MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 33, 24 December 1880, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

"ENGINEER'S" RRPOBt! "* 4 KHVTTEA BiniNG. ' . . The metal road in this, riding. is in good order. The whole" of "the contractors on continuation of Mackay'B line, Kiwitea, have finished their several contracts, according to instruction from Mr Macarthnr. I, together with i\Jr.J£uowles, prospected for a road line up tfc&Kiwitea district, leading from Mackay'fl^pe irfto t&e 7000-aore b:ock, to take the place of one that is impracticable. After a few: hours we found a line that will be very easy and shorter than the one already surveyed. - ••** MANCHESTER 'itIOTNO. J The metnl road Generally is in very good order. Makino roud requires patching be* " fore winter sets in. At the present time I have the whole of the men employed cutting a draia through Feilding, to relieve our County road from wator that is brought down from a number of creeks by , the above drain. The whole of these creeks will be tapped, and water taken down the Manguor.e stream, instead of following down the County road. I have started to erect handrails to the small bridgeß in this riding.

TAOXUI BIDING. Roads generally in good order. .1, am also having handrails fixed to the small bridges in this riding, as the whole of the bridges are very unsafe without the hand* rails. • • • . OKOUA HIDING. The roads are in a very good state of repair. I have had to Buspnnd one of the roadmen iv this riding, John £lood, he hariug been neglecting his work; I intend to inquire into the case on my return tomorrow} and if I find he has bean neglecting his work through any fault pf his own, I shall discharge him. In the mean time I have another man in his plaoe. • KAWA KAVA EIDIXO. I have again to ask for authority to have. the load through the bush, near Sanson, re-metalled with, say, four in ah metal. This should be let at once, as tho gravel pits will not admit of our going in for any length of time in summer. The contractors for No. 1 Section of formation has finished his work in a very satisfactory manner. The contractor for No. 2 Section is pushing on his work, and I expect will have same finished in or about two weel.s. I have had three roadmen employed on rhis'rbaa nearly all the month, but shall transfer-two of them to their proper beats from now, „-. and only retain one man on the Carnarvon end of the road. I would suggest that, say, one mile or more of ihis road be metalled, starting from Carnarvon junction, and if it is to be done, it should be done at once. AWAItOU HIDING. I hove had the sand cuttings through the Hod. John Johnston's land clayed, according to your instructions ; but I find the sand formation is blowing into holes. I would recommend that it either ba clayed with four inches of clay, or that it receive for sides four inches of clay, and say 20 feet wide in centre, six inches of Piilmerston " metal. If the road is clayed only, it should not be used for traffic ; but if th*e metal is put on, it can be thrown open to traffic at once. HOBOWIIESrA lUDINO. I inspected tho bush felling done by Thomas Beavon through the Waikanao lilock, and find there is still some-work to be dune to complete his eighty-three ohuins. No other work is being done in this riding.

JUIIHOES AND FERIUP.S. . . . According to your instructions I visited the Awahuri bridge and groin, and find tho work is done in accordance with vouohers, but I cannot say that it wiil be of per. mauent good, us al the present time the bed of the river at tho end of groin has scoured out some five or six feet under the end of groin, and the lower tier of • groin has lost a groat quantity of its weight ( heavy stones) from the floor of same giviug way. The groin is also built at an ntigle up the river, instead of, as it should be, in my opinion, down, to throw more water into the centre of the bridge. There is one item— forty- thrco pounds of chain. I could not see where any chain had been used in the groin. I would recommend that the bolts on this bridge should be screwed up, as now they are so loose thac in a number of cases ttie washers can be moved with one's fingers. I would again call the attention of this Council to the Manawatu bridge. Nothing has been done toward tho repairs to this bridge, a» the summer is now far advanced. The ferries are generally in very fair order. The Ohau punt requires some slight repairp, and some new ropes, which I have ordered. I herewith attach a letter from Mr J. T. Stewart, re Ferry Reserve. ADDITIONAL