COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Northland Age, Volume 17, Issue 29, 15 April 1920, Page 6

COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The following report was presented by the County Engineer, Mr. T. R. McMullen, to the Council on the 19th March: MANGONUI RIDING. Seawall contract is progressing steadily j towards completion. The work has been considerably handicapped through shortage of labour. Thirty-four and a-half ( chains of seawall coping is now in post- , tion, a further 19 chains of seawall being t from half to three-quarters the required height. As previously reported, a good deal of general repair works is required to be done along Beach road; as soon as ! seawall contract is about completed, this 1 work will be put in hand. Statement Mangonui Beach Road Con- ' tract.—Contract price, £2600 4s 6d. Value 1 work completed, £1724 ss; value of work 1 in progress and material on site, £780; * total, £2504 ss. Payments at date, £1954 I6s 7d. The proposal for £99 on a £ for < £ basis, for repairs on this road, has been 1 approved. On the Main Mangonui road a good ; deal of remetalling has beer. done. Metal < used from Mort’s quarry is not satis- J factory. I have condemned it and have 1 notified the contractor accordingly, and 1 instructed the overseer not to receive i further metal of this class. A very good i quarry has been opened on the Oruru side < of Mort’s quarry. A good deal of metal 1 pat on the road is considerably over size. | Contractor has been instructed to go over < the work. Fairly good progress is being made with 1 metalling works on the Oruaiti road. The 1 completion ol this work has been arranged for. The overseer reports some minor ■ repair works have been effected on the , Kohumaru road. ORURU RIDING. Pipe culvert on bad bend near Lambly’s quarry has been put in, and filling nearly completed. Pipes are also on the ground for culvert below Lambly’s quarry. The bridge on Wilkinson's road has been completed with the exception of hand-rails. Timber for these appear to have gone astray for the time being. Hand-rails and other damaged portion; of bridges on the main road, Peria, have not yet been repaired. Some repairs are urgently required on Oruru-Taipa road in the way of filling and taring. I have asked the overseer to report on the matter, giving an estimate of cost for necessary works. Some metal repairs from Kaurinui Hill to Kaiaka are badly required. A contract for this work was let last year, but I the contractor failed to do the work. I j am now endeavouring to have these re- ! pairs effected, as also a few bridge repairs I on this road. Formation and metalling works are ! progressing on Duncan’s road. So far only one man, the contractor, is engaged 1 on napping works. I have instructed the j overseer to see that other men, if avail-! able, be put on. This is necessary to get I the work completed this year. VICTORIA VALLEY RIDING. | A few minor metal repair works have been effected on the main Victoria road. A good deal of rcdecking of bridges h.-.s had to be done owing to motor truck breaking through. I think it advisable to put runners on all bridges to ensure safety. On one trip the truck broke 18 planks on one bridge and five on another. So far I have not been able to let metalling works on Raetea road. Some watertabling and ordinaiy repair works are required on Tc Rorc road. I have arranged that this work will be done before winter sets in. A few planks have to be put in Crene’s bridge, which was in a dangerous way. Some repairsare also required on Parke -'s bridge and to cutting near the bridge. Tenders for metalling works on Victoria Valley-Margamuka road have been invited and will be before you to-day. KAITAIA RIDING. A contract for formation and metalling works on Fryer’s road has been let, and the work is now in hand. A little later I intend to have grader on this road to open up watertables from Perkiiison's to cutting, this portion of the road being badly out of shape. A proposal for formation and metaling wo:ks on Clough’s road las been forwarded for approval. I hope to get tnis wo. k in hand before the season is out. F mutation on Church road has beer completed by Council’s st ff and pit it Mcailing works on part (I) are now w ’ll in band. The contractor could not get his teamsters to cart it to top piece (part 2) for price arranged, asking 18/- per yard, which I could not agree to give. Top-dressing for street works is being carted, and as tar-sprayer and tar has arrived, tar-sealing of street will be put in hand. The formation of street from Grigg’s corner to Waikuruku bridge has been completed and metal delivered. The w k of napping metal is now in hand. HEREKINO RIDING. Plans and proposal for reinforced con-

crete bridge, Pukepoto stream, were completed. The District Engineer, however, desires stronger beams for proposed bridge, and for the extra cost is prepared to recommend increasing the subsidy.

He also states that bridges of this class for main roads are to have 18-feet car-riage-way, and bridges for side roads 12feet carriage-way. I have now prepared another plan ot bridge in two spans, with four beams of extra strength, which lam submitting. I am advising the Department if so desired the bridge can be built in one span, with haunch supports. It would be an easy matter to submit a design for a bridge that would carry almost any weight, but the design I aim now submitting as required on that road is as strong and as expensive as I am prepared to recommend be built. It will have a carriage-way of 12 feet, and is estimated to cost about £6OO.

