ROADING THE PLAINS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4649, 16 January 1924, Page 2

ROADING THE PLAINS

SETTLERS URGE EXPEDITION. MANY DEPUTATIONS TO. COUNCIL. Several deputations urging that various reading schemes should be expedited waited upon the Hauraki Plains County Council at its meeting yesterday. SCHOOL ROAD. NETHERTON. Messrs C. Potter, G. Sanders, H. Paul, S. Fisher. B. Coldieutt, and G. Prout, of School Road. Netherton, aßked that the money available in the old Netherton roads loan should be expended on metalling School Ro.>d and that the Council seek a Government subsidy. They also asked that the road be graded at once and the metal to be spread of sufficient thickness to qualify for the subsidy. If the money available was spent the settlers would still be willing to come into the bigger scheme. The chairman said that the matter w.u'ld be considered and the deputation informed of the result in writing. The engineer said that there was only a subsidy of £lOO on account of £lOOO on the estimates. Plans for wo' k for this £lOO had been approved. CT. Hare moved, and Cr. Mayn seconded, that plans for the whole sum be forwarded to the Public Works Department' for approval.—Carried. In regard to the request that the road should bo graded, Cr. Hayward moved, and Cr. Hare seconded, that this be done When a grader became available. PEKAPEKA ROAD. Messrs H. D. Jamieson, G. Mclntosh, and W. E. Chick waited upon the Co'-i’icil and asked when the loan raised for Pekapeka Road would be expended and for the loan . proposal suggested by the ratepayer,s to be put to the poll ; also when Pekapeka Road would be graded. The chairman said that since the estimate for the work was made the machinery loan had been turned down. The estimate was now of little us”, and a fresh one was required. The engineer said that the cost of delivering the metal would be much greater without the machinery. No grader had been available for Pekapck'.i Road up to the present. Mr Jamieson said that at Netherton the county workmen were trying to grade up a road without ploughing i.t. The engineer denied this. Mr Jamieson said that the settlers preferred to have the work done by contract. Cr. Hare advocated doing the grading as soon as-possible. Cr. Madgwick said that the deputation should be informed that .there wus no chance of the metalling being done this year. Metal could not be obtained or transported. Members of the deputation pointed out that the loan was the oldest in the county, and the Council had premised that the work would take precedence. Cr. Hayward supported Cr. Madgwh'.k, and said that contracts should be called. The cost would perhaps be 30 per cent, more, but the work wo.ild be done. Mr Mclntosh said that the settlers had offered to include a punt in their loan. Apparently they had offered everything possible, but the Council would not move. They would support ti eir loan proposal even if the amount was raised bj r one-third owing to the lack of machinery. Mr Jamieson asked the position in regard to the 4'o chains of road that were to be completed by the Lands Department. This would be included in the proposed loan, but if this was not scon put it would be advisable to grade up the worst portion. The clerk suggested that 115 chains should be graded, and that 75 chains should be paid for out of the loan and 40-odd out of the County Fund. Cr. Nicholson moved, and Cr. MeI/'iighUn seconded, that the engineer be empowered to call tenders for the grading, and that the engineer and the riding member be given power Io act. —Carried.

In regard to the expenditure of the old loan the chairman' pointed out that the punts on the job would last fo’ a month. Cr. Harris moved that the engineer be nutborised to spend the balance of the loan on Pekapeka Road as soon as metal was available from any source.—Carried. TURUA TOWN BOARD.

Messrs J. Mules and A. P. Gardiner, representing the Turua Town Board, comprised the next deputation. They asked the engineer if he would agree to the words “or contractors” being added to the specifications to permit of the work being done in several parts if neessary. and also if lie would permit the use of an eight-ton road roller instead of a ten-ton one. It would be very much easier to obtain an eight-ton roller.

The engineer said that the Public Works Department would have some say in the matter. The Department might not recommend a subsidy if an eight-ton roller was used. Ha would ascertain the position from the Department. This he was authorised by the Council to do.

Afr Mules asked if the worst portion of the town board roads could be scarified and rolled and paid for but of rates.

Cr. Madgwick said that this shoul l bo paid for out of the loan.

It was left to the engineer to arrange for the work to be done when the countw roller and scarifier were available.

