HOROWHENUA COUNTY

Shannon News, 12 July 1927, Page 2

HOROWHENUA COUNTY

JULY MEETINGS OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting. of the Horowhenua County Council was held in the Cdunty Chambers on Saturday, there being present: Crs Monk (chairman), Barber, Whyte, Bryant., Kilsby, McLeavey, Catley and Jensen, Mr.. F. 11. Hudson (clerk) and Mr. W. N. Anderson (engineer). Leave of absence was granted to Cr. Byder. EXCAVATIONS NEAB A SCHOOL. Mr. D. J. McClure, secretary of the Tokomaru School Committee, wrote asking if the Council would form the footpath in front of the school from the main road to the gate. A letter was also received from Mr. McClure stating that the Committee are not in favour of the Highway Board employees removing the soil off £>chwass’s Koad in front of the school anil “leaving a mud-hole for the children to paddle in. ” As the Committee had spent a lot of time and money on the school, they did not consider it fair that the Board should “dig a mudhole at the front gate." The Council was asked to do all in its power to stop the removal of the soil and have the mud-hole filled in. Cr. Whyte explained that the. material had been taken out for use on the main highway. The entrance to the school was not an the main road. Three or four chains had been ploughed up on the far side of the road from the school, the material having been taken off with the object of making shoulders. The road in question did not run on to the main highway. The letters were referred to Cr. Whyte and the Engineer, who were asked to go into the matter and report to the next meeting. CONDITIONS OF KAIIIINAU ROAD A communication was received from Mr R. M. Lange, of Makerua, enclosing a letter from the Manawatu Daily Times Company, Ltd., contractors for the Makerua-Shannon rural mail, stating that, owing to the very bad state of the Kaihinau road, their motorist had declined to take the risks any longer after July Ist, therefore, they would not be delivering past Judd’s. Cr. Whyte said that a short time ago the Council tried to have the Sjjg grader sent up to. this road, but he did not think it was possible for the grader to work there. There was not much traffic on the road. '

The matter was referred to the Councillors for the riding, in conjunction with the Engineer. CULVERT FOR DRAINAGE.

Mr. S. Sloan wrote asking for permission to put a culvert under the Foxton road to drain one of his paddocks which was lying under water. Cr. Kilsby stated that this was quite a reasonable request. The culvert was one that should go in. The matter was referred to the Coun. cillors for the Wirokino riding and the Engineer, who are to inspect the locality, with power to act. HEIGHTS ROAD—A HARDY ANNUAL.

Mr. F. 8. Robbie wrote stating that Heights Road was in a very bad condition and needed repairing immediately, or there would be no road left in places. The water-tables required cleaning, and some culverts should be put in. The road was not formed over to the writer’s place, and. he asked if something could be done to this portion as well. The Chairman said that this was really as hardy an annual as the Otaki Gorge road. , Cr. Catley stated that the Works Committee had inspected the road, and it was in a deplorable state. Slips had taken away a.portion of the road. A stone wall was put in, but this had slipped away. He doubted whether in one place a vehicle could get past. There was fully a third of the road gone. It was a long way for a workman to go to repair .the road. The Engineer mentioned that Messrs Robbie did some of the work last year. Cr. Catley: It will be necessary to get some timber there to make a more permanent job of it. Mr. Robbie might have some stuff that is suitable. I should like to see a small gang put there to clean it from top to bottom. It wants doing once a year. The Engineer said he was only too pleased to send men to the place if he could get anybody to convey them, but that was the trouble.

Cr. Catley: If you will put the Banger ’s ear at my disposal some morning, I will go up and see them and find out If I can make some satisfactory arrangement . It is an out-of-the-way place. The Chairman: That is a good idea. The Engineer promised to place tho car at Cr. Catley’s disposal, and the matter of the road was left to them to investigate. MAKING ABEAS.

On the recommendation as to traffic control where road-making is in progress, the chairman said this was particularly necessary where bitumen was being laid down. He thought it was quite right that someone should have definite authority either to hold up or treat with the traffic as required. Cr. Barber asked if any further move had ever been made about loadometers. The Chairman: We discussed it at the last meeting of No. 9 District Highway Council, and made a request that the Board purchase them and loan them to the various counties. Cr. Jensen: This work is more important than any we are doing at present. There is a wonderful difference in the surface where the traffic has been kept off the road during the construction process

THE DISPUTE ABOUT SHOULDERS The chairman said that the recommendation as to obtaining a report on a cheaper method of building shoulders was the result of a recommendation from a sub-committee. He had lately discussed this matter with the Engineer, and he thought Mr Anderson felt that he would like to have the' assistance of Councillors or of the Committee as much as possible in connection with it, and he had suggested that perhaps a special day might be set apart for an inspection of the highway, where a dicussion could take place on the pros and cons of where curtailments coUld be made as far as these shoulders were concerned. If that could be arranged, then everybody present on that occasion wouljl have an opportunity to express

his opinion on the spot. He thought this suggestion by the Engineer was one that was worthy of consideration by the Works Committee. In connection with other investigations that might be made, an aetual inspection of the roads that the Council had to do might assist them in arriving at a decision that would be of benefit to the Council and profitable as far as the road was concerned.

Cr. Kilsby said he thought that the chairman's suggestion was perhaps the right one; but lie asked if the chairman did not think that it was getting a little bit away from the subject. He thought the Engineer was instructed to bring down some other method which they might consider, cheaper. The Chairman: He is quite prepared to consider that.

