FAIRLIE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20638, 29 January 1937, Page 3

FAIRLIE

“ UNEMPLOYED WORK NOT ECONOMICAL ” ENGINEER’S REPORT “Unemployment work has reached a position at which it is no longer economical for the Council to continue it,” the engineer (Mr D. Jeune) states in his report which will be presented to the monthly meeting of the Mackenzie County Council to-day. “I would recommend that it be discontinued. The total amount expended on the No. 5 Scheme to date is £12,098/11/6, of which the Council has had to pay £ll6/7/6. In addition, there is the ganger and other sundry items which are directly chargeable to unemployment.” The estimates and general work of the Council for the coming year will need very serious consideration, the report states. “With the very large increase in wages, the first natural instinct is to say ‘dispense with half the Council staff,’ but it has to be remembered that the work has to be kept in order if future expenditure is to be kept within bounds. If our county capital in the shape of roads and works is allowed to deteriorate to any large extent, then the necessary repair bill later on, must be larger than it would be if a careful maintenance programme is put into commission. This does not mean that county organisation is not to be renewed. There is an economic limit on expenditure on wages, but with this should be borne in mind, that at the present time there is a certain amount of prosperity in the country, and it is much easier to pay for our general maintenance now than to wait until the period of depression again hits us and our capital needs very serious repairs. “A certain amount of the burden of the current year’s expenditure can be born by the loan account, but as has been said before, the whole work of the county needs very serious consideration. The increase in expenditure is not peculiar to this county, it will be the same with every county and with every local body and with every individual in the Dominion, and the county, local body and individual, who can think out the best solution and the most economic co-operation between labour and capital during the coming period, will be the one which can survive the strain and emerge creditably in the end.” COUNCIL’S FINANCIAL POSITION According to figures prepared for the meeting of the Mackenzie County Council to-day, the expenditure of the Council to date this year amounts to £21,930/4/11, and shows a reduction of £6807/5/1 on the total for the same period last year. Receipts also show a reduction, the amount being £3636/3/10 and the comparative sums £13,676/13/9 and £17.312/17/7. Less rates have been collected to date this year? the difference amounting to £2301/7/5; the amount collected is £1875/9/8, and for the same period last year, £3906/17/1. ALBURY DEVIATION ALTERATION TO ROAD In his report to be presented to the Mackenzie County Council to-day, the engineer (Mr D. Jeune) states that during the month he visited the Albury deviation with an engineer from the Public Works Department, with a view to the preparation of the design of the new bridges. The greatly increased volume of traffic since 1931, and also Increased speed, have led to the necessity for having a slightly flatter curve on the road. That would not involve any great amount of earthwork, but would be a decided improvement, especially since the bridges which were to be constructed are to be designed for a life of 50 years or more. It would probably be eight to nine months before the bridges were finally erected. When the reconstruction does take place, the traffic will have to use the old ford and the old route below the railway line. With the new alignment, the turn off to the Camp Valley highway will not be quite as good as it is at present, but the volume of traffic using that road is only a portion of that using the main road. In other parts of his report, the engineer refers to bridges which will need early reconstruction under the building programme; those mentioned include Cox’s bridge at Mount Nesslng, the Clayton bridge over the North Opuha, and the bridge over the Opihi at Kimbell. With regard to the last bridge, a possible difference of opinion as to the site of the new structure is mentioned, there being two other sites available apart from the one at present

used; the others are Bain’s crossing and Ireland’s crossing. An inspection had been made of the Braemar road, and the chief difficulty was the loose gravel on the surface. “Higher up above Braemar, the many stream crossings still make the road anything but an ideal tourist route,” the report states, “but on the whole, for a wayback settler, the road is not one which the early pioneers would have shirked.” It would be remembered that Mr Burnett had undertaken to bridge the Claycliffe stream to his own liking, and that the Council would redeck the Jollle bridge. Material was on the site, but work had been held up so as not to interfere with the transport of wool from Mount Cook station. Mr E. Cholertno, optical specialist, managing director of Procter’s, the opticians, Christchurch, wll) be visiting Fairlie, personally, and may be consulted on all defects of eyesight at the Gladstone Hotel on Monday and Tuesday. Uth and 12th January, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can now be made by ringing the Gladstone Hotel, Fairlie. ’phone 5