MASTERTON BOROUGH LOAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXX, Issue 8452, 17 May 1906, Page 6

MASTERTON BOROUGH LOAN.

Proposals with Regard to Expenditure.

Detailed Schedule of Municipal

Undertakings.

Suggestions by the Borough

Engineer

A Comprehensive Report

It will be remembered that:, at the mooting of the Masterton Borough Council, which took place last Tuesday week, the Borough Engineer (Mr D. Dobson) was instructed to prepare a report dealing with various more urgent works to which it was proposed to devote the expenditure of some £13,000, out of tho Borough loan of £25,000 which was sanctioned by tho ratepayers some months ago. Appended will be found pretty full extracts from the Engineer's memorandum, which will be discussed and dealt with at tho meeting of the Works Committee, to take place next Tuesday evening. The various matters referred to comprise some important and very necessary undertakings in the interests of this community, and doubtless the several suggestions by the Borough Engineer will be perused with interest and keenly scrutinised by a largo section of the ratepayers.

The Council have decided that the following works be put in hand this year : - Schedule A.—Queen street footpaths, £510 ; Pine street footpaths, £82-1 10s ; shed for ashphalt, £200 ; total, £1,53-110s. Schedule 15— Road, Beale and Scott's' £100 ; Chapelstreet grading, etc., £285; Renall-street, two culverts, £65 ; Church street, formation, etc., .£IOO ; Johnston-street formation, £150 ; Makora - road bridge, £200 ; Waipoua stop bank, £50 ; Makora Creek, £1000; water mains, £1000; Vivian-street, £150; total, £3,100. Schedule C, Ngau-matawa-road, £75; Columba-road, £150; York-street, £13S; Junction-road, £120; total, £IS3. Schedule D.-Cross-street, £1500; Hessey-street, £250; total, £1750. Schedule E. -Park and baths. £500.' Schedule F. Gasworks, £-1,000. Schedule G.

Road machinery, £1,700. Grand total, £13,067 10s. In Schedule A. the works included are the construction and asphalting of paths as set out. To carry out. this work it is essential that provision shall be made for obtaining and treating the material require,]. This involves getting metal, screening and drying same, and mixing with tar. I am of opinion that a large amount of this work can be done by machinery - rr. , screening and mixing. This would involve having suitable screens and a mixing machine. A mixing machine for this work will cost from £50 to £75 ; the screen for same will be dealt with under Schedule G. The site of the shed (£200) for mixing and storing asphalt should be fixed at once, so that the shed may be up by the end of October.

Schedule B, Chapel-street grading. - This includes the grading of Chapel-street from Cole-street to the Fish Ponds, including gravelling road, forming paths and culvert at Fish Ponds. This work can be let in one contract and specifications for same can be prepared to follow Makora Creek grading. Renall-street culverts, £65. The present wood culverts are to be replaced with concrete pipes. This work should be put in had forthwith.

Church-street, formation and gravelling, etc., £100. This work can be done at any time as there is a considerable excess of soil here which might be used for filling elsewhere. Johnston-street, £150: This work includes setting back fencing, filling up at Hircshberg's and Johnston's. Makora Creek bridge, £200. This is already in hand. Waipoua stop bank : Tenders are called for this. Makora Creek: This is one of the heaviest items to be dealt with; it includes replacing the present wood culverts on Queen and Chapel-streets with larger openings. I propose that the level of the stream be lowered throughout by removing all obstructions from Columba-road upwards and deepening the stream. I would suggest to grade Dixon-street from Worksop-road to the creek if possible, so that the storm water from Queen and Dixonstreets may be discharged into the creek there. Messrs Pragnell and Kingdon have, of course, a right to drainage through Bunny's estate, and this will need to be retained untill the properties are reclaimed to the street level. The Council, of course, take the street stormwater by the same route, and this would involve about twenty chains of pipe sewer. On Queen-street it may be possible to re-grade from Queen's Hotel to the creek. The grading of Chapel-street is separately provided for. The particulars of culverts across Queen and Chapel-streets can only be determined after the levels are fixed, the surveys for which are now in progress. Below Columba-road, the creek is very much blocked by the growth oE willows in the creek, but it was not anticipated that the cleaning of this part of the creek would have to be carried out by the Council.

Water mains : The proposal to extend the water supply demands the importation of a supply of pipes for this work. The streets proposed to be dealt with are Dixon-street, from Ross to Cameron-streets, Church-street to Columba-road, Bunny's-rcad, Hessey-