MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 65, 13 August 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Monday, August 4, 1879. The fallowing is Mr, ' Hajn's report of the works of the County, the publication of which, was crowded out of our lai/. issue : — ■ ENGINEER'S BEPOBT. "I have, during the month, travelled over the whole of the County roads, some of which the roadmen have a difficulty to keepin repair through the amount of heavy traffic? on narrow wheels. "ELiwitea Hiding.— The contractor for clearing near northern boundary of KiinboV ton Road is progressing with Ms work. The formal ion from end of metalled road north* ward is m a fearful sloppy state", being m fact a complete quagmire throughout, and m some place* almost im passable. The metalled road is .m a ery state of repair, the placing the facines on road having much improved it. " Manchester Riding.— Enriboltpn-Road, from Cheltenham to Jliwitea Bridge (except Bradley 'a contract, is m a very fair state of repair, and. even Bradley's length ib. much better than it was last month. Bradley has, according to arrangement, placed a man on to keep this 107 chains m repair. From Kiwitea Bridge to. Feilding this piece of road requires to be re-metalled with a better kind of metal, which should be carted from Kiwitea Stream. At present time the road is m a very bad state of repair (except part lately re-metalled), the narrow- wheel drays and'heavy loars cutting right through into formation. Makino Eoad ..is now m much better repair. Pabnerston Gorge Road— The heavy sleeper cartage has been telling- on tliis road, "more especially on those parts that were lately graded and newly metalled. The men have been kept hard at work repairing. ; ; ; --.': v " Taonui Riding, — Palmerstop Grorge Road— The same applies to this as to above. 1 have been compelled to take a man from Foxton Road and place on this road on account of the deep ruts cutting up, and which must be filled m.. The contractor for. grading near boundary of Palmerston has left his work unfinished; I should recommend, m, about a month's time, that fresh tenders be. called to finish (his unfinished work.} Rangitikej Road — Contractor for metalling this road has completed about three mil 63 road. 1, find it cut* the road up so mnrh fchnt I have stopped the work at the thrae miles instead of- four miles ; the balance can be done some time, during the summer monthsl The filling 'in gravel pit near Taonui School is finished, as also binh-fellinga nd clearing on Line D, i Taoniii Block. This husbrfelling is paid for ; from part of special vote of £500 to this '. Riding. Palmerston-Foxton Road is m a very fair state o,F repair, that is as far.as, the metalled road extends; Mr. Bryant has not been able. to. work ou his- contract through the, wet weather. - , r '. *■' Oroua Ridirie. — I have ."'.had' hand rails fixed to two small bridges near Sanson. These said bridges wer». dangerous to cross , before the handrails were fixed. The roads m this Riding are m very good state of repair and wear well, I hay© had another culvert fixed under road leading from Sanson to Mount Stewart ; this was necessary on acnount of water lying on road side. i " Kawa Kawa Riding.—^Roal thronghput ■] this riding is m very f-iir slate of repair.^ I have during the month had a man planting furze on the. fascine work to slopes of> sand cutting. ' _ "Awahou Riclinp;.— l- am Borry I have not been able to" carry out "your instruction? m referenc-e to placing gravel, at landingfrom punt. ; Tills is througlv no fault of mine, but for want of trucks to conveygravel from Pfilmerston to Fpxton. I may, ■ say there are now wanted about forty truck- 1 loads of gi-aFel for various works, and up to Saturday I have bejen unable to get ft single

truck, although application lias been made by myself m all quarters. "Horowhenua Riding.— ln this riding I have very little to report on. Natives are still working at bush-falling for the Inland Road, This work, I believe, will go on briskly when summer months set m.; I have had one of the bridges at Otaki repaired. The stringers on same were completely rotten and unsafe. I have instructed CooteS, the gauger, to have water-tableS through Otaki cleared out/ and some slight repairs done to road, BRIDGES AWD PERRIES. *' The Oroua Bridge, I am pleased to say, is now finished, and contractors have canned their work out faithfully. I find it necessary to cover the slopes of sand approaches with earth, and propose having some of the stripping from gravekpit covered over same. This will be a small extra. The Awahuri Bridge approaches require seeing to on north side. Xt would be much better to ease the cutting! and cart earth from same to make up embankment on south side, at a cost of from £2Q tp £25. The approaches to this bridge would' be made a very jpuch easier grade. i "Jjower Gorge Ferry is m veuy good working ordor, and Boyd seems to keep all gear- in; good state of repair. : " Foxlon l"erry.^-At- this fer-ry there are required- several expenditures which I hope you will sanction. Ist, The ferryman has asked through letter jbha,t he may be f ur? nished with a lamp, and also that a larger erab-wineli may be supplied and, fixed for lowering and, hoisting the' wire. I have spoken to the captain of the Osprey, and he stated that it was dangerous of a d,ark night for him to bring the Osprey either up or down the river anywhere near the wire, as [ there is no means of ascertaining if -the wire is lowered down. I should strongly recommend a lamp, of description as askad for j by ferryman, be pixrchased, si\ch lamiJ to show either of two colored lights! 2nd. Re tbo crab-winch. The;present crabiwinch is much too. small fdr the additional labor, entailed m lowering and raising wire for steamer Osprey to pass up and down river. The present winch has only 11-inch and 4iuch barrel] and great delay is occasioned by having to stope the wire and fleet chain over, on barrel of winch. This delay may occur when, steamer is close, on to wire, and if so, nothing can : save the wire being carr ried away by -steamer fouling same. 'Iwould recommend a crab-winch being purchased and fixed, with a 2-foot x eithei?s*; or 6-fobfc bavrei, arid that the present crabwineli be; sold. I would ask authority to" fence m the Reserve (lately handed over by Government to County Council) for ferry to use to yard cattle: m. : The length of; fencing rcquiredwill be about 15 chains m .all. One; gate will be required and three sets of- slip-bars. The fencing around the old ferry reserre,. and also leading down to forry landing, is • completely 'rotten, • and during this last month cattle have broken away and bccasido^rla. great deal of trouble and annoyanct, to the public. If you sanction my fencing the above; reserve, the old reserve will then be shut up ;' and another advantage will bc^-.the cattle, when once put ■ m reserve, will not j>e out again on to street, but be driven to river by a lead that will extend fr6m thw reserve to river. . ' ■ : ; : .';.•• ■'. . • ...'' " Ohou and Otaki Ferries are m, good, working order. I have heaivi no complaints of neglect of ferrymen during the winter. Re petition received last month, I examined the proposed road line leading from Motoa Eoad towards Manawatn Riverj whicli your petititioners pray shbuld be opened wp. ''■' Th© road' line, if opened, wilL be a m uch more du?ect road from Foxton feo meet the Otaki Eoad ; at same time it will.be cosily, a3 m a length of soiiie 15 chains there are three sand-hills ; to cutthrough, and these alone will occasion an expenditure of about ;615b to clear away and protect. Besides this, there will be' about ten chains of formation and three or four culverts, arid^the: purchase of v the .land that will havo'tp be taken for said pjaa'lihe. But with all these extra expenditures I believe this proposed route will be as cheaply made aj present one, as shown on map, and . will be a much more direct and fair better road -" - . ''■■:;•■■_-. :<....,, .^,\ ?;'■■,: