ROAD MAINTENANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1935, Page 10

ROAD MAINTENANCE

THREE MORE SURFACEMEN. POSITION IN OHURA COUNTY. That .it was impossible to adequately maintain the roads with its present staff was the unanimous opinion of members of the Ohura County. Council, which <?n Wednesday authorised' its engineer to employ three additional surfacemen. One will be placed ori the Waitaanga Road, another on the Mokau-Ohura Road and the third ori the MangapapaAkatarewa Road. The decision was arrived at following a complaint by Cr. Renner, who stated that he had gone over the last-named road with Cr. Fauchelle. The road was in a deplorable state. Indeed, after three days’ rain the settlers would be unable to get in or but. It was the “worst bit of metalling that had ever been passed”—worse even than the Okahukura saddle. If men were not put on the road they would lose the whole of the metal this winter. In some cases the water-tables were blocked and the water was washing the metal off the road. Moreover, he understood that the contract provided for the whole road, 4 miles 27{ chains, to be metalled. If so, why was it 25 chains short of completion? He understood that some extra metal had been used to reinforce the hill.

Cr. Fauchelle agreed that the road was in a deplorable state. In some cases it was very narrow, having slipped away owing to the nature of the country. In other places the water-tables were blocked, carrying the metal across the road. It required attention at once. The chairman (Cr. J. Caird) said that only recently the overseer had had 12 men on the road for two days cleaning it up, and they had made a splendid job. It was almost impossible to keep the rubbly papa face from crumbling into the water-table. He denied that there was any negligence on his part. In fact, he had intended to move that

day that the council employ three extra surfacemen, as some of the toads required a surfaceman’s full time. The road had been metalled by the Public Works Department with a free graht. Extra metal had been put on a shady place on top of the hill, and on the flat pumice had been used, giving sufficiently good access. Cr. Renner held that the council should not have taken over work that was not completed. It had passed a resolution, agreeing to maintain 4 miles 27 chains of road. The chairman: Why split hairs! Cr. Renner said there was no question bitt that the road was now in a deplorable state. The council must keep the water-tables open. If they did not maintain the road they would get a rap over the knuckles from the Public Works Department. Cr. Fauchelle said that the road would carry the traffic at present, but unless something was done it would not do so in the winter.

The chairman pointed out that one surfaceman had 32 miles of road and could not possibly cope with the additional work.

Cr. Denison agreed that more surfacemen were required even in the Ohura riding, which had more than Matiere riding. All councillors would agree that the road under discussion was a difficult one to maintain and would require the attention of one man all the time. He thought that though it was getting near election time and the council must be careful, it should definitely decide that day to appoint three surfacemen. The balance-sheet showed that the finances would stand ft at present, though they must not trade too much on that.

The chairman suggested that the surfacemen should be put on for a few months. He did not want to interfere with the work of the new council, but at the same time he did not think they could afford to delay the aon nintrn “ T ’* till after the election.

Councillors agreed that the matter was urgent, and on the motion of the chairman and Cr. Denison the resolution making the appointment was carried.

RAWHITIfiOA school.

COMMITTEE MEETING HELD. The monthly meeting of the Rawhitiroa school committee was. held on Monday. Those present were Messrs. L. Prankerd (chairman), H. Belcher, J. Kirk and W. B. Robertson. The headmaster, Mr. E. G. Smith, reported that the roll numbered 35, the average attendance for Inarch being 33.6. Treatment at the denial clinic for this half year was completed. Two relay teams attended the Pukengahu Sports on March 14. Mr. J. Kirk providing transport. One team won the cup. Mr. C. V. Smith, a former teacher at the School, visited the school on March 19. The school children had formed a sports club to be entirely run by themselves. The committee subsidised the club’s funds to the extent of a new basketball. School hours will in future be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.