MATAMATA WORKS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 275, 14 February 1929, Page 6

MATAMATA WORKS.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The following report was submitted by Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald, engineer to the Matamata County Council at last Friday’s meeting and adopted:— Better progress is now being made with Whitehall metalling, 1023 yards having been carted to the end of last month. No. 2 motor roller is on this j job and the concrete culvert is completed for half its length enabling traffic to get over it. 1 Shingle from Waiomou stream has: been spread on all weak parts of Old ’ Te Aroha road between Te Poi arid ; Okoroire. The southern end of Rangitanuku road has been repaired with the same material. Waiomou main road has been repaired throughout with shingle from the Waiomou and Oralta streams.

The shingle contractors will now start at Waimakariri river for the purpose of repairs to No. 18 main highway and new metalling on Tapapa-Okoroire road. Tenders for earthwork bn the latter road close tomorrow and it is hoped to be able to get the hard surface through to about Anderson’s windmill before the winter. Lewis’ road has now been surfaced and the special 1 ' fund for this purpose is absorbed. Ross completed the carting from Butler’s pit and Matai road is surfaced as far south as Butler’s entrance. Tenders for contract No. 124 for Carting from Butler’s to Puketutu road were dealt with and the lowest, that from Gardner for 6s, was accepted and the work was commenced

this week. Waters and Allen are still making slow progress with the carting of sand for the section of No. 18 main highway near Russell’s pit. Tenders

will be called shortly for carting sand for repairs for the length of this highway between Cambridge and Karapiro. The surface of Karapiro deviation is now in good order and the drains, fences and incidentals are well in hand.

The hill section of Peria road has been refaced with fine metal and is now being rolled and earthed up. Forming up of the southern end of No. 19 main highway was completed and further improvement of the surfaces included coating of about 25 chains with rhyolite. Various other roads in Tokoroa have been repaired and the length of Baird road through the village was lifted 18 inches over a length of about four chains and culverted. Dobson has not made much headway with the Lichfield end of the Te Whetu roads and arrangements have been made to assist him l with the heavier parts of the work so that this road should be in very much better condition in a few weeks’ time. Arrangements have been made with Mr. Commons to effect about £4O worth of repairs to Waotu south road, the county contributing £2O towards the cost. Repairs to the worst places on Mr. Slade Gully’s outlet to Lichfield have been effected at a cost of about £77. Negotiations are still progressing

with Waotu settlers re metalling the length of road from Waotu to Huihuitaha. Metal on Huihuitaha has been raked in and is now being rolled. The county horse teams are preparing the formation of Bathe’s flat in readiness for metal, tenders ’for which will be called at once. Bray and Co. started the PutaruruArapuni works at the middle of last month and are making fairly rapid progress. The thorny problem of* metal supplies has not yet been solved and it has not yet been deemed advisable to start on the Hinuera-Te Poi work. Repairs to the Te Rere bridge, Kaimai, are nearing completion and Okauia springs bridge will be taken in hand shortly. County trucks, which have been enI gaged on the various works referred to earlier, are now carting from McNaughton’s pit to roads in Karapiro. Bitumen plant and one roller are working for Matamata Town Board and will shortly commence surfacing No. 313 main highway (Wardville road). One roller is on hire to Bray and Co. Wehr graders brushed up various roads, including Totmans, Okauia, Old Te Aroha, Rangitanuku, Taotaoroa, Buckland, French pass, Horahora and main highways.