BOROUGH WORKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13338, 29 March 1911, Page 8

BOROUGH WORKS.

THE ENGINEER’S REPORT. Some Interesting Items. At the Wanganui Borough Council meeting last evening, the Borough engineer (Mr W. T. Mansfield) presented the following report, which ic was decided to consider in detail at a special meeting of the Council in committee next Tuesday evening:— The urgency of matters has somewhat precipitated -the presentation of this report. which in the first instance I intended delaying until your next meeting, when, by pursuing ordinary routine, 1 shonk. have been in possession of the data I desired. However, by additional exertion, I have made myself familiar with the chief characteristics of the area under your administration and the nature of llio several operations proposed or in course of execution, and I now beg to submit the following observations for your consideration. In the first place, I premise that, whilst no desire exists to pursue a policy of haste in the execution of the several loan works in tho several formerly distinct boroughs, yot, owing to the absence o; - the contemplated sewers, water mains, and loads, and to the demand that exists fo>such facilities, the Council desires that the several works should be carried to completion with duo diligence. Upon taking over the duties of fee office I found the position of the several loan accounts to be as follows; — ,£6OOO St. John’s Hill s.-werage and water— Payments to March 6, 1911, £ll3O Bs.. £15,000 Aramoho sewerage and water—£l63 19s 7d. £II,OOO Durictown sewerage and water £29,000 loan:— £4345 Wanganui water mains—£7S4 14* Id. £271 St. John's watermains—£3 11s 2d. £424 Aramoho watermains—£3s. £251 Durietown watermains. £SOOO Wanganui street construction—£B4 10s sd. £270 St. John's street construction—£3o lls;8d. £420 Aramoho street construction —£41 55..£250 Durietown street construction. £2750 Wanganui footpaths. £l4B St. John’s footpaths'—£2 4s. £232 Aramoho footpaths. £137 Durietown footpaths. £IOB Wanganui sewerage. £2OOO St. John's sewerage. £169 Aramoho sewerage £IOO Durietown sewerage. £5500 protective works. £6OOO reservoir. £4OO road through Block XXIII. £225 wood paving Tanpo Quay. £11,500 former loan —£170 14s lOd. These figures are approximate only, inasmuch as I understand from the Town Clerk .that several-adjustments have to be made. The adjustments will be duly effected at the earliest moment, and thenceforward I propose to submit statements • from time to time showing the several payments, in order that the Council may be kept precisely apprised of the progress of the works. STREETS. I have carefully examined the local sources of metal supply, as well as the condition of your streets. It is evident, in a degree, that the .character of the local atone is largely responsible for tho dusty condition of your’ thoroughfares, but it is also evident that a good deal of the in convenience experienced from dust (and, I presume, mud in winter) is due to the fact that considerable portions of your streets have rot been fully formed or metalled. In my opinion a systematic and thorough attempt should be made at macadamising, kerbing. channelling, and tnrpaving the whole of the streets of the now borough, commencing in tha first instance with the central portions, and as rapidly and full- as funds permit extending those operations outwards to ultimate completion. Thus, as time passes, the area of the macadamised streets will, with such growth, become so extended that the effect of the changing sir currents will no longer bring dense clouds of dust into flic main arteries—a result which, when effected, will prove of incanculable benefit to the town. Especially will this be recognised when it is remembered that the dusty matter to which I x-efer consists to a very large extent of pulverised horse droppings and other organic matter of a dangerous character, as well as dried sputum expectorated by a thoughtless section of the public upon the highways and footpath:;. It is a well-understood principle that the firm, unyielding surface of a macadamised highway can be best produced by the use of carefully-selected metal—using the best obtainable—consolidated to close compactness under the compiession of a suitable road roller, bedded a matrix of just sufficient loamy matter and water to accomplish the object. This necessitates screening, and in certain circumstances breaking the stone. Whilst I would have preferred a better class of metal for the principal thoroughfares, I am satisfied that by carefully selecting the best and most suitable yields obtainable from the St. John’s Hill and the Hylton pits, sJTtisfactory results can be obtained from its use, and 1 propose to at once commence active and continued operations at those pits to, meet the contiguous demand which exists. I desire the Council to equip the Avelincf-Poiter roller with a Bamford scarifier, the' cost of which at Wanganui should not exceed £45. The practice of breaking up the surface of an already consolidated road before re-metalling is one not now generally pursued, except only, to remove irregularities in the cross section, and that cannot be accomplished with the spikes now inserted in the whepls. Moreover, the use of the spikes must be detrimental to the roller—a vei'y costly plant —and must seriously impair its life. I propose to bring the Straker waggon into use for haulage purposes, for which I understand it was acquired. When at Masterton I was responsible, in 1907, for tile construction of a special class of road surface which at the time was, in a somewhat different form, in use in the Old Country in a limited degree only. It is regarded by the townsjieople as a very effective piece of work. The method I pursued was to remove' the irregularities in contour with the Bamford scarifier (for which purpose it is peculiarly adapted), and then charged thr> surface with a coating of some three inches of screened stone to uniformity, the stone being first treated with tar specially manipulated. When compacted under the roller a top dressing of a finer character was added and a matrix of hot tar was then applied, filling the interstices from the foundation upward. This resulted in a surface affording on average grades a good foothe’d for horses, pleasant to travel upon, dlistless in summer, mndless in winter, easily scavenged, and I calculated that the former cost of scavenging exceeded in one year that of the additional cost of the special form of construction.

