush 200 0 0 Middle Bond ... ... ... 100 0 0 ' Road Contingencies ... ... ... 300 0 " 0 Kereru Road ... ... ... 60 0 0 Aorangi Road ... ... ..-. 60 0 0 Pukelajm to Patoka ... ... ... 100 0 0 fukctapu to PeUne, ... . : ... 80 0 0 Nanier to Pctane and Pohui ... ... 150 0 0 Petane to' Wairoa • : . ... ... 150 0.0Strengthening Ngarurorp Biidgo ... 200 0 0 Pile driving Plant' ' ... ... 100 0 0 Poraugahau Road, near township ... 50 0 0 Wauiukuran to Ruataniwha ... 30 0 0 . Eparaiina to Blackhead ... ... 30 0 0 Roads to West Const ... ... 120 0 0 Waipawa to Hampden ... ... 60 0 0 Hampden Road ... ... 100 0 0 . (V'a-ifc Road by Pourerere . ... ... 40 0, 0 » Wairoa Riia'ds '" • 00 i West Coast Road, amount duo on ... 63 0 0 I'a tangal a Bridge, grarit iv aid , ■- ... 200 0 0 Papakura Roads ... ... CO 0 0 tlikutoto Roads ... ... 50 0 0 £4890 5 0