MASTERTON COUNTY

Wairarapa Daily Times, 14 June 1933, Page 3

MASTERTON COUNTY

meeting of council. The chairman, Or. W. I. Armstrong, presided; at the monthly meeting of the Alastcrt-on County Council he id yesterday. Others present were: —Ors. 11. 11. Alawley, Gordon Lee, P. R. Welch, J. W. Colquhoun, J. W. A. Fall-o-on and G. Moore. The District Engineer, Public Works Department, advised that amounts approved by the Main Highways Board fur the maintenance of main highways wend at present issued in quarterly instalments. Requests had been made by certain counties for an alteration of this procedure, one reason being that if they wished to undertake fairly heavy maintenance metalling at this time of year, insufficient monetary authority was held to cover the cost of the work. The matter had been considered by the Main Highways Board and it was not prepared to alter the lvisent system for ordinary general maintenance. If, however, a county proposed t.o spend more than a proportionatel amount of the year ’s allocation over any spied tied period, the board would give the matter of issuing monetary authority due consideration, provided the application was accompanied by* a satisfactory explanation.

Referring to the matter of securing extra maintenance moneys, Or. Lee said that it would bo more convenient to have the work of re-decking Warded’•» bridge carried out during the winter, when the volume of traffic was restricted. The under-structure of the bridge was in good order and the cost of re-decking was estimated at £6OO. ■H.'i moved that application be made for the exttra money to carry out the work. The motion was carried and the letter was received. A letter was received from the District Engineer asking that plans and specifications be submitted for tho approval of the Main Highways Board for the sealing of the approaches to the Ruamabanga River Bridge at Te Ore Ore.

The Overseer (Mr B. L. Bar sen) was instructed to f orward the necessary plans and specifications. The preparation work is to be put in hamdj almost immediately and the sealing will be done in the ,spiring or early summer. The Commissioner of Unemployment wrote stating that tlio State Forest Service had informed the board that there would be a surplus of tree stocks available after the winter programme of the Department had been provided for. Supplies of trees would be available to local bodkis as the board directed. The letter was received, it being nointod out that sufficient supplies of trees for the council’s requirements could be obtained locally. Or. Oolquhoun said that seven acres of Pinis l-n-signus had already been planted at Mt. Bruce. It was reporied that the plan of the legalisation of the county road at Opiakii had been prepaired and forwarded to the Railway Department for endorsement. The plan of the road deviation at tlicl six miles peg on the MastertonWeber Mam Highway had also been prepared for the obtaining of the necessary signatures. The ranger reported having dealt with 41 head of cattle and lu horses during 'the month. Pees collected for the month amounted to £2 18s, making the total received to date £6 9s. The Finance Committee’s report was adopted and accounts a mourn: mug to £51:16 11s 3d were passed.

A letter was received from the District Engineer, Public Works Department, advising that approval had been obtained from the Main Highways Beard and the Unemployment Board for the extension of the camp at the Devil’s Elbow for find purpose of constructing a deviation at Bennett's lull.

The cost of constructing the deviation, it was slated, would be borne by the Main Highways Board and the Unemployment Board, provided the council would do all the necessary surveying, l'Ligaoisation, etc., and obtain the consent of the property owners to the work being put in hand. The Department would meet the cost of fencing both ,sides of the new road line, besides constructing ithe deviation at Devil’s Elbow. Trie alignment would be improved from the summit of the 'hill to the camp) site and, as far as funds permitted, Mr McKenzie’s access road would be constructed. If these arrangements were acceptable, the District Engineer stated, ne would be pile as ed to know when a start could be made and- whether the council would lend sufficient stringers and 'other bridge- timber to erect -a temporary bridge -on the existing road grade on the M-asterton side of the hill while the new road was being excavated below. The Clerk (Air J. C. D. M-ackley) reported that all the survey work had been completed and the consent of tire property owners -obtained 't,o the work being put in band. The council decided to supply the .stringers and other timber required by the Department and the work will be put in hand almost immediately. Councillors considered that the propo-sul was an excellent one and would, when completed-, be a groat road improvement.

