HIGHWAYS BOARD EDICT

Northern Advocate, 20 May 1929, Page 3

HIGHWAYS BOARD EDICT

< COUNCIL'S PROCRASTINATION.” IMMEDIATE STEPS NECESSARY. A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT REACHED. Following upon the complaint made by the Highways Board after its recent visit, the chairman of No. I District Council further advised the Whangarei County Council on Friday that the board was very much concerned about the condition of the WhangaroiDargaville and Whangarei-Oakleigh main highways. It appeared to .the board that the council was only shelving the work by asking its engineer to submit proposals instead of getting into the work at once. The board advised that unless action was taken to improve the highways mentioned, as well as the Whangarel-Kawakawa route, it would be reluctantly compelled to consider taking the highways over and arranging to charge to the council the usual proportion of cost. As the matter admitted of no further dalay, the council would be wise to refrain from continuing its procrastinating methods.

. “Rather rough,” commented Cr. F. Elliott. “I was gladi to see that only the Kawakawa highway was mentioned in addition. The others evidently are worthy of special mention.”

Cr, Blake considered it was a matter for the riding members.

Cr, J. A. S. Mac Kay was disappointed that the matters had not been attended to sooner. For a long time the Highways Board had not been satisfied with the standard of the roads concerned, and the trouble could not be ascribed to financial difficulty on behalf of the ridings’. Oaklcigh and Maungatapere were undoubtedly the worst roads. The Highways Board was assisting in construction, and the onus was on the council to do its share.

The clerk stated that immediately upon receipt of the letter a conference was called, at which the District Engineer had tentatively approved of the steps being- taken by the council. The engineer reported in the appended terms: —“Following your consideration of my report last meeting the District Engineer raised further protest to any delay in putting the work in hand. The report was submitted to the District Engineer and ho approved the programme set out in that report. The councillor responsible for each highway subject to the District Engineer’s restrictions was consulted iu reference to the provision of money required for maintenance and the following actions were taken: | Whangar ei-Oakleigh Road; —1600yds motal were ordered from the Public Works Department to bo placed between Smeeton’s Hill and Oakleigh.

Whaugarei-K'aTvakawa Road. —800 yards were ordered from the same source for laying from Moldrum’s Hill to McDonald's Hill.

Whangarei-Tamaterau Road.—liiOO yards of line metal were placed on order from Andrews and Walker at 10/0 per yd. The 500 now under contract from Dwyer’s Quarry would supplement the P.W.D. order in placing the Whangarei-Oakleigh Road in order.

The 2000 yards for which tenders are called today to be supplied from the Kauri quarry, will be placed between Kauri and Hikurangi.

In order to obtain the best results with the metal, both a power grader and roller, should be in continuous usV during the laying of the metal, and the District Engineer is prepared to provide two or three rollers and a power grader for maintenance work during the winter.

The Springs Flat and the Maungatapere Flat are being dressed with rotten metal and clay, as a preparatory coat for reception of the fine metal surfacing.

Power graders have been engaged on the Opuawhanga Road, the Oalde.gh Road, the Onerahi Road and Whanga-rei-Dargaville Road during the past month. They are still engaged on the Oaklcigh and Maungntapere Ruuds.

The engineer reported further th:.it orders for immediate delivery had been ))laeed in regard to the roads mentioned, hut, on. account of its own requirements, the Public Works Department had not so far been in a position to supply either the metal or the rollers required.

iCr. Elliott expressed pleasure at the report, and hoped that the work would soon he .put in motion to satisfy the requirements of the Highways Board. However, if the present rate ot supply at the. Kauri quarry was not charged, the work could not he expedited. So far satisfactory results were not obtainable from the quarry, the pnrehaso of which he had supported on aeeount of its central location. The peak output by council employees was gd ya'-ds a day, whereas it should be in the vicinity of 40. The engineer said that .T2 to do yards could be expected. When the metal was worked by the council on a wages basis If cost 12/ a yard, whereas Tamaroa metal could be landed on the. spot for 11/. The engineer added that the district engineer in conference had notified that the department was prepared to supply rhetal in bulk from Tauraron and run Special trains to required localities.

.Mr Hemphill, the County Clerk, said that at the conference he had pointed out to Mr We Ennis that if extensive reconditioning on the Manngatapere b’oad was undertaken this year, practically the whole of the :HPHIO available under the roads adjacent In centres would be absorbed, considerably interfering with the proposed tar-sealing. Eater a tender was accepted to provide metal for the tar-surfacing next season of the first two and a half milts on the Maungatapeve Road.