ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue LIII, 10 August 1908, Page 5

ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Mr Basham reported : "Mangawhero road culvert — The contractor has completed this* contract in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. "May's Creek culvert, Eltham road — Should finish in about 10 days. "Eltham road — I have been unable lo call for tenders for re-metalling portion of this road as directed, as I received no instructions as to the manner in which the Council intend to do the work. I would point out that the regrading should be done by day work, Council having all the necessary plant except horses. It would not be wise to allow any contractor to do this work on a road of such importance ,as the Eltham road, for if the f road, became blocked for traffic it would be a serious matter. I have a suggestion., to .make concerning an entirely new method of road construction, and should be glad to submit same to a committee for consideration. If my idea is worth anything it must mean a saving of many hundred pounds." / The report was adopted. Various reports were received, from road foremen showing the work done in the different ridings. The Council decided to [take over, but at valuation, the stock reserve at Omona.

A Wellington officer will shortly patent a bullet (says the N. Z. Time's) claiming for it that used with the service rifle and cartridge it will exceed in velocity any bullet ever used and so revolutionise musketry. The bullet will differ from the ordinary .303 only to the extent that both ends wMI be pointed—that is, it is to be shaped like a torpedo — the end in the cartridge to have a bedding of wax in order to give the cordite the same driving force expended on the bullet now in use. The new bullet will be of equal weight each end, and it is this point, according to the inventor, which will give it its great velocity. ° Asked what speqial advantage this increased velocity would be to the soldier the officer said that it would Ngive a flat trajectory — that is to say, the user of a rifle would fire point blarik and without- raising sights at the extreme or any other range of the rifle. The danger line would thus be ,from the muzzle of the .rifle to -the extreme limit of the range; In curved trajectory at long ranges t\ie danger line is very small indeed. The pointed, bullet would be even more humane than | the ordinary .303, would inflict a smaller and less, dangerous wound on account of the extreme velocity and its lesser area at the "business" end.