THE HIGHWAYS SCHEME.

Shannon News, 20 December 1929, Page 4

THE HIGHWAYS SCHEME.

RENEWED ACTIVITY TO BE U^GED. COUNTY CHAIRMAN WILL PRESS FOR COMPLETION OF FOXTON ROAD.

"What is the position regarding Highways?" asked Cr. Catley, at the meeting of the Horowhenua County Council on Saturday. "We have come to a dead-end, have Ave not?" The County Chairman (Mr Monk) stated that the chairman of the Highways District Council had promised to call a meeting in February so that estimates, could be considered early in the year for. starting work in April. Cr. Catley: I think it is necessary for us to know when we are likely to be able to start. We are keeping men employed for what was to have ~oon a three-year job. I never thought that it would be done in that time; but we are half-way through the fifth year. There is a good deal to do yet. I am anxious to know when wo are going to finish. It is recognised now what valie a finished road is, as compared with the old macadam road. People who one 3 looked askance at' it are now pushing for money and the Board is meeting them. We are entitled to some consideration, seeing that we got the ratepayers to assent .to a loan. We could move faster if the money was, available. , . . . ~ The Chairman: As far as we have -rone, our requests have been granted. * Cr. Catley: We tould have gone fast-

er. ' . , „ The Chairman. The circumstances weie exceptional. While we were the only people about here who were cluing Highway works there was somewhere for the money to go, but now the whole of New Zealand is doing it and the allocations are' cut down. The * thing is for the District Council to meet and urge that it be pushed on. I want lo be in a position so tint whtn this sealingis done we can go >n with the formation. They granted the extra money for the pentration; that was not done without a little effort. The'operations of the Board to-day are not as" free as they were twelve months Cr. Barber: What about Wairarapa ? The Chairman: They' say we are lucky here. - • .. . Cr. Gimblett: (to the Chairman): When the District Council meets in February, arc you going to press for the completion of the Foxton Eoad? TLe -Chairman: I want to see the job done? The subsidy has been agreed to. Certainly I will urge that that be

done. ' . . Cr. Gimblett: At the end of the holidays < there will be some decent pocholes in it. The Chairman: Yes, but you need not worry. I had thought that it was better to urge one road at the time I asked for extra.money; but I asked that something be done this-year, so that we would know where we were on Aprii Ist.,

Cr. Gimblett: I think the Board have treated us fairly reasonably Cr Catley: We have plant lying idk> longer than it should be. EULES'EEGARDING .TENDEES.

A matter affecting the acceptance of tenders for works subsidised by the Highways Board was referred to in a Circular addressed to local bodies by ' the District Engineer, and a copy of which was received by the Council on Saturday. He stated that it had been noticed in some cases recently thai local bodies had accepted tenders without fifst obtaining the approval of the Board'J In -future the recommendations of the local body concerned must be forwarded, together with a list of all tenders received, to the Board's office for consideration before final action was taken. The District. Engineer also 'stated that in all cases the approval of the Board must be obtained to the appointment of the clerk of works on any contract; and the full qualifiealipns of any man proposed to be appointed must be submitted. The Chairman ftated that any tenders called by this Council for Highway works, such as bridges, had always been referred to the District En gineer, who had been conferred with. Evidently some local bodies had not taken this course. The communication .was received.

DISPUTED LIABILITY FOE SUE VEY EXPENSES.

The District Engineer wrote on November 18th, referring to his communication, of April 9th relating to. the requested refund of £659 7s lid overpaid to the Council on the cost oft surveyengineering administration expenses. He stated that he would be glad to know when the Council proposed to make the refund asked for. If it would suit the Council's convenience better, the amount would be deducted from subsidies which might become due, but in order to keep its accounts in order he suggested that the Council indicate from which authorities the amount should be deducted. In a later letter replying to an inquiry, the District Engineer stated that, as the sum )f M 59 7s lid represented the total ex penditure ineurre"d ,on administration -expenses, the Council had only been paid subsidy on that amount; therefore the total amount to be refunded by the 'Council was £329 14s.