The cost of the special form of treatment was 2s 4d per superficial yard, and. if properly cared for, should produce with a surface dressing of about half an inch annually (or as 'necessary), a road surface for light traffic that will endure for years. I am of the opinion that I ran accomplish similar results with your local stone and with your approval propose to select a very bad piece of the surface of the Avenue ucai: the foot of St. John’s Hill for its

application. I estimate the cost at 2s per superficial yard complete, with tar at 44d per gallon, which on a road with 46ft. of metalled road .surface, is equivalent to ,£33 per lineal chain. In this particular instance I shall probably experience some difficulty in obtaining a firm foundation owing to the nearness of the sand to the surface, and to the locality being formerly of a boggy character, but if such proves to bo the case £ propose to overcome that difficulty by the use of hard core, or failing that, burnt ballast. The Council will then have an opportunity of judging of its suitability for use in the main arteries and have, moreover, exact data as to cost for future guidance in the event of its meeting with their approbation. SVATEBWOEKS. Since my advent here I have paid two visits to the Okehu hcadworks and I am impressed with the necessity for proceeding without delay with the construction of the service reservoir at Westmere. 1 want, however, before doing so, to satisfy myself as to certain data, which I am unable to do without engineering instruments. When so satisfied I will report at the earliest possible date as to which, in my opinion, would be the best course to pursue. SEWERAGE. As the Council is aware, the loan works on sewerage had been commenced before my arrival. I am sorry that such is the case, as I would have infinitely preferred to have gone over the scheme before its commencement. I have altered the sizes, grades, and directions of flow in some instances, and which in one instance alone will effect a saving of some ,£l7l. GENERALLY I regard the outdoor operations as lacking in concentration, and at the earliest opportunity I propose to take steps to meet that disability. I have already detached Mr Gilmour entirely from every duty other than that of sewerage. Henceforward, with an augmented staff, I intend to press on with that section of the loan work. I consider it advisable to continue the sewerage operations on St. John’s Hill certainly down to the commencement of the wet season, and, if possible, carry it to completion, and effect, with the construction of sewers, that of water mains also. The sewerage and reticulation of Aramoho might be commenced, and later Durictown. Of course Durietown may claim priority, but I think it will be conceded that Aramoho is more congested and that being so it is of necessity entitled to early consideration, but, if it lie desirable to hasten the work in both districts to completion, the works in both townships could be carried out simultaneously if sufficient delivery of pipes can be secured, I am in negotiation with the several pipe makers upon the. subject with a view to placing orders upon the best terms to meet our requirements, and am placing orders with the Auckland Pino Co., subject to your directions. I must confess to surprise on finding that tho Borough Council provide and generally construct private drains within and in some instances without thp borough. It is, to my mind, so original an ideain its conception, and fraught with so much difficulty throws so much responsibility not only upon the Borough Council and presses so unduly upon its engineer, who in the nature of things has already so much heavy responsibility cast upon him. that I consider that the prac. ticc should bo discontinued. The only argument for tho introduction of such a preceding was either incompctcncy or a dearth of licensed drainlayers. A licensed drainlaver is unheard of in London, yet it would be difficult to find private drains better constructed. There is so little initial difference on this point between Wanganui and London that I may be pardoned for such a parallel. Such an excellent result is accomplished in London by the activity and vigilance of the Sanitary Inspector and there is without doubt ample scope in the 3000 acres which comprise Wanganui*, for the full employment of a drainage inspector without his activities proving either irksome or irritating to the inhabitants.

The weakness of the prevailing system is that there is little or no supervision over the person executing the work—a duty which it is highly necessary should devolve upon the sanitary inspector. I observe also that the borough engineer has cast upon him the duty of personally supervising the construction of new buildings. Whilst it is of importance that he should examine and approve plans it is manifestly an impossibility with his numerous other duties to efficiently supervise such work, particularly with the loan works in hand, and if it were otherwise,' his time should be regarded as being much too valuable to be employed upon a duty; which could, with safety, be relegated to some minor officer. Inevitably the natural result of continuing such a practice must be that the township and the inhabitants suffer from a want of proper supervision of its buildings and the omission must further tenci to°thc encouragement of what is known as ierrv building. I think, therefore, that the Council snould agree at once to my delegating such supervision to someone of my staff properly qualiffed for the work. The by-laws of the borough should, in my opinion, be put upon a more modern footing to suit the altered conditions of the town—the result of its growth—and if the Council desire it, I will prepare and submit draft by-laws for their consideration, touching upon new streets, new buildings', and di-Tiinagc, and containing what, in my view, would meet the case. In order that I may keep myself in touch with the every-day condition of the water undertaking, I desire to have authority to affix a pressure gauge to my residence. The Council has placed a motor bicycle at the disposal of its engineer, lor short journeys, such as ordinarily I - have to undertake,'it is useless in the sense that I am unable to observe as I travel that which I should, and moreover, if I desired to take levels or conduct a survey, it would be useless for such a purpose and necessitate trap hire. Moreover, owing to its weight I regard its use as a physical impossibility, involving as it does serious risk of bodily strain, and whilst, duly acknowlcdfino- what I am satisfied was the desire of the Council to facilitate, the work of its officer, I regretfully feel obliged to say that in my own interest alone, 1 must ask for some other means of locomotion. I shall he glad, to he furnished with a typewriting instrument to take foolscap for use in my office. The frequent oscillations ol the piston on the 12in. balanced hall valve at Westmere has, in the course of its seven years of use. resulted in unequal wearing of t.ie faces. I have had the valve repaired, which involved a dislocation of the supply extending over a period of four days, in consequence of a spare part not being available. To avoid a repetition of such au inconvenience I advise the purchase of a spare valve, the cost of which I put at .±‘33. . , ~ I have visited Nixon’s nit, and if the Council desires to surrender the lease, I see no reason why such, a course should not be pursued.