COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Northland Age, Volume 16, Issue 35, 22 May 1919, Page 6

COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

THE County Engineer, Mr. T. R. McMullen, reported as follows at the last meeting of the Mangonui County Council: MANGONUI RIDING. All timber for wharf has been ordered and expected to arrive within a week's time. I trust then to be able to get straight on with the work. A fair start has been made with seawall contract. Very good stone is being used in the work. I am availing myself of the opportunity of contractor quarrying stone to get a supply for works along Beach road and Hospital Hill. I inspected Kenana road, and arranged for raising of swamp flat and protection of same. Approaches to small bridge on road across mangrove swamp are in rather a bad way. I have ordered timber for wings and .sheathing, and intend as soon as timber is to hand having this work put in hand. *- Considerable repairs arc urgently required on Main road between Mangonui and Oruru, this being now the worst part of the Main road. I intend if possible to arrange for County’s man quarrying off a few hundred yards for repairs before the winter fully sets in. Some pipes are ordered for Mangonui and Oruru ridings. I intend putting in a few culverts in Oruru, Kohumaru and Oruaiti. A little repairs have been effected on Kohumaru road. ORURU RIDING. Metalling works at Komiti are now well in hand; the metal being screened adds considerably to the wearing value of the road surface. I have arranged for a further ten chains of metalling to be done on Fern Flat road. Some further repair works have been effected on Honeymoon Valley road. I have endeavoured to get a little more metalling done on this road, but the price asked by carters made it prohibitive. A considerable amount of clearing, formation and culverting has been done on Duncan’s road; some further metalling of a few bad places has yet to be done. This road should then at least be in passable order for the coming winter. Further metal repairs have been done on Fairbum road; another few days will finish this work. Some culverting and general repairs have been carried out on Oruru-Taipa road. The approaches to one of the bridges was in a very dangerous condition. VICTORIA VALLEY RIDING.

All of the metal for works on Mangatoctoc road has been quarried and carted, and about half has been napped. A number of culverts have been put in and considerable reformation work done. Some clearing of scrub has yet to be done on Victoria end.

I have made a survey of W. Dawson’s bridge site, and a rough estimate of cost has also been made. Fencing of Wallace’s frontage on A. Panther’s access road has been put in hand at satisfactory prices. The work of erecting bridge and construction ot culvert will be proceeded with as soon as possible. Some further metal repairs have been effected on Victoria-Peria road. A number of bridges on road from Victoria were in a dangerous state. Repairs have been put in hand.

Before winter sets in a good deal of metalling works will be required to be done on Pamapouria Flat, the surface of road in this locality being destroyed by metal carters.

I am advised by contractors that a further 12 chains of metalling has been done on Raetea road, and considerable repairs effected on Clark’s road. Contract for Crenc’s cutting was let, but contractor now refuses to proceed with work. I trust to be able to arrange with the settlers of Takahue to do the work. A proposal on the basis of £ for £, £SOO, for crowning and metalling a portion of Victoria Valley-Mangamuka road, has been prepared and forwarded for approval. KAITAIA RIDING. A considerable number of pipes have been carted for culverting works between Flat Bush and Victoria Junction. I intend doing further metal repair works on this Toad. Carters have now started on metal repair works on Main road between Kawakawa Hill and Fairbum Junction, a good deal of the surface of the road being badly worn. Metalling works on Main road through Kaitaia are now complete, with the exception of construction of drain of a few culverts; also consolidating metal with roller. In this respect we have been considerably handicapped for want of water, the very unexpected dry spell being against us. We have now a pump which will help us considerably. Carting and breaking of metal quarried for Fryer’s road is now in position. Flat near Perkinson’s requires reforming. A little repairs has been done on Church road. I intend sending the grader over the road for a day or two before it leaves Kaitaia. I have had portion qf the Kai - aia-Awanui road, between Forster’s and

Sid Puckey’s,' dressed with metal; a further amount requires doing, but the Pamapouiia carters refuse to come this distance and Pukepoto metal brought was quite unsuitable for the work. I intend to make a further effort to get required class of metal. HEREKINO RIDING. The clearing, reformation and culverting of Paihana’s flat is being proceeded with, both graders being on the work. It will be impossible to complete, as construction of several large concrete culverts are scheduled for this flat. Some metal repairs will require to be done nearer Pukepoto, repairs of damage done by metal carters. Metalling of Master’s deviation has been completed, as also all metalling and culverting put in hand on Herekino-Ahipara road. It will be very advisable to have a County surfaceman spend a few w'eeks at intervals on this road during winter months and I shall endeavour to arrange to this end. Pipes have been delivered for culverts on Here-kino-Whangape road; an effort will be made to have culverts put in this coming month. lam forwarding pipes to take place of old wooden culvert on Herekino settlement road near Pearce's bridge; a good deal of ordinary repair work has been done on this road.

