HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL

Shannon News, 15 November 1921, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL

PROGRESS PAYMENT WANTED. Mr Macdonald, fen annual, waited on me council anu sum no u>ok a conu'act in Lokonuu u \ aiiey on coihuuons which nau noi been carried ou. i:>y the Council, '.tins was m comiec imil wun progress payments, wmc-i nuu nui neeii muue. ne had askeu me engineer to come and see Hit work, and ii. was six weeks before he gm out. Aner seeing me work tag migineer said some more stones were wanted on ttie road, axul the speakei put them on. He had done this extra work, but he uid not undertake to maintam the road. The chairman said he could only tell Mr Macuonald the same as he was told before, to go back and finish the job and be wo uid get fas money. Mr Macdonald maintained that he_ was entitled to progress payments foi the .work done. The chairman sked ii Mr Macdonald could give any indication when the contract would he finished. Mr Macdonald said he would have had the job done if be had got a tail hearing. He had a payment of £4O, but. he had paid more than that lot horse feed. The chairman: What 's ii exactly ihat you are wanting? Mr Macdonald said he had great trouble in getting metal to complete the job, but. he was doing his best. For the work already none, he askeu that the Council grant- him another.. £SO. - The chairman said the Council would consider the mallet* and let him know. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer reported as follows: Considering the boisterous and broken weather during the last period, work has been carried out in a very satisfactory manner.

■ Work in the Tokomam Riding lias been mostly routine work, and a start was made to repair the eastern approach of the Mana.watii Bridge on ilie feliaunon-Foxton Road.

In the Wirokino Riding a fail amount of work has been carried out, and a fairly large quantity of maintenance gravel put out, the Kuku Soldiers' Settlement Road and Florida Road receiving the hugest amounts. Fifteen chains of the Kawiu-Foxion Road was also metalled. - -A start was made recently with the reforming of .the--main road ;n Weraroa, but. ••this .lias not proved very satisfactory, owing to die soarcity of metal at- present on die road. Work has therefore Been suspended in the meantime to allow the Council to decide whether the road is 10 receive a proper coating of new-metal before further work -with the plain is carried out. In my opinion, if would only be a- waste of time and money to proceed Avitli the work unless a fair amount of metal is out

down, and to do this would moan an expenditure of approximately £SOO. While on this subject 1 would again like to draw the Council’s attention to the had state of all the main roads in this riding and also in part of the Tokomaru riding. A large section o) these roads are completely worn out, and in many places the trait ic is now practically running on Hie formation. It is therefore quite impossible to keep the main roads in anything like decent repair with the old style of patching—it not. only makes the roads very rough, but in the long run is very expensive. A large, pipe culvert has been put in on the Florida Road to replace the old bridge near the Oliau crossing. The timber for the bridge on the Muluiuoa Fast Road is on the ground, and everything is uow r in readiness to make a start with this work. The iron work on the Ohau Bridge (main road) has all been tightened up and thoroughly overhauled, and is now in good order. Gravel bins have been erected in the Weraroa Settlement pit, so that at any time now a large amount ol gravel can be crushed and stored for in rthe r requirements. Gravel Pit at Experimental Farm.— During the period, Councillor McLeavey and myself met Mr McCulloch at the above pit re future use of same. This pit is Government property, and Mr McCulloch made the following proposal: That, the Council fence oh a portion of ground to suit their, future requirements, and supply chain and padlock for gate. The fence to be maintained by the Farm authorities, and one key of gate to he held by each party. Tiro Tiro Road arid Mako Mako Road Water Supply.—At Hist meeting of the Council a communication was received from Messrs. Holms and Cameron making a request to have Iheir properties connected with the Levin high pressure water service, and since the meeting 1 was approached regarding'the connecting up of Mako Mako Road properties. \s these two requests came from the same locality, I have included them both in the one estimate, which I attach. At the request of Cr. Harkness I am also attaching estimate of Bruce Road water supply extension. This

matter came before the Council about 12 n ion His ago. Cr. Whyle (Tokomaru) suited that several culverts in the northern part of tlie riding required attention. Cr. McLeavey (Wirokino) said li<thought the Council should accept tlie offer of Mr McCulloch, of the Central Development Farm, in regard to securing partion of Iheir gravel pit. Ab’out 10 chains of fencing would be required, ami the Council would have this work to do. It would provide metal for another 100 years at least. Cr. Broadbelt asked if any gravelling could he done to till the worst holes in the main roads. He recognised fhe Council could not undertake much work of Ihe kind owing to fhe want of money, hut he asked that some maintenance he done. He suggested that another -metal pit be opened in Arapaepae Road to the south of Queen Street, for the convenience of the Council and the saving o 1 cartage.