MAKING MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Shannon News, 16 April 1926, Page 3

MAKING MAIN HIGHWAYS.

WORK IN HOROWHENUA. PROGRESS REPORTED. At Saturday's meeting of the Horowhenua'County Council, the Engineer (Mr VV. N..-Anderson) reported as follows upon the work done tinder the Main Highways scheme:— "The survey and plans of the •Otaki Bridge—Manakau Bridge sec- ' tion is well in hand, and about two miles of the Shannon—Makerua section has been defined in connection with road encroachment on railway land, and plans have been prepared of same. "Good progress is being made with • formation work on the Waikanae— Otaki Section, one half of the cut at •1-miie peg has been taken down to the level and a start made with trie remaining half. No. 4 crusher has been working practically full time. "A screen has been attached to the Anderson Crusher and this machine is now crushing clean metal, thus giving an increased output-for ■penetration work. "The .bitumen plant is working north from Manakau Bridge. * Since last meeting, 1£ miles of penetration course was put down, making to date, 4J miles penetration and H miles top dressing. Given fine weather about two weeks should complete the penetration- work for the season. A start will then be made with top-dressing. Gr Barber said the work was goino- on satisfactorily but had sufficient been done. He .understood addi- 1 tional plant would be required. There had been a good deal of neglect or oversight on the part of the Council and staff in regard to that. It had been a very bad season and delay ui shipping and the .weather had delayed the Engineer. They had invested a great deal of money in (bitumen, which would lie on the road all the winter, it would have been better to have had additional plant and so been able to put the bitumen out, IHAKARA SECTION HELD UP.

The Chairman said the Engineer had now received definite instruction to cease work on the Levin-Shannon section pending - the Highways Board's report .upon the proposed, diversion from Koputaroa to Buckley. Cr. 'Barber urged that the Council should ! go thoroughly, into the work to ensure that there -be' wo delay m the coining season. The Engineer should, make-up his ten-mile lengths and should get every possible-assist-ance. „„,,„■ SHANNON TO MAKERUA NEXT. The Chairman said the Engineer was now making his estimates for the next year. They would not be able to" complete the scheme in the three: years, but would take three years lrom the end of this year. From Shannon to Makerua was the next work to be put in hand. The survey was already, being undertaken. The Engineer said there was only a mile and a-half of the survey to do. BITUMEN ON ROADSIDE. Cr. Barber sard it looked rather bad to see the bitumen lying on the side of the' road instead of being on the road. ' ' it , The Chairman: That was the result of 'the delay in the first place in getting machinery. ■ The bitumen had to be ordered last September. They did not then know that they would not <--et the large crushing plant until December. They thus lost at least, two months and in that time could have quite easily used, up the bitumen. Now the Council had been asked to cease work on the Levin-Shannon section on account of the agitation in regard to the Koputaroa— Buckley road the amount of bitumen lying about might seem a lot but it was a * verv small amount compared with what had been used. He would like to see the Works Committee meet before the -37th of 'this month, when the plans had to ,be in and go into the. estimates with the Engineer Replying to Cr. Barber, the Engineer said another sprayer would mean another crustier. Another boiler woulr. - have been of assistance. This was their first, season and taking every - thino- into account they had got on marvellously well.' They.hadTearm some things and been able to icaifv ° Cr Catley asked whether the spraying was not frequently held up: \}m it not a fact that the plant occasionally got blocked and they had trouble in getting clear?. The Engineer said they had had hold-ups at the start, but not lattcr-

l2 Gr Catley asked whether the plant was not held up all the morning l-u& .after the work started at the Ohau B Thf Engineer said they were held ■up for a couple of hours, but generany speaking there was very few tS,: I am told it occur, prcttyThceFn?ineer: I don't know who > teus yo then. It doesn't happen. People -o past and see us cleaning - ™tt boiler which must he don periodically and think we are held up; bit they know nothing about oui W S' Catley: Well, I am. coming to headquarters for information. The Chairman: You are quite n»n. in giving the Engineer an opportunity of explaining. TRAVELLERS' CONVENIENCE. Gr. Barber brought up the facilities provided for the public to get past the construction works. It was fairly difficult to do so. Could not the Engineer do a little more in that rc : ' meat Was there any truth in the rc- . port that someone was hurt by an accident at one of those places. The Engineer: I heard nothing about

anything happening where the bitumen is being done. , ' Cr. Barber: In some cases the track is pretty bad to get past. It it was a case of shifting a mound of earth it should be done and would only be reasonable. ■The chairman: I have travelled ajl over the County and have found it often inconvenient, but never dangerous. PRESS PRAISE, A report from a Wellington paper passing very favourable comment on the Main Highways' work being performed by the County Council and the Engineer, was read by the chairman for the information of the Council, especially reference to the lack of consideration siiown by motorists to the works and workers. Cr. Catley observed that the remarks were extremely flattering to the Council and its Engineer, and the speaker did not think anyone could point to a flaw in the work being done. He believed that when the work was done the Council would have a road of the first grade. Cr. Jensen said he would have liked to have seen a statement from the Public Works Department on the work, and he could not see why they hadn't received one from them. It would have been far more convincing and satisfactory had it come • from that source. , The Chairman said that if the Council wanted a report from the Public Works Department—they could easily have one. He would see that such a report was given to the Council. The discussion then terminated.