BIRCHWOOD ROADS

Southland Times, Issue 14372, 19 March 1910, Page 6

BIRCHWOOD ROADS

A PROGRESSIVE SETTLER.

• At yesterday’s meeting of the Wallace County Council a letter was received from Mr A. W. Rodger, of Birchwood, who wrote with reference to an interview which had taken place tween himself and the , Chairman (Mr W. A. Affleck), and Crs. Forde and King, anent a bridge over the Ohai and Sharpridge streams on the Xightcaps-Sharp-ridge road. Ills offer was to bear onethird of the actual cost of the bridge (which should bo wide enough to take vehicular traffic, and strong enough to carry at least 2, X A tons), and to cart all the material from Nightcaps free of cost, provided this offer was- accepted at the Council meeting to bo held on the ISth inst., and that the work was. put in hand immediately thereafter. He also agreed to cart any plant that might be necessary for the erection of the bridge, from and to Nightcaps free of cost, and to give the use of a traction engine to drive the necessary piles. Mr Rodgers also wrote with reference to the work being done on the WalrioBirchwood road, for which lie had agreed to do the needful clipping of tussocks in front of the grader free of cost. He suggested that as, in his opinion, grading would not ’ make the road passable throughout the year, the Council should make the amount at present available, about £163, up to £2OO, and he would add another £SO. thus making the full amount up fo £2OO. which would enable the road to be metalled and gravelled In the worst places. Cr. Forde said that Hr Rodger’s reipiest was a reasonable one, and lie did not think that the Council could very decline to have the work done. He moved that the offer ho accepted, arid the work be gone bn with, one-third of the cost of the bridge to be borne by Mr Rodger, and the remainder to be borne equally by the Wairio and Waiau ridings. The motion was seconded by Cr. King, was supported by Cr. Fraser, and was carried unanimously. With regard to the second portion of the letter, concerning the suggestion that the £162 available for the WairioBirchwood road be increased to £2OO, Mr Rodger to add another £SO, Cr. Forde said thal a lot of money had been spent on the road already, He was prepared to admit, however, that .Mr. Rodger had made a very igood offer, and lie moved that £3B bo voted for the road. CT. Power seconded the motion that Mr Rodger’s suggestion be agreed, to, and the offer was also accepted. Mr Rodger, who was in attendance, thanked the Council for their consideration of bis suggestions. in connection with the new road which is to be formed through the Birchwood estate in place of the surveyed road which the Council recently decided to close, in; referred briotly to a deviation that would enable the construction to lie carried out at a much less cost than on the surveyed route, inasmuch as the roadline would be drained by the ditches he had already made, thus saving the Council a great deal of expense in that direction. He offered to advance the money for the necessary road-work, for IS months, free of interest. Cr. King said that the new road should he deviated in accordance with Mr Rodger's suggestion. The surveyed road was taken along the terrace, and to make it would require side-cutting. The route was not on the Hat as had been thought, and would be a costly affair. Mr Rodger had offered land for a deviation. It would save money as much of the road would be ditched along one side. A road must he made, lie said, and increased rates would come very shortly through the erection of the dairy factory. The Chairman pointed out that when the land w-as originally surveyed on the terrace the ground on the Hat was an impassable swamp. Since that time It had been ditched and drained.

The Engineer said that ho had always had the idea that the original road was surveyed on the Oat. It should be remembered that although the road on the terrace would necessitate some costly side-cutting a road thus made would