COUNTY MATTERS

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXX, Issue 8451, 11 April 1933, Page 2

COUNTY MATTERS

MAINTENANCE WORKS IN RIDINGS ATTENTION TO ROADS ENGINEER’S REPORT Matters of general ionterest to county ratepayers were referred to by the engineer, Mr L. E, Shaw, in his report for March which was presented at the monthly meeting of the Ohicnmuri County Council at Paeroa on Thursday. The report was as follows: — MAIN HIGHWAYS In all ridings maintenance whereever urgently required has been attended to. All main roads have been regularly graded and all are in fair order, with the exception of the Pae-roa-Te Aroha length, which, through lack of shoulders, has had a good deal of the surfacing metal swept over the sides; this can be attributed chiefly to the heavy race trafiic which this length has had to carry during the last month. Men are at present engaged with a truck placing the metal back on the formation.

For the past few years all roads have been very hare of surfacing metal, but this is not the case this year. Material will be required only over short lengths in small amounts from time to time during the current year. As it will be necessary to prepare the main highways estimates at an early date, I would ask authority to call tenders for this year's requirements over the various lengths. Arrangements have been finalised for the taking-over of the WaihiPaeroa main highway. In company with the chairman an inspection was made of the full length on March 31st and control taken over on April Ist. The road has been generally improved by widening the metal surface, cutting back of bends and sealing the Ngahina bridge-Paeroa Borough section. The running surface is in a very bad state and requires maintenance metal immediately.

RELIEF WORKS CAMPS No. 2a, Racecourse: The men from this camp are engaged chiefly on the Kopu-Paeroa main highway, although from time to time these men are drawn on to carry out various works. At the present time a gang is engaged on the sanding of Gibson’s road, and another is working on the Te Aroha road.

Waihi-Waitawheta and Pukekauri Roads: The men from these two camps are working in conjunction on the metalling of the Waihi-Waita-whcta and Old Tauranga roads. It was estimated that on March 31st both these jobs would be completed; but owing chiefly to the continuous wet weather in this district the work has been set back about three weeks. Every effort, is being made to close the gaps in the metal by Easter. The length of the gaps is as follows; Waihi-Waitawheta, 13 chains; Old Tauranga road, 25 chains. In addition to the metalling there still remains to be done a certain amount of napping, installing of two culverts, rolling and blinding and general cleaning up.

Matangia Road: Work from this camp has proceeded satisfactorily, a further amount of metalling having been done. Portion of the Matangia road not having beep previously formed has had to be relocated and the formation matter made to correct alignment and grades, Waihi-Whangamata: It was also expected to have completed this metalling by the end of this period, but the weather conditions have been against carting. About the middle of the month considerable damage was done to both the new formation and metalling at the northern end of the job, caused by what would appear to have been a cloud-burst, the water-tables for chains being considerably scoured. The water scouring the new shouldering allowed the metal to drop into the water channels and collect at the lowest places. During this spell of weather, while carting over the clay formation was impossible, maintenance metal' was crushed and carted to the Frankton road. Only 13 chains of metdlli'ng remain to be done to complete the 4 miles 20 chains.

LOCAL RELIEF WORKS Paeroa: These men have been engaged on various works, chiefly the clearing of the Te Tawa stream and Opukeko stream. The cemetery is also being cleared by means of this labour. Waikino, Karangahake and Hikutaia: The men in these ridings }iav§ been engaged on njaintenapce work. Mangaiti; The unemployed ha ye quarried metal in the council's quarry reserve and carted it to Pevereal’s road. A gap of 13 chains remains to be done to complete the metalilng of this road. The formation has been prepared in readiness An estimate of the forming of 22 chains of the Waitoki road has been prepared.

Drainage Camp, Hikutaia: A small camp has been established at Hikutaia for the purpose of drainage work. Six men have arrived from Auckland, and the work is under way.

Government Grants: Thorp’s Road —The major portion of the legalising fees having now been collected from settlers, I would ask authority to proceed with the metalling before the weather breaks. Plant: All plant has been fully employed and has gone through the period' at a mininfum expenditure The report was adopted, *