MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5277, 9 April 1913, Page 4

MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL

ENGINEER’S REPORT

The following is a synopsis oi the report submitted by the county engineer, Mr E. J. Early, at Monday’s meeting Matamata Hiding.—Work on the Matamata springs bridge is completed for the present, it has been shortened at either end, and is now only forty feet long. It is now quite safe for ordinary traffic up lo live or six tone, but it will receive further attention after other bridges have been made safe. The bridge between the Tui road and the Wairero stream has also been repaired. Negotiations for the supply of metal for the Matamata roads have been suspended, pending the approval of the Railway Depaitment to our arrangement for a loading bank and a depot for storing metal. This matter will doubtless be settled shortly, and metal will start coming forward during the present month. Good progress has been made with tho draining of the swamp at Turanga-o-Moana during tho month, and a road across it will bo opened for traffic during tho coming month. Good work has been done by the county dray and surfaceman, principally in sanding roads about Waharoa, and in carting materials for the bridge gang. During tho coming month it is proposed to send tho dray ,to the Turanga-o-Moana road, between the factory and the swamp, to do some fascining and sanding,and lo assist in making the road across the swamp when the drains are completed. Tenders for sanding the road at Garland's were called, but none received, and the matter is now left with Cr Pchlen to arrange for. Chitty's hill has been sanded, and surfaceman D. Scelly has been compensated for injuries received when working for the council, under the contractors’ insurance policy. Patetero Hiding. —Work on the Hinuera Valley road has been completed. A good deal of extra culverting has been done, and several new ones have been put in. All the worst sections and patches (1 mile 13 chains altogether) of the road, from the Stamford bridge to tho factory, have been sanded or gravelleo. Cr Anderson gave the gravel for the road near his place, and the balance was obtained from the county pit. The road is now in good shape to stand the winter traffic. A contract has been let for sanding about forty chains of the Matamata-Tirau road, at the junction of tho CambridgeTaursnga road, with the conglomerate from Mr Miller's pit, the end of April being fixed for the completion of it. The Cambridge-Hotorua road, from the Hinuera factory to the Waikato river, lias been re-formed and the vyorst places sanded. T’roposala lor work on the roads suggested at the last council meeting as being of most importance have been submitted to the Public Works Depart* ment at Auckland. Three oi them have been approved, and others are still under consideration. Tenders have been called for gravelling Helherington’s road. Sand has been found on Mr Hepburn’s property, nearly opposite where required, but it is of poor quality, and gravel will probably have to be brought from the Waihou river. The condemned bridge on tho Lichfield road is rapidly becoming more dangerous, and should be entirely rebuilt or closed altogether before some serious accident occurs. The GumbridgeWaotu road has been improved; Hit grades at the “Willow Hank” have been altered, and instructions given to have a culvert put in there. The surfacemen have been working on the rock siding down to the Waipa, and before the grader gang leave Puketurua they will improve the sandy siding down to the Waikato river at the Puketurua end. Mr C* Manuel has been consulted re making outlets for road drains through his property, and has agreed to make these himself: and work for several road drains and Pilings at Okauia have been let to local workmen as a result of this. Putaruru Riding.—The re-forming of the Puketurua and Waotu roads has been completed, and good progress made with the formation of the Puketurua to Putaruru-Waotu road. The latter will probably be completed in about ten days. The Land Board having advised that £IOO is available for expenditure for an access road at Tokaroa, it is proposed to send tho machine gang to do the work. A start has been made quarrying sandstone on the Waotu road, preparatory to metalling some of the worst fillings, which it is hoped will ne completed during the present month.

Maungatautari Riding.—Gravelling of the county’s portion of the Crow’s Nest deviation has been completed in a satisfactory manner, and Mr Bridgman’s water supply, erected by Booth, McDonald and Co., is giving every satisfaction. In compliance with Mr Nickle's request, Luck-at-Last road has been inspected, but the work has not been put in hand, Mr Nickle being away from home, and no one else available to undertake it.

Taotaoroa Riding.—Middleton's machine gang have started re-form-ing the Carabridge-Rotorua road at the eastern end of the riding, and are working towards Cambridge. Difficulty is being experienced in some of the sandy places in getting clay or other suitable binding material to make the sand set for traffic; but most of the road is settling down fairly well, and if weather continues fine for the next few weeks the work done should be of mucli benefit to the road during the next winter. The Cambridge-Tan-ranga road has been inspected by the chairman and engineer, and several settlers on the road have been approached re making deviations through their properties to improve the steep grades. Memoranda of agreement have been signed by Messrs Simpson and Waugh consenting to three deviations (two in Simpson’s and one in Waugh’s) being made, without compensation other than the removal of their fencing by the council to the new road boundaries, and the inclusion into their farms of some waste corners of the present road reserve. Messrs Norris and Graham have agreed to considerable deviations being made through their properties, on condition that the council pay for the land taken and erect fences on both sides of the deviation. On the Buckland road the engineering survey work is almost completed, and tenders will he called for the work early in the present month. Tne report was unanimously approved and adopted.