TURUA NORTHERN AREA

Mr G. Gray, of the Turua northern area, asked the reason for the hold-up in 'the work of metalling Ngatiapua Road. He stated that a contract had been let for the delivery- of metal, and al.out 400 yards had been landed. The chairman said- that this meta 1 was not for Ngatiapua Road, but for the. Turua-Orongo road. The engineer said that 32 yards were for Ngatiapua Road, but the punts were now running to this Job.

With four punts a week it would take a month to land sufficient metal for Ngatiapua Road. This would be the fu’l output from the Hikutaia quanw Mr Gray said that the last had taken a fortnight to be unloaded. A few days' work would make it pos»i)>lc to do the work much quicker The engineer said that the deluv . , J; occurred during the holidays. He , had’ made arrangements to improve the landing and expedite the unloading. Mr Gray said he was surprised to . s hear that so little metal had been landed for the job. The chairman said that with the ' use of Tararu metal the cost would be so great that a sufficient depth to obtain a Government subsidy would not be possible with the amount mcney available. It was for that reason Hikutaia metal was being sent far Ngatiapua Road. The Tararu nii'fal was for the main road, on which there was no subsidy. In reply to Mr Gray the engineer st ited that the road would probably be completed before winter. Mr Walton, in reply to Mr Gray, , said that the loan recently authorised would be available when required. The chairman said that the turning down of the machinery loan by the ratepayers would necessitate a revision of the estimate,for the northern area reading scheme, as the county would not be able to purchase . punts. Cr. Madgwick suggested that the existing stock of me,tai should be borrowed for the Ngataiptia Road job and be replaced later with Hikutaia metal. Mr Gray supported this, and urged that tenders should be called for the work of delivering the metal on to th-; road. Cr. Hayward moved in that direction, seconded by Cr. Madgwick. The iiicrtioni was carried, the chairman and engineer being authorised to deal with the tenders. TURUA SOUTHERN AREA. Mr D. G. McMillan, speaking on behalf of the Southern Area Settlers, pretested against the manner .in which the work was progressing. At present 'there was ten chains .if metal on a 9ft road. It was obvious that with the present contractor at i Puriri and the present plant the roal would take five years to complete The settlers desired to know w’liai part of the loan had been spent. The clerk said that up r.o December 31 about £2600 had been spent. Mr McMillan asked the capacity of the crusher at Puriri, and Mr Higgins replied that it should do 60 yards in eight horn's. Cr. Madgwick said that he had inspected the crusher and found that it would only do 40 yards a day. Mr P. R. Henry said that the ratepayers were not satisfied with the state of affairs. A crusher to handle 80 yards a day was stipulated in the contract, but was not supplied. ' -* Ur. Hare pointed out that the Couni cil wa< justified in letting the con- . } tract, considering the references plied by the contractor. Cr. Madgwick pointed out that he hid strenuously opposed letting the i co'itr : act to that man. It had now [ turned out that he was right. The | only thing to be done was to termini ate the contract. I Mr McMillan said that this would j moan a year’s delay. i Cr. Hayward pointed out that tlu I Council could not be blamed for the ! un p or,tunate state of affairs. The/ had called tenders and investigated the affairs of the tenderers. These had proved satisfactory, and no blami could be attached to the Council. It war not thought necessary to inspect the plant of a tenderer. A protest had been made by Cr. Madgwick, but he could not point out any reason whatever for protesting. Crs. Mayn and McLoughlin support- h ed this, and reiterated that the Council could not be blamed as it had taken every precaution. No reason had been given by Or. Madgwick. Mr McMillaji asked what the Council proposed to do now that the tender had been broken. Or. Parfitt asked how the metal would be removed .if crushed at the rate of 80 yards a day. No new punts could be purchased as the machinery , loan had been turned down. Mr McMillan asked if it would not be better to close down the work, as J the money was being fritted away, and a permanent man employed to ■supervise the work. The chairman said that this would receive serious consideration. The engineer said that it would not be possible to work two shifts a ' day at the crusher, as the metal co.ild not be removed fast enough. A committee, comprising che chair--man, Cr. Madgwick, and the engineer; was appointed to deal with the matter and given power to act.