OUR COUNTY ENGINEER.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 8 September 1919, Page 4

OUR COUNTY ENGINEER.

To the Editor. ■ Sir, —I read with disgust, in your issue of the 3rd inst. a letter over the name of iir W. Knight, regarding the methods, adopted by our County Engineei! (Mr-J. Malcolm) in dealing with our main road; Tour correspondent ! says that the Council, having purchased an plant,'are keeping to out- ■ pi-date methods re road maintenance. Is Mr Knight blind, or has he lost the "-fly out of his ointment;"? Surely he -can see that by scarifying and grading the main roads, thereby putting a high croVn on them, it allows the surface ivffter to run away, leaving them high and dry as rpoii as the rain eeaSes? How can any 'sane man expect our roads to bo free from" pot holes when i-key arc .subjectud to the heavy ttrain that hundreds of motor-driven vehicles arc---putting on theui/laily? If our. Couuc.il nc\cr imposed such restrictions upon our engineer as regards economy, ;t£id allowed a little more money to be. Spent, ii would greatly benefit our roads'. .if, after the contractor had giveirthe.roads a good coating of metal, a feu" hundred yards of crushed metal were left ia each riding, tlic county roadmeii could keep the pot holes well out of sijrht. MY Knight says he has to use the road between Otaki and Wa'ikauao each day. a.ad that it is now uo belter •than before it was touched. Fhis is uol true, as the road is in excellent condition between these two town--'. In fact, except for a few miles of bad rosiil between Levin and lYjxtou. our roads are far ahead of any other county in the southern end of island. Mr Knight is like a few others about this town —never happier than when pulling someone to pieces. Perhaps he would like to step into Mr Malcolm's shoes and see if he could improve mailers. No doubt he thinks he can do so. If he travelled a little, further from home, instead of the few miles that separate our town from AVaikanae, if might broaden his mind a' little. I sincerely hope the Council will stive Mr Isiii-hf's letters, at their iica*. meeting, their just deserts, i.e., consign them to the waste paper basket, (loping I have noi trespassed too much on your space. —Vours, etc., L.B.N. Otaki, Sept, -I, .1'.i.10.