BOROUGH ENGINEER'S REVIEW.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 120, 12 May 1908, Page 4

BOROUGH ENGINEER'S REVIEW.

In a report presented last night to tlie Loi'uugh Councii, Hie borougii engineer, Mr. A. 11. Kendall, cummariseil ilie \yoiks carried out entirely under his supervision during tlie period of 21 months ended on March 31st. Most oi the work was carried out upon iii& own pians and desigus. Sewerage.—Un June 30th, lOOli, there were 3y a miles ol sewers ill the borough, and half a niil#'oi connections, in the 21 months following, the mileage of sewers was* doubled, and two miles of counectioiiti to street boundaries were laid, making a total of o'/ y mile* of sewers and connections made since the scheme was lirst inaugurated. Among the more important sewers he had laid was that in Hine street, laid two feet deeper llian originally designed by Mr. Mesiayer aud extended ten chains uirther than he intended. Another main artery was the sewer which had !>een laid from Currie street at Uill street via Molesworth street and Cover street to the watershed in (Jill street, near Hobsou street; while another artery was the seiwer laid in Eliot street almost as far a* Cameron street in one continuous line from Cill street. With the exception of a few chain* in Courtenav, Devon, and Leach streets, the whole of the sewerage of the borough between Hobson street on the east and Cuttield road on the west could be gravitated to the present septic tauk if the grades of Leach street were laid out as they should be, so as to provide a good outlet for the somewhat lowlying area in the vicinity of Cameron street. Speaking roughly, one-third ot the borough was now sewered, and the connections had been made at a fair rale. At the present time the local plumbers and drainlayers were very busy. Over 400 connections with the sewers had been made. All the large schools and places ol public resort, excepting Government properties, had been connected. Thie cost of sewers laid (7Vs miles) during the period under review was £199 (is 3d, of which 124(> lis lid was for material and ,t(J22 Ilk l*.l for labor. >. Waterworks.—Works here were fairly extensive, necessitating many prolonged visits and much Sunday work, Sunday being tin* only day when access tn the tunnel could be obtained. The

.imuuiit c\pi:mleit was CHIS] l-'i„ld.and 1..» iuid lit'cn vi:rv rsirefill Itt avoid leak-

age and waste. In the total ol JJ7o2 l!'s 7d under the heading of ".Mangorci" there were ,Cloj 2> for the repairing ot the tunnel, £4!K) 2s lOd for new power main, ,ClO3 13s 'Ju at the powerhouse, and £73 10s lid for power main extension. The total cost of material and labor was .tJOOH I4 g and labor was responsible lor about a quarter of the total cost. \'arious extensions and alterations in the borough cost .JCKS3 17s td, and outside h ervices £1872 l>s !)d. in tlie water reticulation scheme the most

noted improvement 'was the laying of the 10-inch main in Kgniont street Iroiu Devon street to the Crosvenor Hotel corner, the 3-inch cast iron main in that street being in the ease of an extensive outbrake of lire in the localit v.

Streets.- Tlie engineer trusted to be soon able to report the same progress in regard to streets as in the water and drainage schemes. Several permanent improvements had been effected, as in Morlcy and Liardet streets and (Wield road, whilst Fulford and Vivian streets were under way. Owing to the deviation of the railway extensive worka were required in Gover, Leach, Liardet, (Jill, and Vivian streets and Carrington road. The cost of work required in (Jovcr street and Leach street as far as ; Cameron street would be £295, and in Leach street west about £570. Jtotli these works were very neeeasary to afford the l>est outlet for sewer purposes lor Cameron street. f.Jover street would be materially improved, and the borough would .secure another fine street in Leach street, opening up some valuable Heetfons. After the improvementin these streets Liardet street could very well be taken in hand, and upon the completion of that work it would Ik* possible to effect considerable improvements in Carrington road by raising it at its intersection with Vivian street, and in conjunction with this I a king (Hit one of the most dangerous places in town, opposite Mr. ltauchope s property. The deviation of the railway would also involve the formation, sooner or later, of llobson street and filling-in the portion between Courtenav and Lemon streets. A considerable outlay would !*• required in m the near future.

Mr. Kendall considered that a pro* givsMve policy in regard to metalling streets kerbing and channelling and asrhilting footpaths would make a marked improvement in the appearance of the town.

Concluding, he stated that the total expenditure under hi s direction in the twenty-one month* was £73!)3 Os lOd. o( which CHIS 1 l:ts ."nl was spent up to December 3M. cisni !l s Sd in I In* next ye:ir: and t2-l."l> ] s Hd in the lir-i llin-e nioiilli- of ihis \ear.