COUNTY WORKS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 72, 21 March 1912, Page 3

COUNTY WORKS.

MONTHLY REPORTS,

The subjoined reports were submitted to this morning’s meeting of tho Stratford County Conned:— Engineer's Report. Mr E. C. Robinson reported ns follows:—Tenders have been invited closing to-day for contract No-. 8(l2 (metalling portion of Mailgaeliu Road); contract No-. MS (remetalling one. mile of Waiwirl Road). Waipuku lu'id ge renewal: This work is proceeding well, the buttress in front of old piers having been put in and the false work erected ready for the arch. Finnerty Road; The damaged portion has been reinstated and a strict account of the cost kept. The contractor responsible for the damage has been served with a claim for the amount in question and given a certain time in which to settle, failing which legal proceedings will he taken. Toko Road bridge: This structure is finished and the now roadway across it almost completed. Mangaoapa Road formation: This work is well forward and another month should see it well on towards completion. Manga Road formation: This contract is also being pushed forward vigorously and will bo out pf hand in about a month to six Weeks. Makuri Valley Drainage: The very broken and wet weather during the month: has seriously hampered and delayed this work which is essentially a summer job. Nevertheless the contractor has done his utmost and pushed matters forward as much as possible. Ohura Road boulder contract: The weather has also affected this work owing to the water in the Patea River being too high to allow 01 stone being easily obtained. Puniwhakau bridge: Satisfactory progress has been made with the building of the small bridge over the washout on Puniwhakau Road just past village. In a few days it will be out of hand. McCool’s suspension bridge: I have made a further inspection of this since the tunnel on west side was cleaned out. The cables here round the anchorage log appear quite sound and with careful maintenance in the way of tarring should be kept right. The east anchorage is, however, a much more serious proposition. It is in soft, sandy formation and practically impossible to keep open. It is also at a much lower level than tho west anchorage, and correspondingly more damp. Even if the cables at this anchorage have not been very much affected, it is quite certain that cor--osion and perishing may be looked for at no distant date. The only practical way oat of the difficulty to my mind is to provide a new anchorage of concrete* with steel bars encased in same to surface of ground. The cost of same together with the necessary connecting .up with present cables (a rather difficult undertaking on account of the bridge being too high off the stream to have its weight taken up by staging) would he about This is moreover work which must be undertaken to avoid grave risk of ultimate collapse of the structure. Road grader: I have obtained particulars and price of road grader, and they are before yon at this meeting. As regards their efficiency and utility, there can be no question of it and I am of opinion that there is plenty of suitable work in this county to warrant the purchase of a grader. Other matters of interest are dealt with in tho foremen’s reports which are attached herewith. Foremen’s Reports. Iho North Riding foreman reported:—Lower Pembroke Road: The blinding of the metal has been finished. Cardiff Road: This lias been raked in and will be blinded as soon as possible. Monmouth Road: Repairs have been made, and the tilling at washout is in hand and will be about open foi traffic to-morrow. Radnor Road : Most of the timber has been removed from tho drains and Mr Reochy will clear ont the rubbish up his frontage. Denbigh, York, Rutland, Denmark, Tei roa and Mountain Roads: Minor re pairs have been made on these roads Pipes: About a truck of 12-inch and fifty 9-inch pipes are required. The North Riding foreman (cast side) reported: During the m'onth the following works have been carried’ out.: The renewal of culvert and rais ing of tilling on Ratapiko Road, authorised, have been completed. The Makara Road has boon repaired. A culvert has been renewed on Croydo: Road west. The Croydon Road east has been raked and blinded and the watortables cleaned out right through. A few days have been put in on tin new metal on Beaconsficld Road, bo twoen Stanley Road and creamery, owing to the heavy traffic hero. I pro pose making a side track along this length. All tho metalled roads have had general repairs- carried out on them.

South Hiding foreman reported.— All tlic roads arc in fair order. I have repaired the portion of Finnsrty Road recently damaged as instructed. A culvert on Solo Road near Mr Ovis’ property requires renewing with, say. 3-feet diameter pipes. Tin’s work could he done when the factory season is over.

East Biding foreman (Toko) reported:—All the reads under my control are in very fair order. The cutting on the Olmra Road near Skinner Rond has keen widened, and nearly 30 chains of side track made. The Beaconsfield Road is being raked throughout the whole of the length in my riding, and blinded.on the hills. Songster’s Hill again requires attention, the banking recently placed there having gone. The horse recently sent out on trial is not suitable, being too light for the work. East Riding foreman (Douglas) reported : —All the roads under my care are in good order. Most of 'our time has been spent om-the Makuri Road. This road has been thoroughly fixed up from the main road to within 10 chains of Mr Malone’s roadway. The

remainder of our time we liaise been banking and metalling the OluiraMangaehu Road. East Riding foreman (Huiroa) reported:—Owing to the broken weather experienced during the month I have as yet been unable to do any drain cleaning work, there being too much water in the drains. Autawa Road; (As the Government proposes to spend a little surplus money out of a contract I will wait until such work is completed before starting on the Council work authorised. Akama Road I The work authorised on this road is about to be put in hand. Other roads are.in (fair condition.

West Riding foreman reported:— Brookes Road: 'i'hc two chains of metal authorised have been completed. Hastings Road: Ten chains of metalling, as authorised have been completed here. The plough is proving very satisfactory and effects a great saving in labour. The horse that has been obtained is all that could be desired. The crushing operations are progressing well, having been completed at Mr Rawles’ and Mangatoki, and are now in progress at Kapuni crushing site, but the broken weather experienced during the month has causr.’ ed a lot of delay. The Mangaehu Riding foreman reported :—The anchorage tunnel on west side of McCool’s bridge has been cleaned out. The raking and blinding of metal and cleaning out of watertables have been carried out on Mangaotuku, Mangaehu and Puniwhakau Roads. The Brcwer-Taihore Road has been similarly treated. I have been working at the Puniwhakau bridge which will be completed in a few days. f The • reports were adopted.

■ Gr Young moved that action in regard to the McCool suspension bridge he deferred for a month.—Carried. Tenders. No tender was accepted for remetalling one mile of the Wawiri Hoad. The tender of G. McPhee at £1209 was accepted for metalling a portion of the Mangaelm Road.—The Council then adjourned.