ENGINEERS’ REPORT. Tbcl Engineers (Alessrs. Seaton, Sla-d----den and i’avitt) reported:—Waiohine Stream Bridge, Masterton-Weber Highway: Tli-e construction of bridge and approaches was completed on 22-nd May, -and the maintenance p>eriod will expire on 22nd July. Wai-ot-c-rangi Stream Bridge at 0.25 miles, Westmere 'Highway: The const-ruction of the bridgeis now c-cmp-l-e-t-e-, except for certain minor matters. The approach formation is complete -and practically all the metal is in place, but the approaches will require -some -time for drying -out before the metalling cAn -be completed. Traffic is now using tli-e bridge. Man-ge-t'epopo Stream Bridge, -ait 4.4- miles, West more Highway: The construct i-on-of this bridge is also complete with the exception -of a portion -of the handrailing and general clearing up. Additional length, about 6 feet, was required for -the piles before satisfactory bottom was reached. The approach formation apart from .trimming is finished and about half the meta-l is iu place. The metalling will be completed when the fillings have dried out sufficiently. Traffic- is using this bridge -also. Waiwaka Stream Bridge, Homewood Road: The whole of thin concreting of this bridge lias been completed and the- fixing of timber handrailings is in progress. Bad foundation necessitated lengthening the piles by five feet-, making fh-a total length 20ft 90n, at which depth .sr.tisfret-ovy -bottom w-n-s reached. Formation work of the apr-’-oaoh -s is m'’cti ally completed. A small -amount cf metalling lias been dene. OVERSEER’S REPORT. The Overseer (Air B. L. Larsen) re-

ported, inter alia, a-s follows-:—Opaki Riding: Kiriwhakapapa Road, contract No. 86, metalling: This -eontract has been completed, in a -satisfactory manner, a to-tal of 212 cubic yards- of river gravel having been spread -on the -road. Waingawa-Camp Road, contract N-o. 87: The contract for metalling the various roads has been -commenced. Upper PiainKaituna Road: The work of scarifying and re-forming this road -at Upper Plain, has been commenced and good progresshas been made. Ra.ngituinau Riding.— Alastert-on-W-e-beT Highway: Fifty cubic yards of crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot has been spread on the road during the month. Upper Tan-can Riding. —Te Ore Ore-Bidef-ord Highway: 71 cubic yards of crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot have been spread on the road during the month; "this road lias al-so been graded. - Waterfalls Road: The swing bridge over the Tau'e-ru River has -been repaired and decking -has beentarred and sanded. Te- Wliiti Riding.— Maste-rton-Martimborough Highway: 62 cubic yards of crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot have -been spread on the road during the month. Mast ei'ton-Web er Highway: Six cubic yards .of -crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot have -been spread on the -road- -during the month. The decking of t-he Ruamahanga Bridge has been cleaned up and approach fillings built up at wings. Colombo Road: Ten cubic yards -o-f nvaintena-n.e-ei metal ex Te Ore Ore depot have been spread on the road. U-riti Riding.—Alasfe-r----to-n-Castil-epoint Highway: 32 cubic yards -of crushed metal ex Te Ore Ore depot have been spread -on t-he road during the month. A 3-ft pipe culvert at the Eorokoko deviation ha-s been giving trouble. Blairl-ogie-Bast Coast Read: Grading and -reshaping of -t-liis road lias been suspended until the -spring owing t-o- wot weather. Twelve cubic yards -of crushed meit-al have been spread on the road. W-ainuior-u Ridimg. —N-gaumu Road: Metalling.-on this road ex Weraiti quarry has been held up- by the wet weather-100 cubic yards of limestone have been delivered to the road.

Unemployed Relief Camps.—Blairlogio, No. 1: The large cutting at the 6-9 chains has been completed and metalled -owing to the wet weather setting in it is not considered advisable to turn traffic on to the filling at 0-6 chains -or -t-o cut away the road at the 20 -chain®. Work on these- points lias been suspended and men are now engaged cutting off corners at the top of t-lre hill, Stronvar, No. 2: Men fr>c<m this camp are! engaged cutting back sharp corners and straightening at the 244 m. Glendona.ld, No. 3: The men from this camp have completed the widening and the straighteni-ncr of the road from the- camp to the deviation -and' are now -working -ait th-e Wairere Road corner. Wangaehu, No. 4: The road' has been widened and corn-era cut back between -the camp and .the -deviation. -Slips -on the deviation- have -been elcianed up; plans have been prepared for -a deviation at th-e top of the hill near -the camp. AVo-rk -at all the camps bias been very much delayed by the recent spell of wet weather. Th-e- necessary extension. tk> the No. 1 camp to accommodate another 10 men ha-s been completed in a satisfactory manner.