Some metal repair works have been effected on Kaitaia-Ahipara road, some further repairs have now been authorised. Met il works 011 Ahipara-Herckino road are well in hand. It is an extremely difficult matter to get good creek metal fir works Ahipara side of the rocks, and I have heard some complaints about the metal now being put on, but I believe it i. as good as can be got. Metal delivered on the other side of saddle is of very good quality. I have instructed the spreader to clean out watertables where metal has been laid, and to see that the metal is spread evenly. Mr. Berghan reports that metalling works on Herekino Settlement road is now well in hand. I have written the Herekino Dairy Factory Secretary informing him it will be necessary for the company to construct a suitable crossing over watertables at entrance to factor;-. AWANUI RIDING A good deal of metal has now been delivered on Kaitaia-Awanui road, contractor Brookes reports the engine is running well for crushing works at White Stone quarry. The Council Truck has been delivering shingle fre m Victoria Valley on this road assisted lor a time by Renner’s 1 ruck. I have inspected access road' to McMullen’s, to follow surveyed line of road a good deal of clearing is required. I would recommend this work to be put in tiand if labour can be obtained. I hrve had some pipes carted for two culverts on Awanai-Kaingaroa. road on new formation work. Me talling works at Kaingaroa and i Lake Ohia are being proceeded with. Metal is not of the best but being quarried rock will make a good foundation for fut- ! ure works, and will carry traffic in the 1 meantime. HOHOURA RIDING [ Proposal for works between Waipapa- * kauri and Hohoura has been approved. ' Most of these works fortunately can be | done during winter months, and at that ! time of the year, men who are now gum | digging will be available. | Some necessery bridge repairs have been effected and pipe culverts on UnalT Road are now in position. GENERAL

The second motor, 3 ton Dump Truck ordered, was expected to arrive to-day and I duly received notice it would be here. In answer to a further wire from me, I now receive word that it had not reached Auckland as expected so will not arrive here till next Clansman.

I have engaged a Mr. Goddard, driver mechanic of White Dump Trucks, to look after Council’s Trucks and Motor Roller. This man is highly recommended by the Truck Agents as also by the Piako Ccuntv Council. A man of this class is absol ately essential for this Council. It will be necessary to at once get some sort of a shed built for these trucks and roller when it arrives. The truck we have, I have in a shed where I live. The owner informed me some time ago he intended pulling this shed down, even so it is out of the way and unsuitable as clay roads have to be traversed to get to it, also a lot of oil is consumed in getting to and fro.

I have found it an extremely difficult matter to get labourers this year, and unfortunately, too, we have lost some cf our best men who have found other work more attractive.

In consequence of this certain works which it is desirable should be proceeded with have had to stand over. I hai a - ranfed to start making pipes, an'l had material on hand, but on account of starting tarring works could not spare the men. About 8 extra men will be required next week for tarring works.

In regard to our subsidised works generally T have received inquiries from the District Engineer as to why full amount of proposed metalling works were not being let, and geneari formation works. In regard to the metalling I have advised him that until the rates were fully paid in the Council did r,ot purpose letting works and also in some cases we had difficulty in letting works. In regard to formation, in cases of small

w ks, I pointed out it was impossible to le* them, that even so, Council found it mu e satisfactory and cheaper to do the v k with its own plant and staff. Application for payments on all Grant wo ks operated on have been prepared an forwarded. I would strongly advise that no works other than subsidised works be mtered upon, as the greatest economy will have to be exercised in order that lia! ilities in connection with these works may be met. Jhe Consulting Engineer asks that st'-.vey of proposed deviation Herekino Gorge be made. I had intended almost immediately going on with general surveys on this and other roads first proposed to be dealt with under the £54,000 loan I \ ould therefore do Herekino Road first. . he County overseer asks that permanent surfacemen be employed for that end o lie county, and that a grader be put at h 1 disposal for use during winter months. I - overseer’s request is, of course, quite ii order and exactly on lines we have tr 1 d and hoped to have in operation in F-. i years -is regards surfacemen with the positu ; of finance it is useless considering eng ing men, all we can hope to do is to P" a man at intervals to do necessary rep.i.rs. As regards the Grader there should of course be one for that end of the County, b 1 I cannot see how it is possible the ti n coming winter to pay the cost of keepII a grader team and staff employed at tii c end for the whole time. Later with a afferent system of finance it could be d ■ ie. I'or this year, I think, we will have to d > !he same as last year, send the grader, ti in, and staff through for a time to do tin most urgent works. have received a wire from Anderson’s I ’, stating that they have asked for space on next boat to Auckland for oil engine oi- ered by us.