COUNTY WORKS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4374, 6 February 1922, Page 4

COUNTY WORKS.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The following is the engineer’s re-, port, with discussions, submitted to the Ohinemuri County Council meeting on Thursday : The work of improving the Old Te Aroha Road with the roller and scarifier has so far been carried out satisfactorily, and would have been corn-, pleted by the end of the month: but for a breakdown with the roller. The driving wheel and three pinions have been carried away, necessitating the laying up of the roller. I have arranged with the makers, Andersons, Ltd., Christchurch, (for the spare parts, which will come to hand next week. As this portion of the road was

very ■ short of metal I found it neces- i sary to get four trucks of metal firom Tirohia, and along with that carted from Rotok'ohu, will assist to make/ good the holes. I would like to bring under your Council’s notice the

praiseworthy manner in which some

of the settlers have acted in this matter. They have carted the whole of the metal used on this work free of cost to the council and also collected a donation of £lO towards the cost of the above metal. The chairman said that the thanks of the council were due to Cr. W. Johnstone for organising the work on the Old Te Aroha Road, and he moved a vote of appreciation of his work. This was carried. Proposals were sent forward under mines grant for repairs to badges on Golden Cross Road. The same have been returned approved, and the authority given. As one of the above bridges was in a dangerous state dt was found necessary to carry out urgent repairs, and the cost of same will be met out of the grant. Authority is also given for gravelling the upper portion of Maratpto. Road. H. Ashby’s contract for supplying iOO cubic yards of metal on the Old Tauranga Road under subsidy has been completed.

Kenny and Son have completed the survey of Ratarua Road, and the plan now awaits the signatures of the seven interested persons,.

The balance of the metal authorisi ed for Kaimanawa riding Irom the Hauraki Plains County has been delivered, totalling 390 cubic yards.

The recent storm and floods have done a fair amount oft damage within the county. At Waitekauri the main bridge over the Waitekauri stream has been damaged, and needs attendr ing to at once, and also the cast water main which supplied the township in the past with water has been carried away. The main road between Waikino and Karangahake has suffered somewhat by washouts and slips, the principal one being at the Talisman dam, where the outside of the road has slipped away. No end of work again has to be faced at Docherty’s creek deviation ' through slips, i .Traffic was blocked for a while through this, and the public had to traverse over the Rahu Road until sufficient material was removed to allow bhe traffic to resume. The receiving dam at the head of the Karangahake water supply has been filled up with gravel, owing to a slip further up, and completely cut off the supply to the town. Sufficient ma- ' terial has been removed to allow the water supply to continue. The upper portion of the Maratoto Road has suffered considerably through washouts and slips. In one place the road has been completely wpshed away! Seen ing that this road gives acces,s to mining I would recommend that .the Minister for Mines be asked for a grant, or a transfer of £250 of the £4oo'now on the Estimates for Peel Creek Road, as this grant is not likely to be required for some time. The approaches to one of the Komata Creek bridges have been washed out, and temporary repairs have been made so as to allow traffic to resume. Temporary repairs have been made to al! roads, with the exception of Maratoto Road, which is closed for wheel traffic. I have been unable to visit all the places where damage has been done, but .will do so at the first opportunity, so as to arrive at an estimate of the cost of repairs, in case it may be necessary to ask for , Government assistance under flood damages. # Cr. P. Grace moved that provided the settlers contribute £lO the water • supply at Waitekauri be repaired, and that the matter of repairs to the bridge be left in the hands of the engineer. Seconded by Cr. Morgan, and carried. I wish to bring under your Council’s notice the deplorable state of the Waihi Beach Road, notwithstanding the Waihi Borough having con- J (ConJHnued in next Column.)

Continued from previous Column, trol. Nothing has been done on this road during the last three years. I particularly refer to that portion between the cemetery and the top of the hill which ratepayers in this county have to traverse. Or. Grace said that this was a most difficult proposition. The ratepayers have every right to be considered. He was in hopes that when the Wailii Borough Council took, over the r,oad the question would be solved. Or. Morgan said that it was possible the Wai hi .Borough Council did not care what state the roads were in. He was in favour of taking over com trol of the road. The chairman said that they must protect their own ratepayers. Cr. Morgan moved, and Cr. Johnson seconded that an offer of £5O be made - to the Waihi Borough Council for re-

pairs to the road to the hill, provided the Borough Council carry out repairs within one month.—Carried.

The Member for the District has forwarded a'copy of the Public Works Estimates for the year 1921- 1 22, In looking over the same I find that all the old grants reappear. Most of them have been spent since March 31, 1921. Very little new money has been added. I note that tnere is no mention of the grant for Princess Street, Waikind, or assistance towards Docherty’s Creek approaches. I would recommend the, Member for the District be "wired to to have.same placed on the Supplementary Estin mates. The Mines Department has also re-voted all the old grants. Only two new grants have been .added.

On the motion of Cr. Morgan, see-i onded by Cr. .Grace, the engineer’s

recommendations were approved.