TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19529, 11 July 1925, Page 7

TUAPEKA COUNTY COUNCIL.

GOVERNMENT GRANTS DESIRED. ROAD-MAKING MACHINERY, At yesterday’s meeting: of the Tuapeka, County Council, the engineer (Mr R. W. Fisher) reported that in addition to bringing forward votes on the current estimates remaining' unexpended., the following additional grants have been applied for: — Shanks road (Heriot to Park. Hill), £2OO (£ for £); Heriot to Park -Hill (Monour’s road), £IOO (£ lor £); Heriot to Roxburgh (Chalmers Hill to Pauls), £6OO (£ for £), in continuation of existing j-xant; Kempthorne’s road, £2OO (£ for £,, in continuation of existing grant; Birch road (tormeriy known as Sheddan’s road), £lO (£ for £), in continuation of existmg_ grant; Old Switzers road (Caffela road), £SOO (£ for £); Old Switzers road (Dunrobin Post Office towards Heriot), £-300 (£ for £); Keppock road, £3OO (£ for /£); Ottrey’s road (Davies road), £2OO (£ for £); Mm road-(Heriot to Tapanui, via ShieJs), £2OO (£ far £); Kelso to Greeoval© Plantation, £l5O (£ for £); Lawrence to Tuapeka West (Falconer’s Valley road), £l5O {£ for £), in continual tion of former grant; Cockleshell road, £l5O (£ for £); Walker’s road, £l5O (£ for £). lie had also reinstated several applications which were not granted last year... In regard to the Highway Estimates, the following indicated the value of the estimated work with the amount applied for on the Estimates 1925-26, the latter figures being given in parentheses:—Round Hill to Brown’s Riding, £1230 (£45); Brown’s Riding to Lawrence Borough, £257 10s 6d (£150); Lawrence Borough to Beaumont Bridge, £363 (£450); Beaumont Bridge to Eaes Junction, £284 (£225); Eaes Junction to Judges Rock, £593 12s (£375); Judges Rock to Roxburgh, £491 (£375); Roxburgh, to Vincent County Boundary, £460 (£525); Edievale to Raes Junction—Reconstruction, and metalling, £6OO (£600); maintenance, £403 (£300). Continuing, the Engineer said, inter aha: ‘The total length of the Mam Highway Bruce County to Vincent County boundary is 60 miles 24 chains, which comes within a negligible margin by scaling the_ distance from the county map. _ The Edievale to Rae’s Junction length is in a deplorable state, but it is impossible to do anything with it at this season of the year. Tffie member for the riding, however, has wisely conserved his funds during the past year in view of the necessary reconstruction work, and he has available £3OO for remetalling and grader work and £6OO for construction and reconstruction, the latter item being on a £ for £ basis, which should put this road in good order in the spring. It appears that with the amount of funds available it is a matter of ‘making the best of a bad job,’ but here again 1 wish to impress on the council .the desirability of purchasing up-to-date machinery so that repairs may be of a more permanent and lasting nature. If we possessed the necessary plant the work done this year would at least be a portion of work completed in itself, but under existing conditions meet of the metal will be scattered into the wa.tortabJes during the summer months and we shall be in the same position next year as we find ourselves now. There is an unlimited supply of metal along Island Block which if put through a crusher could scarcely be excelled. “The Main Highways Board has offered and will encourage counties to purchase plant, repayment to bo extended over • period of four yearn, and there _is a considerable amount of money lying idle which is in reserve for this purpose. Some local bodies have availed themselves of the opportunity, and I notice in the report of the meeting of the dutha County Council last week that application had been made for a road roller. The Clifton County Council with a roller operating- a crasher plant have crashed 25,000 cubic yards in the last five years and have scarified and rolled many miles of road, and maintenance expenses have amounted to £4O. The benzine consumption is only 12 gallons per day. In a circular on “Maintenance of Roads” sent out by the Main Highways Board in December last, the approximate life of a road put down with a road roller is as fallows:— Gravel, five years; macadam, seven years; and with these facte it should be readily realised that systematic use of up-to-date plant is economical in the end. “I again emphasise the necessity of cutting down the lengths of road under the control of surfacemen on main highway lengths.”