COUNTY ENGINEER'S REPORT

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 February 1915, Page 3

COUNTY ENGINEER'S REPORT

■(:.< (',..., nty Kiisin.ir (Mr J. Malcolm) MiliMiii'j-ii the loll'/wing report to the i. r _Mi-n\\ henna Coir".; Council at its iiK-'i-tViijii to-day :■— Ti; HI.MJO RIDING, in tiro southern cik! of this riding thu roads are all in fair order. The surfaceman is now •engaged cleaning tho Paelawa and other drains; he is trying to overtake them without assistance this time. In the northern end there is not very much to complain about, although Mr Bockitt speaks out very strongly about not seeing to his road. Ho must surely forget that the road was blocked for throe or four months, and only on one occasion have I turned back when J might have gone through. I have been intending to drive Councillor Cately up there every week since last meeting, but have been ho busy I couldt not posisbly get away. I will, however, go in the middle of next week if Councillor Cately will make it convenient to go with me. I have made an inspection of the bridges on the Mangaone and Hautere Cross roads and I think they will be safe enough for another year at least. There is one of the bridges on the Cross road that will *be all the better of a piece on tho side of the stringer to hold tho spikes, as the stringer is rather soft on the top to hold tho spikes, although thero is plenty of sound timber to carry the traffic.

OTAKI RIDING. The Manairo water-races have heon attended to and all interested are getting a good supply of water. The roads are fairly good, tho surfacemen aro widening pieces of the road and clearing water tables, etc., at the present time. I have prepared a plan of a bridge for tho Manakau stream on the Waikawa Beach road. I will, with your consent, call for tenders for it to ho in at the next meeting of the Council. I propose tho bridge to bo constructed of concrete and jarrah timber; one span, 28 feet, concrete abutments and wings, with (ho superstructure of jarrah.

WIROKINO RTDTNG. In this riding the main and district roads are all in fair Order. lam getting on with tho regrading, etc., of Potts' road and expect to finish in about a week. If tenders arc accepted 'or tho Hokio Beach road metalling T will have to send tho grader but there for a few <lay.s to preparu the formation of the road for metal. We have n siim on the estimates to widon and improve the Levin to Foxton road, and there :s no doubt it needs doing badly. T think I can safely say that I have about four complaints a week about it. and tho wonder is that thoro has not boon an accident before this; it is very dangerous. I would like, with your leavo. to call tenders for the improvement, ns it will he impossible to do it with our ,own men. \T propose to got the Oh an East road (Snint and Poidovin'.s) done as soon as possible. Tho fences on tho putting ovor the Thakara roservo and round Koputaroa. are in a had way. T propose to got them repaired at once and hnvo got posts for the purpose.

TOTCOMARtT "RIDING. The filling up of Pliminei , Terraco, Shannon, is about finished. I will get it metalled in a few days. Fair progress has been made with the metalling of the now road in the Makorua swamp. If the weather porinits it will be about finished by next meeting. I have got tho Otauro bridge <jn the western side of the railway re-decked. It will be opened for traffic without delay. In the northern end of the riding everything is in fair order and there are no complaints. Several are looking forward to the forming of Kowhni-street, Tokomaru township, and I will endeavour to give it to them ns soon as T can. It is reported to me that nil arc satisfied with the crossing we gave them a) the overbridge.

In re Hautere Water-race Extension —I hare taken levels over the proposed routes of the races and I find there will be no. difficulty as f;ir :is the levels are concerned. T propose to tako the water in at the Hautere Road crossing. and by doing so will Tip able to serve the following :—Messrs Bonrko and the lur fruitgrowers adjoining, also Messrs Wildsmith, Gillies, MoDonnkl, a nativo J. Morgan and Mrs Barber. The only question is whether tliorp will be enough water to go round. Of course it is possible to increase tho intnke, but of tbis is nrff'pssnrv it will bo fairly ex pensive 5* all the culverts will have to be duplicated. The water will ho returned to tho Mangaoneon tho western boundary of Mr J. Morgan's land.