STREET WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1921, Page 5

STREET WORKS.

PROGRESS IN NEW PLYMOUTH. LAST MONTH’S OPERATIONS. FUNDS NEARLY EXPENDED. The progress of street works in New Plymouth during January was dealt with in the monthly report of the general manager (Mr. F. T. Bellringer), which was received at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council. The report also dealt with items authorised, with particular reference to the amount of funds which were available during the present financial year. The report stated:— Owing to the stringency of the borough finances practically the only works of any moment undertaken during the mpnth were the re-surfacing of various tarred streets throughout the borough. The position of these works are set out in the following report received from the borough engineer on (he 11th inst.: “Very shortly the tarring chargeable to the general account will be completed so far as this season’s work is concerned. The roads to be dealt with include Carrington (probably whole length), Powderham, and a short length of Courtenay (east end). As I understand funds are not available yet to deal with tarring out of loan, *in all probability from 8 to 9 days will see the tar work finished. Mangorei, Vivian and Liardet Streets are being left over until next year, with a possible exception of doing approximately 15 feet wide in Liardet Street from Leach Street to Courtenay Street. In Gover Street a short length of 5 chains is also likely to be treated ip similar manner.”' Before the gang is disbanded, however, there are certain streets constructed out of loan with the view to being sealed later. This cannot without, grave risk be left another season, and as money has been retained in the various loans to complete them I would* recommend that authority be given for the work.

£lO,OOO LOAN. The following street is ready for (Sealing: Lemon, from Eliot to Hobson, estimated cost £216. In addition, I recommend the following works to be authorised: Courtenay Street, from Hobson to Watson, metalling and sealing; estimated £456. This is the only portion of Powderham and Courtenay Streets, from Dawson to Watson, which is not completed. It is the route over which the great majority of the funerals from the central and western portions of the town proceed. It was intended to tar-seal this several years ago, but being left, it has since broken up. Provision was made in the £lO,000 loan for the work.

Footpath Vote, £2ooo.—Of this £1265 has been spent, leaving a balance of £735. I recommend that this amount oe expended in asphalting the footpath on the . north side of Devon Street from Washboume’s garage to Hobson Street. This footpath is in the main street, and in addition to being an eyesore is a source of endless expense. Bein? construct jd of inferior gaol gravel in winter it is extremely muddy and in summer it is fine dust. It has, received attention three times this year to my knowledge. If these works are authorised the position of the £lO.OOO loan would be as follows: —Balance of loan after allowing for outstanding liabilities £2000; Lemon Street as above (tar-sealing), £216; Courtenay Street, Hobson to Watson, £456; St. Aubyn. widening, £221; Devon Street .paths, £492; balance of authorised work in Gover Street, £351; contingencies on above, £264; total, £2060. This, of course, means the closing of this loan and that any other votes in the loan not spent will of necessity lapse. In my opinion, however, the works I have mentioned are more urgent than any of the other works in the loan schedule. £3OOO LOAN.

Work on Outfield Road hill which was discontinued some time ago will now be recommended. The vote was £516 plus £B6 for additional cutting down. Of this £149 2s 6d was expended to the 31st January. The authority included metalling this road with gaol gravel. With the inferior gravel now being obtained from the gaol pit I am satisfied that it would be sheer waste of money to place this material on this road. I therefore recommend that ordinary macadam be substituted. The extra cost is estimated at £284. If the above recommendation bo adopted the position of this loan should be: Cr. balance, January 31, 1921, £932; held for Hendrie Street storm water tunnel, £257; Cutfield Road, £BB9 (less £149 spent) £740—£997. £66 will therefore have to be provided from the general account, or the Hendrie Street vote reduced bv that amount.

£57,000 LOAN. In the allocation of the funds of this loan available as shown in my report of October last, £1126 was shown as available for street works, after allowing for works then In course of construction and for liabilities incurred. Since then the sum of £2400 has been received from the sale of debentures. Against this must be placed the work in Dartmoor streets subsequently authorised amounting to £2493. In the figures given in October of the cost of the third coat of tar-sealing of the streets set out in the schedule to the report it was admitted at the time the work would not be required for 18 and it was thought there was ample time for more debentures to be sold. The following summary of the above figures will set out the position dearly. Amount shown as available in October, 1920, £1126; debentures since sold, £2400; total available, £3526. Dart- ! moor streets subsequently authorised, 1 £2193; balance available, omitting i third coat work, £1033, total £3526. I The third coat work will absorb more than the balance of £1033 shown, but it will still be twelve months before the streets affected are in condition to receive the third coat. In the meantime other streets laid down for tar-sealing will go to ruin, and it seems to me that the council must take the risk of no further debentures being sold during the ensuing twelve months and utilise for the most urgent work the money now available. The borough engineer and I, taking all the circumstances into consideration, are satisfied that the following are the most urgent works and recommend that they be authorised to be undertaken. USE GF BITUMEN. Hobson Street, Devon to Courtenay, 3 coats tar. £l2O 12s; Hobson Street, Devon to Gill, metalling, £lB9 ss; tarring deleted from loan but essential, £l2O 12s; Vivian Stfeet, 3 coats work, 1 1 Barrington to Robe, £ 331 13®; Wgtton. I

Courtenay to Lemoii Street, 3 coats work, £200; Pendarves Street, Liardet to Carrington, 3 coats work. £113; I’.liot, Devon to Gill, tarring 3 coats, £9O Gill" Street, Liardet to Gover. £244 ,3s; total £1409 14s. As shown the amount available is only £1033 and the authorities recommended exceed this by £376. The above estimates are all for 3 coats work, and as the third coat cannot be put on for twelve months the amount available should be sufficient to give all the streets mentioned two coats, in the hope that when the time comes for the third coat the necessary funds may perhaps be available. In supplementing the latter portion of the above report, the general manager stated that the engineer had in view a proposal to use bitumen for the second coat, and this might obviate the necessity of putting on a third coat,' as bitumen had proved very satisfactory for the work. After consideration of the report (he council decided to proceed with Iho works as reconnnended in the report, and if wet weather intervenes, inteyfering with tar work, to ('(unmeaci' the metalling of Courtenay Street (from Hobson to Watson Street) and Uso in Hobson Street (Devon to Gill Sir.- , .). Cr. Short enquired if nn\t ■•’io'? was proposed in regard to irv 1 . : : th> Carrington RorTT footpaths, u '• : , d that some improvement, was : . .try. even if tarring could not he J .a* The general manager replied t . :]»’•; work was provided for in the '7.o' , ‘) loan schedule, bat un.'.'r’ J. councillors knew, the who'e money had not been raised. Hi. thought that perhaps in t'io p ;t v ij.. council had devoted a of attention to roads, to the 1. . af the footpath®