LOOSE METAL ON ROADS

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 5

LOOSE METAL ON ROADS

County Council Told Of Danger

ACCIDENT ON TOKANUI HIGHWAY

The danger to traffic of excess metal on roads was mentioned in a letter from the Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. Laurenson) read at a meeting of the Southanld County Council yesterday. The Commissioner wrote about an accident on the Tokanui-Waikawa road on December 12 in which a motorcycle skidded and overturned. “It is stated that the cause of the accident was a loose metal surface on the road,” said the writer. “It is found that loose metal is frequently indicated as a cause of an accident, and although the accident would seldom occur if the driver took proper precautions it is nevertheless most important that in the interests of safety there should not be an excess of metal on the road surface. I would draw your council’s attention to this particular instance which, has been reported, so that any necessary action may be taken to avoid future accidents which may be attributed to this cause.”

The chairman: The _ county gets blamed every time for loose gravel. The letter was received and noted. There were present at the meeting Councillors A. S. McNaught (chairman), J. McNeill, F. F. Trapski, G. Wraytt, W. M. Norman, J. Dennis, T. Golden and G. W. Whittingham. A letter was received from Mr W. G. Pearce, Main Highways Board representative in Invercargill advising that the board had agreed to accept the council’s offer of £lOO towards the cost of straightening the stream through Pukerau tovmship and thus reducing the flood menace in this area. An application from Mr E. H. G. Lusty, Invercargill, to take firewood from the unopened road near Service’s property at Otatara, was referred to the member for the riding and the engineer to ascertain the value of the timber.

It was agreed to carry out the work of metalling 25 chains of road leading to the property of Mr Leckie, Caddon run, Wyndham-Mokoreta-Waikawa road, if £l5O would complete the work. The accumulation of surface water in front of the school at Mimihau was referred to in a letter from the secretary of the Southland Education Board. “in winter time surface water from the higher levels of Mimihau road accumulates in front of the school residence site to such an extent that ingress and egress are difficult and at times impossible,” said the letter. The matter was referred to the engineer to inspect and report. PARAWA DEVIATION

Advice of the arrangements made to finance the proposed deviation of the Parawa end of the Parawa-Nokomai road was received from Mr W. G. Pearce, resident engineer of the Public Works Department in Invercargill. The allocation was outlined as follows: — Lake County, £100; Southland County, £200; Mines Department, £100; Public Works fund, £700; total, £llOO. “It is understood that the contribution from the Mines Department will be paid direct to your council as it is suggested that the Lake County’s share of £lOO should also be paid to your council direct,” said the engineer. “If you will therefore submit proposals for the work I will have these approved, if satisfactory, and will requisition for the necessary authority £7OO (£7 for £4).” It was agreed to accept the arrangements and proceed with the work. It was decided to carry out repair work on the Tuturau valley road. The following were appointed trustees of the Waikaka cemetery: Messrs Leonard Paterson (chairman), Robert J. Bums, Leslie Turnbull, John Henderson, Adam Nichol, Alexander McQueen and Thomas Keating (secretary). TENDERS ACCEPTED The following tenders were accepted: Toetoes riding.—Formation and gravelling Casey road, J. Blair £165 19/2; Otara-Haldane road, H. E. Burgess, £213 11/10; McGarvey’s road, Otara, H. E. Burgess, £32 10/-; Wai-kawa-Curio Bay road, T. W. Hagen, £134 16/-; deepening Waimumu channel, W. H. Crooks, £246 13/4. Hokonui riding.—Waimea siding road, J. J. Hurley, £l3O 6/-.