Foxton Borough Council.

Manawatu Herald, 9 February 1899, Page 2

Foxton Borough Council.

The following reports were presented to the Council on Monday night, and were duly dealt with at the meeting : — Borough Surveyor's Report. To His Worship the Mayor, Sir, — It is 13 years since a minute of the Town Board was passed that a pump should be provided for the cemetery. Since my arrival in the Borough a pump has been provided. I find, however, that there is only four inches of water in the well, and I am told that the well is sunk into quick-sand. In these circumstances it would be expensive sinking the well deeper. I therefore suggest that a pipe be driven in the present well, and after covering the top have the pump fixed. I further suggest that the work be done by contract. The tool-house should be removed from its present position and set up alongside the well. The time has arrived for calling tenders for cleaning out drains, and suggest that separate tenders be called for the following : — Main Drain, Wirokino Road (No. 3 Line) ; Drain from Main Drain to river (No. 4 Line) ; No. 2 Line Drain; Patrick-street drains; Purcell-street drains— These I am told have usually been cleaned out by con* tract. It might possibly be an advantage to have other drains cleaned out by'contract also. The system of re-forming roads by use of shovels is altogether out-of-date and too costly. I have given the matter much thought and have come to the conclusion that the cost of one of Anderson's(Christchurch) road scrapers would be saved in 2 years by using it to re-form and round up the crowns of the several roads in the Borough, raking off loose stones in the summer, and scraping off mud in the winter. And this mud is a good and cheap material for making footpaths, as it sets well, and also wears smoothly, and is agreeable to walk upon. The cost of a new scraper would be about £30, but a serviceable one might, perhaps, be obtained from some of tne local bodies about Christchurch. If this machine were obtained a man with a pair of horses and a man with a shovel following should do as much in a day as can be done under the present system by two men in a fortnight. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 Lines, Cemetery Road, Bakerstreet, Spring-street, Russell-street, Johnston-street, and others need attention, and the work could be done quite as well and at much less cost by tne machine than by the present method. With one of those machines occasionally at work, one man should be able to do the remainder of the ordinary work in the Borough. There are a number of fences encroaching on the several footpaths, and in many places gorse and bramble occupy a considerable portion of many roads. Notices to trim fences and grub up up gorse, &c, should be served toward the end of the present month. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, R. Chapman, Borough Surveyor.