RETRENCHMENT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5484, 7 October 1929, Page 3

RETRENCHMENT.

COUNCILLORS’ REQUESTS. WAIHI AND WAITEKAURI Taking into consideration the fact that the funds of the ridings which they represent on the Ohinemuri County Council are none too strong, Crs W. G. Thornton and G. Hoye, of Waitekauri and Waihi ridings respectively, asked at Thursday’s meeting of the County Council that maintenance labour in their areas be reduced. Waitekauri Riding. Cr. Thornton broached the subject when he brought to the council’s notice the bad condition of the short cut from Waitekauri to Waihi. Owing to its present state two settlers in the vicinity were practically isolated, and it was with difficulty that any of the farmers brought manure in. The road was half in the Waitekauri and half in the Waikino ridings, and for the section in the former riding he asked for the grader to be used for one day, and that another day be allotted for patching up. This was agreed to. Cr. Thornton also suggested that as the riding funds were very low maintenance work be conducted on two, instead of four days a month. Waihi Riding. Cr. Hoye submitted the suggestion that instead of desultory patching with inferior metal on the Waihi riding roads, it would be better to discontinue it and wait until the expected Government subsidy came through, so that the work could be done in a proper and lasting manner. He considered the present method a waste of money. Now, when a road was graded back it reverted to its former state in a month. The top surface went into the water-tables and was washed away in wet weather, and in fine weathea dried up and was blown away. It would be much better to just leave the roads until they could be properly metalled.

The old method of carting metal from the tips to the road, for it to be broken there by hand and spread by barrow, was fai’ too expensive and was obsolete, said Cr. Hoye. The metal from the tips at present in use was useless. It was merely low-grade metallic ore, which quickly went to pug. The work should be held back until the county crusher could be brought into the riding to make proper metal available. It would be cheaper. The acting-engineer, Mr L. E. Shaw, concurred with Cr. Hoye’s contention that it would be much cheaper to use good metal from the crusher. He did not like continuing with the present metal, and thought it would be wiser to wait for good metal. Cr. Hoye stated that there was good metal in the Waihi riding. Cr. W. F. Johnstone suggested that the crusher might be moved to the Waihi riding in the summer.

Cr. Hoye said the Paeroa riding had the advantage of having all the plant available for road work. 1 . The Waihi riding, although in the Ohinemuri County, was isolated as far as plant was concerned. The Waihi Borough ■ Council roaded metal at 6s a yard, With the crusher in the riding, the county could deliver the same metal at 9s a yard. The engineer said it would be a simple matter to dismantle and shift the crusher to the Waihi riding. Dismantling would take a day and moving two days. The matter of re-erect-ing, though, would be a matter of two or three days, as it took time to get it into a settled position. A week would complete the work of transfer. It would be of great help and advantage if the county .possessed a small crusher easy to move round. Cr. Hoye maintained that it would be better to wait with the roads until they raised the loan. Failing that, * the crusher should be brought in. It was absolutely foolish to go on as they were now. The chairman, Cr. C. Mason, concurred, but mentioned that the securing of the loan was by no means a certainty, and it was advisable not to wait too long. The roads were in good condition now —“a stitch in time saved nine.”

The engineer, in answer to a query, said the present metal cost 15s a yard to the scene of the work, whereas metal from a quarry near Paeroa could be delivered there at 17s a yard. The latter was 100 per cent, better metal.