PLAINS COUNTY WORKS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5350, 12 November 1928, Page 1

PLAINS COUNTY WORKS.

PROGRESS DURING MONTH.

REPORTS BEFORE COUNCIL. The following reports were received by the Hauraki Plains County Council at its monthly meeting on, Thursday last: — ENGINEERING. The engineer, Mr F. Basham, repqrtqd as follows : — “Main Highways.-—All roads are now ip good order. Graders have been constantly at work during the month. Patching has been done Where necessary. Between Haley’s corner and the western boundary of the county most of the metal left by the Public Works Department has been applied to the road, and provision) for a top-dressing of fine material must be provided for. ip next year’s programme. . I propose; starting repairs to thie. bitumen; on OrongoNejtherton roa,d next week. “Lo,a;ns.—Some 2000yds of metal ihave been accumulated at Towers Landing for Ngataipua Road, ond tenders for carting close to-day. So fa. r weather has prevented any formation being done, but same will be started at the earliest possible moment. No approval has yet been received to proposals submitted.

“Proposals are approved <for Rawerawe Road, subject to an instruction that work must not be commenced until authority from Wellington is received.

“General. —I have inspected the old shed at WharepoA, and recommend that Mr Henry’s offer be accepted. The old mo,tor-shed has been dismantled anti removed to the depot, together with motor switch and starter. The* old hopper and shed at Fishei’s Landing are being dismantled! 'a.nd carted to the depot. Mr Henry’s offer was accepted. “Awaiti So.uth Extension.—l. have inspected the work done on the portion of the road between Hayward Bros, and Wani’s boundary. The roa,d has been scrubbed 1 and! partly ploughed in readiness for grading. I estimate ,thl© value of thej work at £25. “Patetonga Riding.—ln company with Cr. Mayn I inspected the site o»f the proposed shingle trap. I cannot recommend any expenditure on the construction of anything in) the nature of dams in the stream, as the danger of causing scour would be too great a risk in view of the limited quantity of gravel that /might be trapped. The question of parting out knd stacking available gravel fropi time to time might be considered when opportune. In regard to Mr Boyd’s request for assistance in forming a roadside drainl, I consider, that some contribution should be made towards this, as although the road immediately fronting his property would not be materially benefited, the drain would nevertheless help to drain a wet spqt further, south. The re-erection of the Pound Shelter and, the placing of a log across the Waikaka stream are receiving attention.’ It was agreed to pAy half the coat of a drain, as desired by Mr BQjyd, with a limit of £lO. INSPECTION. The inspector, Mr W. White, reported that after careful consideration of the matter, he would recommend that the expenditure opi load-o-meters be hqld in a,beyan|ce. Permits for the erection of a dwelling at Kopuarahi and a garage at Turua had been issued, the value being £475. Four persons had been convicted fcjr by-law offences, the fines and costs amounting to £4 Bs. The inspector recommended that the Min|ister ctf Agriculture be requested to instruct his officers tq inquire into the advisability and feasibility of fixing a boundarv for the purpose of declaring tall fesque a noxious weed over the clean and practically clean arene in the county. Cr. Madgwick took exception to the fac,t that a county workman 'had? bepn employed digging tall fescue from the side of a road. .

The engineer said that the council had given authority to dig isolated clumps.

Cr. Madgwick said that since then tlhe isolated clumps had become connected and were now one long clump right along the road. All the digging done had been at one place, apd there was n'ot enougjh money in the riding to pay for the digging of all the fescue op the roads in his riding. The matter was referred to the works committee for investigation, and report.