RANGITIKEI NOTES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 24 December 1912, Page 6

RANGITIKEI NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

MARTON, December 23. Mr. F. S. B. Waite has resigned his position as engineer of the Kiwitea County, have been appointed to a similar position oa Wakatane County, Bay of Islands.

At the meeting of the Kiwitea County Council on Saturday the Engineer, Mr. F. S. B. Waite, reported:—Work is being carried on as speedily as possible, clearing up the roads that have been blocked. The Otara and Peka roads widening is now almost completed, and some of the points have been taken off the shell rock length of the Ohingaiti Pemberton road. The Apiti Main South road should <be open for light traffic by now as the roadman 'had the work well in hand when I was through there last week. "This road is very narrow and ibadly requires •widening the whole length of the Mangoira Gorge, a. distance of about a mile and a quarter. The deviation at Peep-o rDay has been cut through and is open for traffic. It has still to be metalled before being completed. The Upper Kawhatau road is still very bad and no men are available to carry out the work there. The work will be gone on with as soon as possible. 1 have ordered the timber for the Otara bridge repairs, and the work will be undertaken as soon as it is on the ground. The Beaconsfield bridge has been strengthened by building an overhead truss on the weak span. This has proved to be the cheapest means of strengthening the structure as all the necessary timber was obtained from tho small bridge on Mackay's Lino and the Fitton's ford bridges. During the month I have taken the levels at the Mangoira, stream for the proposed bridge, and teg to submit plan of same for the Council's approval as per instructions. Rods have also been driven at tho Pourangaki bridge site to test the bed of the river. I have prepared an estimate for the maintenance metal required for the season 1912-13. Copies were forwarded to each Councillor. The formation contract on the Mangoira road is finished and the work is very satisfactory. The contractor has commenced work on the Manga rere road metalling. The Haweriga: Village.road is in a bad state and will have to be attended Jto this metalling season. There are thirds available for the work. I have made a final inspection of the tunnel on tho Main South Road and toeg to report that everything is very satisfactory with the exception of the fence on the filling, and that will have to be attended to.