COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Northland Age, Volume 17, Issue 33, 13 May 1920, Page 6

COUNTY ENGINEER’S REPORT.

At the meeting of the Mangonui County Council held on the 13th April, the Engineer, Mr. T. R. McMullen, submitted the following report:— MANGONUI RIDING I have instructed that bad holes on the Mangonui Beach Road, between the wharf and Wrathall’s, be repaired with metal laying at wharf, should finance allow, a good deal more general repair work is required before the winter sets in. The construction and adverting of the balance of Mould Street to connect with the Cemetery has been let to E. Berghan. Until the weather broke very good progress was being made with metalling works at Oruaiti, Part I, the long distance carting being about completed. Good progress has also been made with metalling of Mangonui—Oruru road. Proposal for formation and metalling works on Kohimuru road has been approved. I hope a little later to get some of the urgent works done. ORURU RIDING

The cutting off of the point Oruru side of Lambly’s Quarry and the construction of culvert and filling has been completed. Some metal repairs on this portion of the road has yet to be done. I have instructed that hand rails be put on Wilkinson’s bridge, to complete the work. Formation and culverting works on Duncan’s road have been completed from Parker’s bridge eastwards to end of old metal. Rock spall metal has been laid on the whole of this length, and some nine chains of the metal broken. An endeavour is being made to arrange for a supply of blinding metal to complete the work. VICTORIA VALLEY A start has been made with formation and culverting works on A. Panther’s access road. On account of the heavy motor traffic some metal repairs have had to be done on the Main Victoria Valley— Kaitaia road. Several of the bridges also have had to be repaired. It will be absolutely necessary to do some culverting and drainage works on Takahue-Larmer’s road at Takahue end. As previously reported this piece of flat is in a very bad way. I had hoped to be in a position to supply pipes made by Council’s staff for this work, but have not yet been able to spare men for the work. KAITAIA RIDING It has been necessary to replace the old wood culvert near W. Maria’s with a pipe culvert, as the water was encroaching on and destroying the road. A contract for formation and metalling works on Fryer’s road has been let to G. Perkinson, and the work has been commenced. Metalling works on Church road between H. Matthews and the Church is about completed. c Considering the disadvantages the men

are working under, the work of tar sealing the Kaitaia street is going on well. Considerable difficulty is being experienced in getting the tar out of the barrels, and a number of the barrels have had to be destroyed. On account of the shortage of labour, the whole of the metal on the road between the Library and the Waikuruku bridge has not yet been broken. The balance of stone in Council yard is being used for Kaitaia-Awanui road works. HEREKINO RIDING

The proposal for formation, culverting and tar seeling works on the portion of the Kaitaia- Ahipara road has been approved. A fresh plan and proposal in respect to Pukepoto bridge has been forwarded to the Public Works Department for approval. Formation and metalling of sandstone cutting near Ahipara School has been completed. All metalling works between Wainui Junction and Herekino is nearing completion. The metalling works of Herekino settlement road along S. Berhan’s frontage has been completed. I have had some drains opened up on the Main road near Herekino, and some bad holes on Mill flat filled with sandstone. AWANUI RIDING The metalling of the Awanui—Kaitaia road is proceeding fairly well. Three trucks are delivering metal from Victoria Valley and arrangements have been made to run two shifts with these trucks. The work of get ting w hite stone crushed and delivered on the Awanui road has been put in hand, some considerable difficulty has beer, experienced by bullock team owners in getting waggons. The Public Works Department has notified that proposal submitted for formation, metalling, and tar sealing of portion of Awanui—Kaingaroa road is satisfactory. I have arranged for a few of the very bad holes, also bridge and culvert approaches on Ka .eponia road to be repaired. I have endeavoi red to arrange for some clearing work to be done on McMullen’s and Kumi road bi t so far have not been successful. HOUHORA RIDING Some urgent repair works are required on Awanui —Waioapakauri road, especially between Awanui and Waimamoni. I will endeavour to get this work put in hand as soon as possible. I would like to see the filling over dangerous culvert on Unahi road widened. It is decidedly unsafe as it is at present. Works between Waipapakauri and Houhora have not yet been fully put in hand. GENERAL The shortage of labour generally has mitigated greatly against the completing of works this season. It has been a case of taking men from one work to put them on another time and again, consequently no one particular work would be quite finished. The gum fields, jt appears, have absorbed surplus labour in this district, and unfortunately too, has been responsible for taking men direct from outworks

Commerce Street having to be tarsealed this year has kept a big gang of men employed that we could very well have done with on other works. A set gang, however, had to be kept on tarsealing works otherwise they would have to stop.

I am not making any recommendation in regard to putting any works in hand which would be e charge against general County fund as I cannot see that the finances will allow any works being undertaken.

As soon as the works we are now engaged on are completed a number of valuable experienced men, if they are to be kept on, will require to be placed somewhere on works, and the works will have to be under Loin expenditure, I would ask the Council, herefore, whether or not these men are to be kept on, and if so, on what works shou d you desire they be put on. I would suggest that at the Council’s next meeting each member bring forward a list of works he desires to have put in operation this coming season, and on which he propoies asking subsidy from the Public Works Department. If this were done, necessary data required for proposals could ie obtained during winter months and we ould then hope to have our works put n hand during Summer Three of ou - County horses are engaged carting m rial to plat form at Victoria Valley, t iese three horses are all that are require! there, and all that are of any use for this class of work. I would strongly recommend that the Council immediately sell the rest of the horses, and replace later with a lew heavier class hoi ses which would be more suitable for plou riling, grading, and carting works. We very particularly require a good, strong spring cart horse, with spring cart and harness complete. This outfit is absolutely essential for general repair and main enance works. The present cost of gett ng a few planks, pipes or a yard of metal to any point where some

urgent repair work is required is prohibitive ; also the trouble, expense and lost time getting a few men with necessary tools out to do a piece of work is a big factor in making the upkeep of our roads expensive. I would ask you to give this matter immediate attention.