HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 245, 14 September 1936, Page 12

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. THE HIGHWAYS ESTIMATES. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua County Council was held at Levin on Saturday. Those present were Crs. G A. Monk (chairman), L. H. Best, J. R. Whyte, H. G, Bryant, D. K. Guy, A. J. Gimblett, A. M. Colquhoun, F. J. Ryder, and C. P. Jensen. Details of the Main Highways Board’s estimates for 1936-37, conccrning provision for main highways controlled by the council, were forwarded by the Public Works Department. The schedule showed allocations for maintenance renewals and construction. In all cases, apart from ordinary maintenance, it would be necessary for proposals to- be submitted and approved, it was stated. The schedule gave the following particulars affecting subsidies of interest to the council: — Wellington-Auckland (via Taranaki) highway :• —Maintenance, £2064 (£3 for £1) ; widening shoulders and resealing, Levin southwards, £SOOO (free) ; smoothing coat work, £564 (£3 for £1). Level-crossing elimination, Otaki, £SOOO (free). Foxton - Shannon. Maintenance, £lll (£3 for £1). Levin-Palmerston North (via Shannon!: Maintenance, £1673 (£3 for £1) ; Waoku hill deviation formation, improvement, £lO7 (free) ; Jluikara hill, first coat sealing, improvement, £6454 (£4 for £1) ; Makerua-Tokoniaru, deviation at Makerua, improvement, £2500 (free) ; Horowhenua and Kairanga County Councils, engineering survey, Makerua deviation, £3OO (free) ; Tokomaru bridge, renewal, £IOO on account (£2 for £1). To Horo-Waihoanga.—Maintenance, £248 (£3 for £1).

Levin-Hokio. Maintenance, £319 (£3 for £1) • construction, £IBOO (£3 for £1). Waitnrere Beach. Maintenance, £450 (£3 tor £]); first coat scaling, £995 (£3 for £1).

Shannon-Mangaliao Maintenance, £322 (£3 for £1). The letter was received. CORRESPONDENCE.

Cr. J. R. Whyte and family forwarded a letter of thanks for expressions of sympathy in their recent bereavement.- —Received.

Mr W. F. Coley (Makerua) wrote asking that his road be me tailed.—Referred to the engineer (Mr .J. T. M. Brewster). The Shannon Chamber of Commerce wroto asking for information as to the commencement of work on tile Makerua deviation. There were a large number of unemployed in that town and the wish was expressed that they be given prefernce over others from outside districts when labour was engaged.—The chairman said that local labour would be engaged if the work was done by (lie council. Probably it would be done by contract, and it was not known, anyway, who would be the controlling authority. It was decided to reply that the council had no authority yet to commence the work. A letter was to band from llie Levin branch of the PI mike t Society expressing thanks for a donation of £5 os. — Received.

The Shannon Timber Company advised that a road leading off Florida Road was in bad order and asked that it be repaired as it was proposed to cart timber over it.—The chairman moved that the letter be referred to the works committee so that the subject could be discussed with the company. Ordinary maintenance was no use if the road was to be used by heavy timber lorries. If that was to be the ease the council would need to know what the. company would contribute toward the cost.

Mr G. J. Stratton (Levin) wrote requesting that the settlers interested be asked to clean a drain which ran from liis property at Waitnrere. The water was detrimental to his land, as it could not run away, and it also affected the road, lie stated.-—lt was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the settlers concerned. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Tho engineer’s report, which was adopted, stated inter alia:—Tokomaru riding: The grader lias worked on practically all district roads, which are in fairly good condition. Maintenance metal has been put on the following district roads:—Tokomaru-Poplar, 282 cubic yards; Ashlea, 6 cubic yards; Makerua-Rangitane, 2 cubic yards; Tokomaru township, 4 cubic yards; Kaihinau, 8 cubic yards, and Williams, 1 cubic yard—a total of 303 cubic yards. In tlie near future a stone crusher will bo moved to tho Tokomaru district to crush further supplies of metal. Slips have been cleared from Marinoto and Heights Roads. A 9-:n diameter concrete pipe culvert lias been installed on Heights Road to replace a decayed wooden one. A culvert on Pretoria Road lias been taken out and relaid on a stable foundation. Turning places for vehicles have been constructed at the ends of Campbell’s, Wilson and Ashlea Roads and Stout Street, Shannon. Trees have been cut back and water let off Mangaorc Road. Water has been let off tho side of Otaura Road, adjoining Mrs Barber’s property. Whirokino riding: Maintenance metal lias been put on the following roads: Mulmnoa East, 28 cubic yards; Muhunoa West, 30 cubic yards; Florida, 66 cubic yards; Tangimoana, 22 cubic yards; Fairfield, 44 cubic yards; and Oliau West, 10 cubic yards—a total of 200 cubic yards. A blocked culvert on the Kuku Soldiers’ Road, adjoining Mr McLeavey’s property, has been cleared. This blocked culvert dammed water back to a considerable depth. Tho suspension bridge off Gladstone Road has been tightened up and the decking repaired. A 6-in pipe culvert has been put in at the west end of Muhunoa East Road to drain water under the footpath. The high crown on Paiaka Road has been scarified and the road regraded. The Arawhata Swamp Road has been straightened up with the grader. It is very difficult to keep this road in a reasonable state for traffic as the road is founded on

soft peat and so is very unstable. Repairs Lave been carried out to roads in Ohau township. I have inspected the drainage trouble referred to by Mr J. W. Melville at Kawiu Road corner. There is a culvert several chains in length put in to drain this locality. At present the culvert is too high to take the water. As soon as opportunity offers I will have half the culvert lowered. Main highways: The metal foundation work on No. 374 main highway is well under way and will be completed in the near future. Building up of filling shoulders on No. 473 highway is now completed and will be installed as soon as the weather fines up sufficiently for the fills to dry out. The late rains brought down a number of small slips on No. 60 main highway, but not sufficient quantity to interfere with traffic. Owing to the Whirokino section of No. 1 highway being flooded. No. 60 highway had to again take all through traffic. A 15-in diameter culvert, situated about a mile south of Manakau, collapsed. The culvert is 27ft below the road surface and the renewal of the broken pipes is quite a large undertaking. It is necessary to box the cut where the pipe lino is opened up as working 27ft below the road surface is dangerous, the danger mostly being caused by vibration from passing traffic. The road has collapsed to an extent that it was necessary to confine the filling to one-way traffic. Unemployment relief:—Levin, six men on eradication of weeds, £l4 Is. Ranger: The ranger reports having dealt with 46 head of wandering stock and has registered 1304 dogs to date. Building permits: Seven building permits of a total value of £2477 were issued.”