KIWITEA COUNTY ROADS.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 257, 3 May 1895, Page 2

KIWITEA COUNTY ROADS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, —Through the medium of the Star I should like to express my hearty approval of the letter signed " Stuck-in-the mud," with regard to the Kimbolton road contract. jChat there is ample room for improvement ill the executive ability of our County Council is self evident. For a more flagrant exhibibition of lack of rudimentary knowledge of the principle of road-making, one could not find a more apt illustration than that afforded by the manner in which the ratepayer's money is being squandered by endeavoring to bog the settlers north of Birmingham. Opinions are freely expressed with regard to the ability and free and easy manner m which our Engineer conducts his business. That he has a good deal to learn is quite apparent to any ordinary observer. It is all very well to aim at being considered a vevy genial and obliging officer, but I, among the many, do not think the ratepayers should pay for the ticket. The road in question has been a great draAvback for some years past, owing, chiefly, to the use of inferior metal (details of our past trouble are not necessary), but now that real superior metal can be obtained at a very trifling cost, I believe about Gd per yard ( over the sand stone, we expected to have a real good road. But not so, the shock no doubt would injure us, cause our horses to bolt, etc. Now, this most eccentric Council contracted to have the road re-dressed, first with soft stone, and finally to be tickled with metal. The final dressing of good metal has taken place for about half the distance of the contract, and for the other half the contractor has evidently been allowed to bring some very inferior metal, practically unfit for wear, and place it in lots, and by so doing has damaged about half a mile of our good road, so that it will require some metalling to make it passable. I should like to ask the Engineer if the Council gave instructions for this to be done. Would they have allowed it in the specifications ? If so whoever supported the motion should be called upon to resign, and the sooner the better for the ratepayers. Had an equal quantity of metal been used, instead of this crossbred mixture, we would have had a road that would last for years. As it is, most of the road will be in very bad order in less than three months. The Oroua Valley road contract has has been conducted almost, if not, quite, as bad as the other and, if requested to do so, I can give a few particulars. As a body who should work on a conservative basis to the benefit of those wl:o place you in power I, among the many, consider with reference to the above mentioned road, you are a dead failure. I am, etc., A. L. Stokes.