Kimbolton Road Metal.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 276, 27 May 1895, Page 2

Kimbolton Road Metal.

IMPUTATION" TO KIWITEA COUNTY COUNCIL. Messrs A. L. Stokes, 11. A. Moss, Jos. Shaplcski and \Y. Chamberlain waited ' on the Kiwitca County Council on behalf of themselves and other settlers to protest against the metal placed on the > Kimbolton and Oroua Valley roads. i Mr Stokes in reviewing the complaint i said that two coatings of sand stone had been placed on that portion of Kiruboll{ ton road between Oroua Valley and Spur roads. A little good metal had been put on top of this. The contract 1 had been let for 000 yards of the poor metal and 700 yards of good metal, but 1 only about half the good metal had ' been put on, the remainder being taken from a pit fifty chains bej'ond the work and carted over what was a good piece ! of road, cutting up half a mile of it. The good metal only cost 4d per yard more than the bad metal. He asked what - right had the contractor to take the poor metal and top dress the road with it, or what right had anyone to give him authority to do so ? He produced samples of metal from the various pits ; to show the difference between the sand stone and the good metal. He thought the Engineer should see that the pits were properly stripped. The settlers had also requested him to ask 1 that they should be given work in preference to non^ratepavers. He might say that he bad offered good metal from ; his property at Id a yard, but they could have it for nothing. Mr Moss thought the raetal was put on too narrow. He would prefer to see half the road good to all bad. Mr C. Bray, juur., Engineer to the County Council, on being asked by the chairman to explain the position, said Mr Stokes was substantially correct in his statements. The contract had not been carried out according to specifications, but as the roadman had accepted delivery of the metal be bad to pass it. 1 The 700 yards should have been put on 1 from Mr Lowes' pit, whereas nearly 500 had been put on, when the carter had to stop owing to the wet. Latterly it took a live-horse team to take the metal from Mr Lowes' pit and if they continued taking it from there, from l j- rto 1| miles of good road would have been spoilt. He thought lie had done the best for the settlers when he allowed the inferior metal, complained of as having been used as a top dressing, to be put on, but he had entirely made a mistake. He had given instructions to put on lj- yards from the pit objected to, to one yard from Mr Lowes' pit. No metal was put on after ho received Mr Homer's letter. Mr Stokes also complained of the metal placed on the Oroua Valley road, producing samples of the very fine metal used on the top end. Contractors scratched for metal where they liked and the consequence was the road was spoilt. Beyond this tine metal there were very large boulders, which he said would cost too much to crack. He had offered the metal from his property for nothing, but contractors could not go to the cost of stripping for 200 yards only, and he thought the Council should open a pit. Specifications should be prepared to meet these difficulties. The deputation was informed by the chairman that the Council would go into the question at their next meeting, there not being sufficient time to do so that day.