Timber for bridge on Scotty’s road has been delivered. Difficulty is being experienced, however, in getting totara timber for culverts, and it may be necessary to have this timber split. Formation and draining of flat on this road has been put in hand. A good deal of repair works are required on the Main Herekino road. A considerable amount of watertabling and culverting is required, also filling in of many ruts caused by water running down the road. AWANUI RIDING. Some shell has been delivered and carted for repairs of Kaitaia-Awanui road. This shell is, however, coming very slowly to hand. Formation of Quarry road is now complete. I have had a little additional fencing done across the munga to prevent neighbour’s stock getting from paddock on to the road. A contract for breaking of stone on Kareponia road was let, but contractor failed to carry out the work, only a yard or two being broken by him. I have now put County surfacemen in charge of the work and will have it done by day work. Considerable damage has been done to bridge near Coghlan’s boarding-house; apparently a vehicle of some sort has collided with it. I have arranged for some temporary repairs to be effected pending inspection. Some repairs have also been effected to various culverts on this road; further repairs, however, are necessary. HOUHOHA RIDING. Some necessary repairs have been effected with shell on Awanui-Waipapa-kauri road, and a contract for the widening and deepening of some 2/ chains of drain on this road has been completed. Difficulty has been experienced in getting stone on Unahi road broken. Two contractors have made a start; both, however, have failed in carrying out the work. I have now arranged for our su-faceman to take charge of the work and complete. Minor repairs have been effected on West Coast road. GENERAL. During the past month Mr. Hansen (tar expert), County Engineer from Waimate West County, Taranaki, visited this county for the purpose of inspecting (with the view of reporting on) our roads and metal deposits. In company with the County Chairman, I attended with Mr. Hansen on his tour of inspection. Mr. Hansen expressed himself as being extremely pleased with our metal deposits in Victoria Valley, White Stone quarry, Pukepoto and Herekino rivers and quarries. It seems to me there is extant throughout Kaitaia and adjacent ridings, considering past years’ experience, only the most hazy idea as to what the obtaining and delivery of foundation metal from varipus quarries and metal beds is costing, indeed all classes of metal. In consequence there are wild rumours afloat. It is to be regretted that the persons responsible for these rumours do not make themselves wise as to the actual cost before spreading misleading reports. It is noticeabie this unfortunate class of report increased and magnified considerably during the time the motor lorry was engaged in this county. In my opinion the success ot your projected big roading scheme depends very largely on the cost of metal transit, as it is obvious the greater amount of metal used for projected works would be taken from various river beds. This being the case, it is very essential the ratepayers concerned should know, and fully recognise that a very considerable saving can be effected, and the work done in a much shorter time, by the use of motor power, particularly So if the machines are directly under the Council’s control. The metal carted by the motor lorry recently in the county was taken from the river bed near Fred. White’s, and is some of the best metal in the

county. With the time at our disposal only the most primitive arrangements for getting and loading metal was possible ; even so the metal was delivered to the spreader on the road near Kaitaia at a total cost of 14/2 per yard, as against teams in continuous carting from this locality delivering one load per day at an estimated cost of 25/- per yard. The following are prices per yard for foundation metal delivered on road under existing method of carting to extended localities:—Merton’s, Meffin’s, and Wallace’s quarries, 15/- per yard; Anderson’s, Matthews’, and Pukepoto, 17/- per yard; White Stone quairy, 15/- per yard. The present cost of delivering top-dressing metal (Pamapouria) to Larmer’s road is 14/6 yer yard, and to Kaitaia 16/2 per yard. This metal is useless for foundation purposes. I estimate it will be a simple matter to save an average of at least 4/- per yard on delivery of river shingle and crushed river stone by motor power as against horse-drawn vehicles.