OTOROHANGA COUNTY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4186, 15 September 1939, Page 8

OTOROHANGA COUNTY

ENGINEER’S REPORT TO COUNCIL. The following are extracts fromi the report by the engineer, Mr G. Jackson, presented at the monthly meeting of the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday:— During the past months road •maintenance has been exceptionally difficult, even for the time of year. Several roads have proved to be unequal to the class of traffic imposed upon them under the weather conditions that have maintained, and springs have broken out in places where they were not apparent hitherto.. The ever increasing volume, weight and sgped of traffic will necessitate increased maintenance expenditure during the winter months. Still, so far, we have been able to cope fairly well with the maintenance and on the whole the condition of the roads is not bad. A very noticeable feature was the reduction in maintenance requirements during the fortnight which the School buses were off the roads. The most severe trouble was experienced on the Pirongia-Ngutunui Main Highway which became very bad in places, but with a supply of metal chips from Te Rau-a-moa, the road has been brought up to a fair standard.

Your contractors for the supply of trucks at hourly rates have asked for an increase of three pence per hour to compensate for the recently imposed additional tax of fourpence per gallon on benzine. The request is a reasonable one and I recommend it for your favourable consideration. Main Highways Bridges: Following the recent inspection of Main Highways Bridges and at the request of the Board’s representative, arrangements have been made with F. T. Bluck to clean and paint the several steel girders on the Main Highways I Bridges. Mangaorongo Main Highways Bridge Replacement: In connection with this p-oposal, arrangements have been finalised to purchase the necessary land for re-alignment of the road at the (bridge site for the sum of £l2 for 1 rood and 25 perches of land and a transfer of the land to the Crown is being prepared. Re Waipa Gorge Road flood damage: The district engineer of Public Works advises that there seems to be no real necessity for a further special report, as the matter can well be dealt with by the council and the resident engineer at Hamilton. Following receipt of this letter I went over the job again with Mr Thomas, and we agreed that we could not improve upon our original proposal that has been approved by the resident engineer. Now that the river has been turned, no further erosion is likely to occur, and if the council is satisfied to leave the road in its present narrow condition, further operations

may be deferred indefinitely. Drainage: Two applications are before you from farmers requiring culverts lowered or provided for the purpose of draining their land, either partly or wholly at the public expense. In both instances there is no legal obligation on the Council to spend any private money on these culverts. As far as I know the Council has no definite rule as to whether or not it will contribute to the cost of such lowering or provision of culverts.

The Council should make a definite rule as to what portion of the cost, if any, it is prepared to pay in such cases, so that all farmers would receive equal treatment.

Cantracts: The following contracts are submitted for your seal and signature:—

No. 207, Ngahape-Korakonui Rd., metalling, H. Vincent, £285; No. 208, Waverley Road, metalling, A. Toa, £lB6 ss; No. 209, Carlin’s Road, metalling, T. Salvation, £127 4s; No. 211, Owaikura Road, metalling, G. Searancke, £lO7O 9s; No. 212, Bush Road, metalling, J. C. Peterson, £830; No. 213, Barber’s Road, metalling, H. Vincent, £l*o-1 Is 6d; No. 214, maintenance metal, 100-0 cubic yards, T. A'ce, £5OO.

As this will probably be the last occasion upon which I shall have the honour of addressing you, I wish to take this opportunity of thinking the Council both severally and individually for the courtesy and consideration that has been extended to me during my term of office.