COUNTY COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4245, 9 August 1882, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

The following report was read at th» meeting of the County CouncjX^^s afternoon:— ~-

Iv all the Ridings of the County the number of uipn authorised have been employed, except in the IVara Riding, where tbe number of men employed during the two previous months exceeded the number authorised. The weather during the past month has been exceptionally bad, and nearly all tbe roads in the Ccuafcy are in an almost impassable condition. The number of men authorised is totally inadequate for the length of roads requiring maintenance and repair, even if all tbe roads were of proper width and metalled. On the Tapu road the men have been employed in removing slips, which have been very numerous during the month. In the Waiotahi Kidiug repairs have been effected ou the Moana* t.iri, Waiotabi, aud Collarbone roads. The whole of the upper portion of the Waiotahi Creek road has ■ beeu untouched during the month, although large quantities of payable quartz are ready to be sent to the batteries. No reasonable expenditure, however, would clear, repair, and maintain this road so long as the presept weather continues. The portion of the footpath up the Waiotahi, referred to iv my last report, has slipped as anticipated, and the footpath is now impassable. Three dams have been constructed in the Waiotahi Creek at a cost of about £24, and they will be the means of considerably increasing the security of dangerous portions of the Waiotahi main road. 1 would recommend the construction of other two dams at a cost of about £15. In the Kauaeranga Riding men have been employed in effecting repairs on such roads and culverts as required it most. Metal has been spread in Rolleston street and Earaka Road where required. The ap« proach to Grey street bridge has been made good during the month and repairs have been made on the main Parawai road and footpaths of the riding. In the Totara riding very little work has been done during the month. The Ohiuemuri main road is in a. very bad state, but till better weather sets iv no expenditure within the means of the Council would maintain it in passable condition. Two men are employed on the Tairua road in repairing the worst places. In the Ohinemuri Riding men have been employed on the Eatikati road between Mackaytown and Owharoa, but between those two places the road is almost impassable. To take as much of the traffic as possible off the main road, the old road has been repaired for pack horse and foot traffic. One man has been employed on the Te Aroha road repairing the worse places. The contractor for filling the road on the large swamp between Paeroa and Rotokohu has done little or no work. The contract time expired on the 28th July and only one«fourth of the work has been done. The weather, however, has been so bad during the last two months, and. the swamp has on several occasions been so flooded that to work was impossible. A road with.the best grades available is being laid out between the Man^akara Creek crossing and the Waitekaurfbattery. The contractor for the two sections of the Otanui road is proc:cding fairly with his work, taking the weather into considerav tion.-Ai.EX. Aitken, County Surveyor.