BRUCE UOUNTY COUNCIL

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 188, 15 February 1878, Page 7

BRUCE UOUNTY COUNCIL

The following is the report by the Inspector of Works referred to in our xeport of the meeting of Council in last issue :-— Sir, — I have the honour to report to you on the state of the roads and bridges -for the month ending the 31st of January, 1878. The surface man has been engaged during the month in putting a new wood -cover on a culvert near Titri and building i -up the ends of some of the culverts be- ! tween Milton and Waihola, and cleaning out and forming some water-tables on road from Clai'ksville to Round Hill, and gathering loose stones oft" other portions of the roads. All the roads still remain in very good repair. I have inspected some works done by the Kaitangata Road Board under the Council grant of LSO. The works were on the road down the Tokomairiro river at a place known as the Cliffs, and consist of several chains of gravelling, a pipe culvert, and three chains of a post and rail fence to protect the traffic at a bend on the road and a steep bank down into the river. There was chains of gravel wadded to contract and some extras for a stone foundation to the pipe* culvert. I was not supplied with a copy of the specification, but Mr George Cockerill, who is a member of the Board, described the works to me, and I passed them, the total amount being Ll3 15s. I have also inspected some works done "by the Mount Stuart Road Board under the Council grant. This work is on the road leading from the main south road at Lovells Flat to Hillend, and consists of 23 chains of metalling. The metal has "been supplied, broken, and spread on the road, and I have passed it. The total amount of the contract is L 7-4 lis, of which the Council pay LSO. I have also inspected some works done by the Balmoral Road Board under the •Council grant. These works are partly on Hillend road, and consist of nine chains of metalling and some earthworks. The amount of the contract is L 73, of which the Council pays L 25. The metal has been broken and spread on the road, and the earthworks finished, and I have passed them. The other part is on the road to Dalhousie, from Waitahuna river, and consists of 100 chains of metalling and formation, the amount of the contract being L 586, of which the Council pays L 25. The metal has been laid down on the road and all spread, but the contractor "had not quite finished when I went over -the works, and I have passed the Council grant as a progress payment. BRIDGES. The Taieri Bridge. — The lining to some of the piles had given way and the surface man has replaced the parts that gave way and also replaced some of the longitudinal planks that had got loose, and It is still sustaining the traffic without any danger to those passing across it. The Matau Bridge. — As directed I examined this bridge, and I could not find any 3igns that it had moved by the last flood as the piles are standing in the same position as when first driven. There is a great depth of water under this bridge — some 35 feet deep near the draw-bridge. A strong current flo-wing against the piles would cause it to vibrate a little, especially at the draw-bridge, but there is nothing to show that the flood did any damage to it. The other bridges have required no repairs since my last report, and are sustaining all the traffic without any signs of decay. I have made some enquiries at Kaitangata about the establishing of a pound at that place, and found that Mr M. Muir had resigned, or given up the office of pound-keeper, by not having a suitable place for the pound, and being absent a good deal from home, and not able to attend to it. The only person that I could find that was willing to act as pound-keeper was Mr John Gadsby, but he objected to build a yard to keep the cattle impounded in it, and suggested that if the Council would apply for, and fence in half an acre of a market reserve in the township he would act as pound-keeper. As the present impounding Ordinance is not very clear on the matter of cattle trespassing on road lines, the matter has been left over till a legal opinion is got on the matter by the Chairman. * NEW WORKS. There will be some maintenance metal required on the road from Glenore to Manuka Creek, say 300 cubic yards at 6s 8d per yard, total LIOO. And also some maintenance metal between Clarkesville and Mr James Adam's gate — 100 cubic yards at 12s per yard, total LGO. There is a new culvert required near Mr Strain's gate, in place of a wood one, which is completely decayed away — estimated cost, L 5. I have to draw your attention to the chimney at the Waihola toll house, it smokes very bad, at the same time it is almost impossible to stay in the house ; there is some defects in the building of the chimney, which would require part of it to be taken down and again carried up higher than it is at present to get it higher than the roof of the house, estimated cost L 5. Total of new works, Ll7O. Alex. Nelson, Inspector.