MAIN HIGHWAYS MACHINERY.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 48, 18 September 1924, Page 2

MAIN HIGHWAYS MACHINERY.

THE KAIMAI ROAD. Several communications regarding main highways were received at Friday’s meeting of the Matamata County Council. The Main Highways Board wrote that in view of the county’s main road loan proposals of £201,000 it considered the council should be able ,to contribute a substantial sum for (the Kaimai road (main highway) from the junction of the Okoroire i road to the Matamata county boundary. ' The engineer stated that it had Ibeen always recognised in the past that no liability should be placed on t the county for this length of road | for which the Public Works Department had given free grants. It was resolved to point this out I to the Highways Board. Exception was also taken to an instruction of the board that when applying for highways subsidies local bodies should include wages in their assessments at not more than award rates. The engineer pointed out that good men were worth more than award rates. In fact, the board insisted that bitumen should be laid only by experienced men, but these came under the labourers’ award though they had to be paid rales well above the award. It was resolved to protest to the board. A circular was received stating that j the board was considering the purI chase of suitable plant to lay down a bitumen hot-mix pavement 18-feet wide on the Great South road between | Otahuhu borough and Franklin county, but wished to know first whether there was likelihood of the plant being further required. The engineer said hot-mix was really bitumen concrete and was above the requirements in the Matamata county. It was resolved to reply to this effect. A further circular from the board stated that it had adopted the principle of its contributing £ for £ towards compensation, engineering, survey, fencing costs, etc., for ap-