OHINEMURI COUNTY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4599, 10 September 1923, Page 1

OHINEMURI COUNTY.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr E. Shaw) presented the following report to the meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council on Thursday last:— “ Work was laid off under mines grant of £lOO on Ford Road, Waihi, for metalling, and has been sent for approval: also for widening approaches to Victoria Street bridge, and for forming 19 chains of Frankton Road and 10' chains of Old Tauranga Road. Tenders were called for this work on the 17th’ ultimo, and only one tender was received, that' of 0. Cummings for £lO5, which was accepted. Tenders are called, and close this day, for the supply and delivery of 562 yards of metal on the Old Tauranga Road (under Loan and Government subsidy), also for forming and culverting 49 chains of an extension to Sweatman’s Roa,d, Owharoa, under grant of £lOO, free; and for metalling 14 chains of Paeroa-Te’ Aroha Road, near Tirohia, under subsidy £ for £. Repairs to Hill Road, Karangahake, under mines grant of £lOO, has been completed. Paeroa Water Supply.—On the 9th of this month a, large slip occurred on the pipe line between the old reservoir and the head works,, carrying away t,hree 12-foot lengths of the 9 inch main. Luckily the trouble .occurred where it did, as if the damage had been below the old reservoir the supply would have been completely cut off, and as it so happened the old reservoir was turned on and kept the supply going until repairs were effected. Considerable trouble and expense has been experienced -with the water supply to the natives near; the abattoirs. The water is brought across the bed of the river from the western side, and the natives, along with Mr W. M. Sorensen, .who is also attached to this supply, were continually complaining of having no water. The trouble was traced to the pipe in the bed of the stream,, which was impossible to get at, and so I decided to cut them off from this supply and connect them up with the independent supply to the abattoirs, which was done, and which proved satisfactory. “ Karangahake Railway Bridge.— Re the Railway Traffic Manager’s letter re decking on this bridge, I have had the t,op decking stripped off to the original deck and placed runners on the old deck, 2 ft. 3 in. wide on each side under the cart wheels,, and this now gives a smooth surface and does away with the jar to the overhead structure complained of by the department. “ During the month repairs have been effected on most of the roads in the county where metal is available, and a lot remains still to be done. It will be necessary to effect repairs on portions of the Paeroa-Te Aroha Road, particularly around Waitoki, where fascining had to be done during the winter, owing to its uneven and rough state. “ Re grants appearing on the Estimates for the year 19'23-24', practical-* ly all the grants asked for from the Public Works Department appear on the Estimates, with the exception of the grant of £l5O for Waitakheta Road. This omission was brought under the notice of the member of the district and the grant now appears on the Supplementary Estimates. ' “ I have been advised by the District Engineer, Mr May, that the work pf metalling Robinson’s Road may be proceeded with. This work has been held up since March, 1921. “ The approximate cost of installing four lights in the Mangaiti cottage would be in the vicinity of £l6. " I wish to draw your Council’ attention to the condition of the WaihiTauranga Road between, the Waihi cemetery and the County boundary. Tiie road has been used extensively by the Public Works Department carting railway material from Waihi to Athenree, several teams being engaged. Although the Public Works engineer undertook to make repairs during the months closed for heavy traffic a certain amount of patching was done with old metal taken from a disused road, but will in no way compensate for the damage done, as the road is left in a rough and uneven state.”