The Chairman stated that the charges covered the works of surveying the Main Highway. The question cropped up some time, ago and.was submitted to the Board on its visit to Levin. Prior to that, on April 9th, the Board wrote stating that the payment of-sub-sidy on survey engineering costs w.ns a matter affecting all Councils. The Highways District Council had previously passed a resolution asking the Board to subsidise the expense of suck work. The Board did not agree to this request. The County.,Clerk stated that tha schedule did not cover any contributions by the Board towards the salar-

ies of the staff—it was only for such items as blue prints, the purchase of pegs for-survey,- the wages of the survey party and the draftsman. The Cbariman said that, when the Board visited Levin, the Council raised the point again, and the actingChairnniu of the Board, Mr Mackenzie, said that the matter was one thathad not oecn settled. The Council did not at present know exactly wlril attitude the Board was going to take up; beyond this letter, the Council had nothing to state definitely that the Board was not going to contribute. The Board had gone as far as to say that it would contribute some of the charges for survey—those relating to deviations and so forth. Mr Mackenzie had said that the Board would consider the question of the £659 during its trip—the whole question of administration costs had been raised and the Board was going into it. The Chairman added that what he fek about the matter was that the Coun cil should hot let it go by altogether. The Council had had to spend the money and thought that half of it was a fair charge for the Board to meet. He thought at this juncture that the Council should not consent to the payment of the amount requested until if had b definite ruling from thot the whole matter had been turned down. The account was for engineering, survey, preparation of plans, and related work; other costs, such as clerical work, had not been taken into consideration. . Cr. Eyder agreed with the Chairman's view of the position. Cr. Catley said he had understood that the Board had made it plain that it would not pay towards engineering and survey. . The Chairman: You have understood wrongly. i;iey would not pay a parttime overseer; but this is a question regarding the costs incurred in the engineering survey of the Main-. HighAvay. They have paid it, and now tiiey waiit a refund. The matter is still open to negotiation. \ Cr. Eyder: Does it net come up ;u the' Counties Conference. - The Chairman: Not this in particular. Cr. Eyder: If they don't meet us, it should do. You would no doubt get support there. The Chairman: Up till the last Conference there were not many Counties that were doing much Highway work. We can hold the matter up and I wJI interview the people there. The course suggested, by the Chairman was agreed to. MANAKAU STEEAM BRIDGE. The District Engineer (Mr I E. H. P. Eonayne) wrote stating that the High-ways-Board was inquiring as to when the plans for the Manakau ' Stream bridge would be re-submitted for final approval. Work should be completed this financial year if possible. The Chairman stated that the plans were being amended. The Department had only.put £IOO on the, estimates, and the Council had thought that the bridge was not. to. be started till the end of the financial year, to be completed in the next. financial year. It was resolved that a reply be forwarded stating that the matter was being attended to. no. i Highway. - The following recommendations by the Works Committee were adopted: Improvement to corner near Mr N. Horrobin's property. —That the necessary survey be made for the legalisation of the road improvement on No. 1 High- . way at Horrobin's corner. iieatherlea East Eoad Intersection.— That the matter of improving the intersection of the No. 1 Highway and Heatherlea East Eoad be referred to the Engineer for attention. That the owner of the property described as Manawatu-Kukutauaki 7D, Waitarere 8, Block XIII, Mt. Eobinson, be requested to remove his boundary fence, which is at present on the No. I Highway, and re-erect the same uii his legal boundary; and further, that the same owner be also requested to remove the shed which is on the public road. That the necessary work be completed within one month from date of notification.

NO. 60 HIGHWAY. Cr. Barber said he rather took exception to the methods which the Public Works Department were using on the Main Highway construction south of Shannon. They were making a gutter, and in some eases quite a deep one, on each edge of the 24ft. formation. That was a menace to motorists, «..< well as acting very .detrimentally to the local traffic.

The Chairman: Do you belong v» the Manawatu Automobile Club'

Cr. Barber: Yes. The Chairman: They might call th? attention of the Board to it. • "Their valuable lives were endangered in making that inspection—-tw« of our Councillors and the Engineer," said Cr. Barber, referring to the occasion when the car in which they were travelling, had to be run into the bank on the narrow roadway at the top of Law's Hill, to avoid a mob of cattle.

Cr. Gimblett: They will have to drive slower. (Laughter.) . Cr. Colquhoun: Were you exceeding twelve miles an hour?Cr. Barber: I don't knw what wc were exceeding; we got in the gutter. The Engineer: There are two dangerous speeds—one too slow and the other too fast.

HILL NORTH OF MAKEEUA. Cr. Barber, said he would' like to move that the hill on the north side of Makerua be referred to the Department for consideration in connection with unemployment relief work. There was a deviation to be made there, and the Council ought to know what it was going to be. The Chairman: We will see the District Engineer and ascertain what is the likelihood of having something done there.