“IN A HOLE”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20283, 5 December 1935, Page 3

“IN A HOLE”

LEVELS COUNTY PROPOSALS HIGHWAYS BOARD LETTER To yesterday’s meeting of the Levels County Council, the Main Highways Board wrote stating that it was unable to grant the Council’s application, for a loan of £IBOO, being the Council’s share of paving on the main highway between Timaru and Fareora and between Washdyke and Maze’s Road. The Board had reason to believe that the finances of the Council were in a healthy state, and that the local authority should experience no difficulty in either financing its share of the cost of sealing from revenue or in obtaining accommodation elsewhere, even if only of a temporary nature. According to published statements, the Council had a substantial credit balance at the end of last financial year, when all Riding accounts were reported to be in good credit. The chairman (Mr T. B. Garrick) said that this had put the Council in a bit of a hole. He had asked the County Clerk to go into the receipts, and if they could find £2700 out of revenue, they would finish up £4OO to the good. That was providing they did not suffer any damage by floods. There was a credit of £2200 in the riding accounts, which- could be substantially passed over to the highways road account. After going into the matter very thoroughly, he thought that with great care they should be able to manage the work out of revenue. If the rates came in as well as they did last year, he thought they would be able to manage it. It was just a question whether they should go on with the work between Maze’s Road and Sutherlands or not. In this connection the Highways Board had objected to the Council spending £3600. Mr F. Langbein, representative of No. 15 Highways Council on the Main Highways Board, wrote stating that it appeared to him that £3600 for the reconstruction of four miles of the road from Maze’s Road to the Sutherlands Railway Station was extremely liberal. It appeared to him that the existing gravel could be made use of, and if this were done, he considered that £2BOO would be a reasonable estimate. The chairman said that the matter was one between the two engineers. Actually there was a difference of £BOO in their two estimates. The engineer said that he had replied pointing out the conditions of the road, and the type of traffic it was subject to. The chairman: They are all wrong then, and you are right. The engineer: I know the conditions of my own road best. It was agreed to await a reply to the engineer’s letter, but in the meantime tenders will be called for the work on the Main South Road and the Pleasant Point road.