PUBLIC WORKS IN THE COUNTY.

Shannon News, 20 September 1929, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS IN THE COUNTY.

REPORT OF THE ENGINEER. The following report by the County engineer (Mr. J. T. M. Brewster) was . adopted at the monthly meeting of the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday:— Te Horo Riding. General maintenance has been carried out in this riding. Metal has been put on Te Horo Beach, Soldiers’ Te Horo, Waihoanga, SAvamp and Waikanae Beach Roads. Repairs have been carried out to the Waihoanga cage. The iMangaone Stream in Mr. Harkness ’ property, adjoining the Te Horo Beach Road, has been diverted. The matter.of erecting a shop verandah over the road was left to the engineer with power 'to act. I visited the locality and found the work already-; carried out. Although permission was not granted to erect the verandah on., the road, I am of opinion that the building cannot do any harm in its present position. A totara culvert has been delivered, to Mr. Eagle. A substantial fence has been erected around the quarry in Mr. Lumsden’s property on the Mangaone Road. Otaki Riding. Maintenance metal has been put on Manakau South, Manakau North, Atkins’, Te Waka and Waikawa Roads, pie water-liaces ladjjoininjj OVflanakau ha\ r e been cleaned out. A totara culvert has been delivered to Mr. Vella on Manakau South Road. Water channels on Rahui Road are receiving attention. General maintenance has been carried out on the Main HighAvay.. The piles in three piers of the Waikawa Bridge have been driven to a firm foundation. Instructions were issued to have works referred to on Convent Road carried out. WiroLino Riding. The building-up of foundations for pavement on the Levin-Foxton Main Highway has been proceeding. To date one and cnc-half miles*are completed. To date 1900 cubic yards of pavement mefal a::d 1.057 cubic yards of chips ha\-e been delivered on to this highway. The road grader has been at Avork on Kimberley, Arapaopac, Muhunoa East, Ohau West, Soldiers’, Hogg’s, Tavistock, HeaUierlca-Koputaroa, Koputa-roa-Foxton, Hokio Beach, Levin-Fox-ton and Levin-Shannon Roads. Maintenance metal has been put on Levin - Shannon, Ivoputaroa - Foxton, Heatherlea-Koputaroa, Gladstone, Arapaepae, Kimberley and Tararua Roads.

Two culverts on the Waitarere Road have been lowered to give better drainage.

A temporary bridge has boon erected on the Main Highway over the Kuku Stream. The tender of Brayshay and Brayshay, of Wellington, of £555 16s lid has been accepted for the construction of the new Kuku bridge. I am, of opinion that this tender is too low. The shoulders of the pavement on No. 1 Main Highway have been reThe report was adopted, and the Apparently the PoroutaAvhao School Committee have made arrangements for, drainage from the old culvert on the Main Highway. This being so, it will not now be necessary to move the culvert. A new hydraulic ram has been installed in Mr. Anyan’s property at Ohau. Matters referred to by Mr.- MacDonald have received attention. Permission was granted A. 'Ross, Rough and Co., to erect a flax loading bank on Koputaroa-Foxton Road. The groyne across the ford at the Makahika Stream on Gladstone Road has been levelled and a timber obstruction on the up-stream side of the groyne removed. With regard to Mr. W. T. Moulin’s application to erect a 'garage on the roadside, I ani of opinion that permission should not be granted. He is apparently not a ratepayer in this County, therefore, a Tather unpleasant precedent might be created if his application is granted. A surveyor has been engaged' -to* make the necessary land plan surveys on the Levin-Foxton Main Highway. Tokomaru Riding./ General maintenance has been carried out in this riding. Maintenance metal has been placed on the Main Highway between Makerua and Tokomaru, also on Aker’s, Ashlea, Kingston. phannon-Buckley and Bucldey Roads. The road grader has been at Avork on various roads in the riding. Riding Matters. Cr. Bryant stated that the intake for the Kuku water-race had never been completed. It Avas supplied. partly from a pipe-line from a creek and/ partly from the river. The latter was not completed, and the grating became blocked by leaves, so that a workman had to make frequent visits for the purpose of clearing it. Cr. Ryder stated that the same condition existed at the water-race head at Otaki. At Levin, he was told, 'the same trouble was not experienced. The chairman: There is a bigger flow of water; it would take a young tree through. ' '

The matter was referred to the engineer. Cr. Colquhoun made reference to the raising of the road iinder 'the Ohau subAA r ay through metalling, and asked if it would not be possible to bitumenise the roadway there.

The engineer replied that it would be possible, but he doubted whether it would be wise, as at times the roadway was under water.

Cr. Catley stated that the subway was flooded from time to time owing to the water-race becoming blocked and overflowing. This could not very well be obviated.