MATAMATA COUNTY WORK.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 224, 16 February 1928, Page 1

MATAMATA COUNTY WORK.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Matamata county engineer, Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, reported as follows to his council on Friday at the monthly meeting at Tirau:— The long spell of dry weather has not been conducive to the keeping of road surfaces in first-class order. Metal roads have crumbled badly and extensive blinding has been done. Sand and clay surfaces became loose, very dusty and uneven, and, in the absence of moisture, very little useful work was possible with graders and drags. On the other hand the exceptional weather has been ideal for construction works, particularly bituminous surfacing, but progress has been very disappointing owing to shortage of supplies of metal and drippings. A further disappointment is being experienced in the failure of Australian timbers to arrive according to programme, with consequent delays to bridge works at Okoroire Springs, French Pass and Mangamahu. Delays with timber and metal supplies will have far-reaching results and considerably upset the programme of. works for this season. At Okoroire Springs the contractors have made reasonable progress but absence of timber has disorganised the work and will seriously delay completion. One result will be the diversion of timber traffic for a longer period and further trouble with Rangitanuku road, which has already been badly cut up.

The Mamaku section of No. 18 main highway got into a rough and very dusty condition, but nothing could be done to remedy matters at reasonable cost. The Main Highways Board has let a contract for surfacing with shingle and the work is to be commenced forthwith on the Tapapa deviation.

Hart, who was metalling the road from Waiomou school towards the i mill, has been taken off this length pending the conclusion of negotia- I tions with Messrs. Finlay and Far- ' rer, and he has surfaped about a quarter of a mile more of WaiomouTapapa road. He will also cart out shingle for repairs to Waiomou main road and the metalling of §ld Te Aroha road from Selwyn Park to Wildings. All of Hart’s jobs are for carting from McLaren’s pit. Strong has nearly finished the metalling of Whitehall main roads. The first coat of shingle for the Okoroire end of Totman’s road will be completed in a day or two. The top coat will then be put on and the old surfaces will be repaired. The surfacing of roads in Horahora special area is nearing completion, and arrangements have been made with Ross to surface a short length of Stokes road. The horse teams moved from Tokoroa and are now on Orepunga or River road, where some considerable amount of . re-forming is in hand. Later they will go to Luck at Last, improving portions of the main road en route.

Mechanical graders have been on main highways, Old Te Awamutu road, Totman’s road and Taotaoroa road.

The trucks were mainly engaged on blinding metal. They will complete some work on 'Webster’s road, sand new surfaces at Okoroire Springs whenever possible, reface the main highways north of Putaruru and reface portions of the Maungatautari main road near the western end.

One road roller "is on hire to the Matamata Town Board and the others are engaged on bituminous surfacing. Thejritumen gang is now completing work near Tirau school, and will in a few days’ time deal with Waharoa main street and No. 19 main highway from Waharoa to Piako boundary. After that they will be on the main road between Matamata and Turanga-o-moana. Tenders are before the meeting for the following works:— Contract 106. Quarrying and spawling about 2000- yards of rock near Scott’s road for use on Maungatautari main road. Contract 109.—Carting 2150 yards

_ (Conturned in Next Celuaan)

of shingle and surfacing White’s road from White’s turn-off to the main highway near Putaruru. Contract 110. —Carting 1375 yards of shingle to Matai road from Butler’s to Bowler’s.

Contract 111.—Carting metal to Mangawhero road. Tenders are returnable on the 29th instant for 3920 yards of metal at Whitehall, which provides for a wearing surface of fine metal on the main road as well as the Whitehall loan works.

Residents of Tirau have recently suffered inconvenience through shortage of water. The causes have been excessive consumption during the night time and the cutting off of electric power from Horahora. Generally speaking the council can furnish unstinted supplies, but consumers should not use garden hoses, etc., after the pump stops at night or on days when power is cut off. The report was adopted.