WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 78, 28 March 1912, Page 6

WHANGAMOMONA COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr. E. C. Robinson) reported as follows to yesterday’s meeting of the W hangamdmona County Council: — Work in Hand.—The following contracts are well in hand and progressing satisfactorily :— Mangaehu Road tilling and clearing, Marco Road formation, Jrakiko -Road formation, Porangi Road formation. The Upper Alangaemi formation contract has been commenced (Kerrisk’s). In addition the extension of dray road formation on Tapni Road by day labour is progressing favourably. Murcott Road Bridge.—The rods for eastern anchorage of this bridge have been made and are now being carted in to the site. 1 have sent in a gang of competent bridge builders to carry out the necessary work. Mangaehu Road.—While the abovementioned gang is in the Mangaehu district J propose to keep them on to build a small stringer bridge towards the end of Kerrisk’s formation contract, and included in the £2OOO loan and subsidy. If the Council agrees to this proposal 1 will make the necessary' arrangements for approval by the Resident Road Engineer. Matirangi Road Bridge.—l have submitted proposals for the renewal of this structure out of the £lO authority granted. These have been approved, and I am putting in, in a few lays, some bridge hands to carry out the work. Makahu Road.—ln company with Councillors Meredith and Jury, I visited the above, and 'the Arnold Road, and after an inspection of same interviewed the sawmiller whose log carting traffic caused the damage. The sawmiller assured us that lie would have the damage reinstated, and 1 gave him formal written notice to do so. While in tiiis locality the Makahu Road Bridge was inspected, aid I find that by a slight deviation of the formation a considerable saving can bo

effected in tin; cost of the new bridge. \V lien this work is carried cut, it could quite easily be done by day labour, as too bridge will now be a stringer structure on piles. iiinruputa Hoad Formation.—-I have as yet been unable to let this work privately, but as a small bridge at tlie point in question would serve the purpose, it is possible that 1 could got tno work done when suitable labour is in. the district. 'ihie Tahcra ,surfaceman has been engaged during the month under the central riding foreman, in order to becoiqc acquainted with the various .county roads in this riding. 1 have, however, arranged with him to take over tire work independently at the beginning of next week. Further Worn, Upper Mangaehu Hoad.—Ti;e filling and clearing contract on this road will lie completed in about eight day?., and the length will then be laid oil' for formation. The contractor for the tilling and clearing is willing to take on the remaindef of this work left, some 50 to GO chains, at the same rate (23s 6(1), as the present contract, and as it is a reasonable price, I recommend that it bo given to iii:n. ihe Strathmore Foreman reports that during the month repairs to Maka.hu Hoad have been made, and a new culvert put in. Surfacing work has been done cm Drown and Connor’s roads. The following roads are in good order, and should remain so for some time:—Favier, Akarua, Mohikau, and Kirai. Water-tabling is required on Churn Hoad right throughout its length, and will be attended to shortly. Two culverts arc required on Kirai Hoad. In connection with this, the culverts on Kirai Road are required also the decking of a small bridge IS x 12 feet’, which is now in a rotten state. A now 2ft Gin pipe 30ft long is also required on old Ohura Hoad. The \Vha,iigamomomi Central Hiding Foreman reports that' the Mold Hoad has been repaired, and watertabled; that the Raekohua Road is in need of attention. That the Tahcra Road requires a little surface work; iliac the Hvitikikina Hoad has had further repairs executed on it; that as regards the Whangamomona Road, the wot weather experienced has made it, slip continually, requiring constant attention; that the Kohuratahi Road is in a very bad state, and a few days’ very necessary work has been done, but that it urgently requires attention before winter; that the Ohara Hoad is being cut into holes, and ia in general disrepair. As regards tiie Ohura Road, I take it that it is now in the hands ol the Public Works Department. Ohura Road traffic and finances as far as Central and Tahora Ridings are concerned, since the inception of the County.—The position is brielly as follows:—When the County was constituted there was some six miles of the road under County control, and all in Central Hiding. Since then no further length has been handed over, and the sixmiles in question have been maintained throughout of cue Central Hiding revenue. The following is the-position of the finance so far as the Central Hiding is concerned: —March 3ist, 1908. Debit balance £320 4s Id. Expenditure to 31st March, 1909, £542 18s od; March 81, 1909: Debit balance £169 4s. Expenditure 31st March, 1910: £4Bl 14s. lid. March 31, 1910: Debit balance £291 3s lid ; expenditure, 31st March, 1911, £457 ISs’iOd. March 31, 1911: Debit balance £6l6' 17s lid. Expenditure 29th February, 1911, £225 5s 3d. The large debit balance for March, 1911, is accounted for by the fact of the 1910-1911 rates not then 'having ‘been allocated. During the; period from the inspection of the County to present date the Tahora Hiding traffic, with the exception of that which goes out through tiie Gorge on to Tangoporutu or [lruti finds its outlet over Ohura Road in Central Riding. T.ho above statements of expenditure include the proportion of general expenses debited to the road. The position so far as the Ohura Road in Strathmore Hiding is concerned is somewhat different. 1 here were up to the time of the opening of the railway to Te Wera about 21 miles of road under County control, and for a ooriod of about one year this had to take the traffic of Pohokura Central and Tahora Hidings. When the railway line was opened to Te Worn some four more miles of metalled road wore handed over, and this in turn has had to take a considerable volume of traffic from the other three ridings. The two original miles were freed" from the traffic of the other rid-iiio-3, but by the direct and indirect traffic of the Public Works Department, whilst , the construction of the railway was proceeding in the locality, those two miles were very greatly damaged, necessitating an expenditure o. between £2OO and £3OO out of Strathmore Hiding funds to repair them, and even then considerable further expenditure would have otherwise been the case, lias had to be incurred. Jhe four miles of new metal, though damaged to some extent by the Public Works carting, have required but little expenditure so far.