RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 310, 6 October 1915, Page 3

RANGITIKEI COUNTY COUNCIL.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. WANGAEHU RIDING. The concreting cf Okirao water drive at Beard’s is well in hand, and should be finished next week. I have Inspected the bridge over Mangatipona stream on Okirao Road, and find it is so rotten as to be unsafe for heavy traffic and should be renewed at once.

To renew in totara will cost £250. an! in ccncrete £325.

Th j bridge over Mangahoe Stream on Tint kina River Road is showing serious signs of decay in abutment

piers and deck, and repairs to cost £lO must he put in hand immediately. Click iepher’s Bridge over the T.irakina RAcr has been completed satisfactorily. f AWARUA RIDING. Roads are in good order. Contractor has recommenced delivery of repair gravel on Torere Road. Contractors for Taihape Freezing Works have delivered gravel for repairs to Winiata Road caused by theftheavy traffic. Roadmen are engaged in widening points on Mangaweka-Utiku Road. Tenders should be before you to-day for gravelling 198£ chains Tuho e Read extension. TE KAPUA RIDING. Reads are in.good order. Tenders should be before you to-day for forming 551 chains KaJ'retu Road South, for Roadman’s Cottage. Rangoit.i an<j for fencing stock reserve, Rongoiti.

Papa is being burned for repairs to

Matarca-Koeka Road. Mr M, Dixon offers a contribution of £1 towards the expense of rolling roads in Dixon’s subdivision, Winlata. I have inspected Pukenaua Block roads, where the Public Works Department have offered Council £6OO for formation works. I have to recommend that the formation of Otaihape Valley Road in from end of present formation at McGowan’s as the Pukanaua Road as recently extended to Otaihape Stream is in a bad gorge and would be most expensive to construct and maintain and could be of little service to settlers. In fact, if this read bad to be constructed I would propose to deviate it. which would be very costly. I would recommend the Council to undertake the expenditure. ■ EREWHON RIDING. I have at last been able to get men to undertake the erection of protective fences cn Pokaka Road and Stock Paddock at Pungataua, and t|he work is in hand, i Tenders should be before you to-day for removal and additions to Roadman’s Hut at Pukeokahu. I have to recommend that the roller be sent, before dt leaves Taihape, to reform the Taihape-Waimii Main Road, the metalling of which is rough and wearing into holes. GENERAL MATTERS. A breakdown has occurred with road < roller at Taihape, one of the pinions on gear shaft being stripped. As tin’s is

oast steel I have had to get a new ( one cast at Christchurch, and expect it about October 10th. In the meantime i;he roller is laid up and being overhauled. As instructed I attended the enginedriver’s dispute at Conciliation Council, Palmerston North. The employers interested bad appointed three assessors in each centre and the matter has now been referred to a general meeting of these when it is hoped an arrangement will be come to. With Mr Tjhoms and Mr Harding, Oroua County Engineer, I inspected the Lupin in bed of Orona River, where it is now almost one solid mass. Lupin has very brittle roots and very little hold and the largest, bush can be easily torn up bodily by a man. Mr Harding states that if once covered by Hood waters it. is killed cutright. In my opinion Lupin will not be detriinental to ordinary shingle beds as it tend s to catch the silt and > make ground and to confine the water in a single channel ot scour deeper instead cf spreading from bank to bank. : My assistant, Mr A. Maylin Theed. who has been with me for four .years, and who has volunteered for the front, has received word ot. report at Palm-.! erst on on Tuesday next. He is to re--ccive his appointment as jX.C.O. in>' the new Engineering and Tunnelling Corps-shortly to be dispatched to Europe, where they will be attached to the Royal Engineers. • During the month most of the field work in connection with railway siding to Greattord Ballast Pit has been carried out. I hope to complete plans during the month and submit to Railway Department. My car has again given a great deal of trouble, l|he driving shaft casingbreaking exactly where it brake last year, and the differential was much damaged. It appears too weak for

the work I have to give it. I have to recommend that Mr William Jehu Mouen be appointed a ranger for the whole County. SYDNEY A. R. MAIN, County Engineer.