THE GARSTON-NEVIS ROAD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 22

THE GARSTON-NEVIS ROAD.

At the monthly meeting of the Southland Council, held on Friday last, the engineer reported having inspected the above road, as re-q-uested by Messrs Perry, Cunningham, and T/rotter. At the time of inspection (February 6) there was about 2ft of snow on some portions of th<i road, which has an altitude of 3200 ft. The suow melted rapidly that day, and gave a very good idea of the wear through scour by melting f? iow off the water-tables. The first five miles of t he road from Garston in the Lake County has ■"oeen formed 10ft wide. The grade averaged 1 m 10 In one or two places the curves are of ! about 20ft radius. Several of the culverts were put in in high ground, and tho water rushed past 1 them, and in many places the storm water had ' too loug a run down the water-tables. The ' Southland County portion, about seven miles in * length, has been formed and culverted throughout. The road has reduced in width in some .places to about 7ft wide. Very few of the culverts , were working— the water rushing down the ruts ' ;and water tables, in some places for a distance of ' !10 chains before it escaped down a sidling. The •ruts are very deep, and if something is not done before next season's carting, traffic will be sus1 -ponded. Many of the culverts should be removed 1 to more suitable places. There were some soft places in the Nevis Gorge road which •could be easily repaired with the tailings , 'from adjoining claims. A man for a !• month, with a horse and dray, could put the .Southland portion in good order — estimated cost .£SO, to put the track in order, remove culverts, and | <clear sides, &c. He recommended that the Mines : -department be requested to have the work carried i out. As the track is covered with snow dur- ' ing the winter months any work done now would ; Tse undone by snow before the spring. Beyond -„ the fact of a portion of the road cutting across a • ■corner of the Southland County, he_ failed to ccc ' "wherein lay the obligation for this council to • -expend its funds. There is not a single Southland ■ County ratepayer uses it nor requires it, and i there is only one Lake County carter who has , tnadie use of it since it wa3 opened. The revenue I derived from land adjoining the road would not : annually pay the wages of a man. The road has been formed for the benefit of Vincent County j miners, and it should be either kept in order by . them or the Mines department, who get all the ' revenue. ' Mr Hast said the road benefited only one Southland settler, and he paid about £8 per year rates. The road was a "political one," constructed by their late member, and was of no benefit to the Southland County. He objected to spend a single sixpence on the road while other and more important roads in the riding were in such a bad state.