HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 19 June 1928, Page 1

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

EEPOETS BY THE ENGINEER. At the Horowhenua County Council meeting on Saturday, the engineer (Mr. J. T.'M. Brewster) presented the following reports for the month of May:— Main Highways— No. 1 Highway. Waikanae River to Otaki Bridge.— Very little maintenance work has been required on this length, but it will be necessary, in some places, to strengthen the shoulders of the road where cart traffic has cut them. Otaki River to Manakau iStream. — General maintenance, by way of grading with the power grader, has been carried out on the unpaved portions of this section. The portion from Otaki Bridge to the Borough boundary, has received a light coating of gravel taken from the river bed. No. 4 crusher was started up on the night of the 24th inst., and .the crushed metal is being delivered to D'Ath's deviation. As soon as the necessary repairs have been carried out. to the road roller at present in the depot, the metal that is still on the old road will-be scarified and taken away. Levin to Wirokino Bridge. —Maintenance metal from the crusher at Tararua pit has been carted on to this road. The power grader has been employed at regular intervals. A 15-inch diameter culvert has been put in near the Wirokino Bridge, to replace an old culvert that had collapsed. No. 60 Highway. Levin to Wirokino road deviation at the intersection of Upper Queen Street and Arapaepae Road has been completed, the fence erected on the new line, and the race deviated. Apprbximatly 19 chains of bitumen penetration- w r ork has been carried out, completing,'; that section of paved road, to the bridge at Pott's Hill. General maintenance work, by way of grading, cleaning out water .channels, etc., 'has been carried out on the unpaved portion,of this road. Wirokino boundary to Shannon. — General maintenance work by way of grading with the. power, grader, has, been carried out on this length of road. Shannon to Make'rua station.—General maintenance w.ork by way- of grading and metal patching, has been carried out on this length.! The contractor on' the construction of the bridge over the .Nana ,'Stiream has- made .satisfactoryprogress. The two piers and two abutments are completed and the steel girders are in place. This contract should be completed during next month. The timbers taken out of the old bridge have been taken away and stacked in a convenient place. Makerua. to north 'boundary.—This road is in very good condition. Metal has been carted from the crusher at the .Tokomaru River to various places on the road. The road roller has. been engaged consolidating metal on the' road north of Tokomaru. , No. 372 Highway. Waikanae jo Waimeha.—-Mainten-ance metal has been put on to this road where necessary for immediate requirements. No. 373 Highway. To Horo-Waihoanga.—Metal patching for maintenance purposes has been carried out on portions of this road.

Riding Matters, i

Tokomaru. General maintenance work'by way of considerable metalling has been carried out ,on Otauru Road. This is required on account of the roacl taking the main highway traffic during the construction of the Kara,stream bridge. A 12 by lOin.box'culvert, 26ft long, has been put in on the Shannon East > Road so as to endeavour to prevent the water from overflowing thi banks of a ditch on the south side oi the road. The slip on the' Tokomaru valley end of the Shannon East Roar. ■ s still giving trouble. It was neces sary to send a gang of men out fo? the second time to remove it. The Toko mam Township roads have received attention for maintenance purposes. W;rokino.—General maintenance has been carried out on various roads in this Riding. A 2-t-inch diameter concrete pipe has been put in to replace an old box culvert and a new fluming constructed across a drain ,on Kimberley Road to carry the water in the waterrace. A start has been made with repairs to sheathing on a small, steel girder bridge on Muhunoa East Road. The power grader has been at work on Pott's, McDonald's, Wallace, Gladstone, Arapaepae, Koputaroa-Heathcrlea, and Tavistock Roads. Otaki. —Maintenance work by way of metal patching has been carried out on Waikuwa Beach road, Waikawa South, North' Manakau, at railway crossing, Rahui and Waitohu Valley Roads. Te Horo. —General maintenance work by way of metal patching, cleaning out water channel on various roads and attending to water races, has been carried out. General. Main depot. —The Council has gone to considerable expense in installing a depot near Levin, t,o house machinery and carry out repairs to same, but the plant is not complete. I am of opinion that the Council should consider the purchase of a lathe, a machine-boring plant and grinding machine, so the could do more efficient work. At the present time, there is nothing of this nature at the depot, therefore when work that requires any of this plant, is to bo carried out, the work must be sent away to some engineering

firm, thereby entailing considerable'ex-' pense in transport and.,of ten loss of ' time, through the affected machine being held up while awaiting transport facilities. The engineer also 'recommended the purchase of instruments for the, draughting office, at a cost of approximately £lO. ,'. The reports were adopted, subject'to the following provisos:— :That the engineer submit to the next meeting of the Works ticulars as to the cost of installing -the several portions of machinery suggested as being required for the efficient working of the depot. That the engineer be authorised to ob- ; tain the necessary instruments stated to be required for draughting purposes..