Cr. Kilsby: He is getting away from what lie was asked to • do. He was asked to bring down this report, and is now shouldering it on. to the councillors.

The Engineer: I have not failed to bring down a report. I am not asked to do it until the next Works Committee meeting. The Chairman: I think an endeavour to 'work together will perhaps bring this matter to a head and get us somewhere much quicker than if we go diverse ways.- It has been suggested that a cheaper method might be used. You know that Mr Anderson says he does not think so; but to assist him in arriving at a decision which may bo acceptable to the Council, he is prepared and would like to discuss it with you on s the particular portions of road. If Cr. Kilsby thinks that Mr Anderson is only out to borrow the use of his brains to build main highways, I congratulate him; but that is not at the back of his mind. What is at the back of his mind is that the sooner you can copje to an arrangement for building shoulders, the better. I would be quite willing to diseuss with the Engineer, on any particular portion of the road, any matter in connection .building of shoulders. Cr. Kilsby'Jias on more than one occasion offered Well, then go out'on to -a. portion of the road and see how you: could apply it. This is to some extent a mutual undertaking. We look to the Engineer to assist us, and if rve are not prepared to assist him, then his job is not much good. Cr. Jensen: The best indication is on a finished road, and in-a few places they have perhaps been a little too high. If a shoulder is not built , during the rainy season, it will not stand the pressure of the roller—it. will give, and leave a slight hollow' in the pavement. It must be strong enough to stand pressure when we are putting down the pavement. ,If you. build a shoulder of dry soil, not consolidated, the metal is liable to spread,.and leave a small dent in the road. I cannot see any help for it, but we will have to go on and build the shoulders strong enough to take the heavy roller. Cr. Kilsby said he must take a little exception to the chairman’s remarks. The speaker was proceeding to refer to the last meeting of the -Works Committee, when the chairman intercepted him with the remark that he could only discuss what was in the report. The chairman added-that he allowed a lot of latitude in the Council, but he did not allow what was done in committee to be discussed in the Council, except in regard to the Committee’s reports. Cr. Kilsby; It seems to me that the work is being shouldered on. to the councillors, and I have an objection to that.

The Chairman: You can have the objection. I have suggested to the Council that possibly we might arrive at a decision if the Engineer and the Works Committee met on the roads that we propose to do. You object because you state the Engineer is trying to borrow the benefit of your brains. Cr. Kilsby: No.

The Chairman: What I am offering is a solution whereby we may arrive at a decision as soon as possible. Mr Anderson is quite willing to bring down a report. I know what my report would be if I were in his place. It must be consistent with what he is doing. You are anxious to vary from that. There are nine councillors in this Council, and if we can offer any suggestions to him that will relieve* us of expense, I don’t think we are doing a wrong thing. Cr. Catley: I welcome the idea. It would give me just the opportunity I want to discuss matters on the ground. My colleague and I differ to some extout as to how the shoulders should be carried out. If there were more of these conferences, there would be a more contented feeling among us. My feeling is that we don’t get that opportunity. I am going to take it, as far as I can.

Cr. Kilsby: I am not objecting to this opportunity; but it was just this, that the Engineer, instead of bringing that report along, or saying he would in the near future, is trying to shoulder it off on to the councillors.

The Chairman: I must take strong exception to that, because he has not suggested that he is not going to bring a report down. His instruction is from to-day. To assist matters, and to get them along faster, he and I came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to go over that road that has to be shouldered, and discuss the matter there. We can, then all discuss that 'which has been done. If there is a weakness there, that is the place to point it out. The Engineer is .endeavouring to work in with councillors by getting their opinions as well as his own. His opinion is exemplified in 30 miles of shouldering. Now he wants the councillors' opinion. Cr. Kilsby: You are over-riding this report. The Chairman: No, I am not adding anything to it. Cr. Kilsby. You are adding something to it. The Chairman: No; I made a suggestion. Cr. Kilsby: Your suggestion is not coming from the Works Committee. . The Chairman: I don’t propose to add anything to it; but I have made a suggestion.;. . Or. Catley: To-day Cr. Kilsby is anticipating what the Engineer has got to do-rr-not what he Bhould have done to-day. This is a recommendation from the Works Committee. 1 The Chairman: Yes. Mine is only a

suggestion from myself as the result of a discussion with the Engineer. You can act on it or otherwise, as you think ■ fit. Cr. Kilsby then-moved as an addition to the clause, “That the Works Committee and the Engineer inspect the main road with a view to expediting the work.” Cr. McLeavey stated that where the bitumen finished off near the shoulder, it was breaking away in places. Where people who were driving- milk carts could not get a hold on the bitumen on frosty mornings, they drove on the shoulder. The Engineer: That is why I say that the shoulders are absolutely essential.: Without the shoulders you would have it all breaking away. In answer to a question by Cr. Barber, the Engineer stated that the maintenance subsidised by the Highways Board was for a width of 24 feet. Cr. McLeavey: If you metal those shoulders, will you still get a subsidy! The Engineer: I think so. Cr. Jensen: There is only one other way to do it, and that is to, concrete these permanently. The Engineer: Then you would have it breaking. I saw that in the north, where the concrete was coming out first in little pieces and then bigger ones. Cr. Kilsby’s motion was carried.