BOROUGH WORKS COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9035, 28 February 1908, Page 3

BOROUGH WORKS COMMITTEE.

ACTING BOROUGH ENGINEER'S REPORT.

At the meting of the Masterton Borough Works Committee, on Tuesday, the report of the Acting Borough Engineer stated, inter alia: —The work of tar macadamising in Queen Street from the Post Office east of Hall Street, southward to the west side of Perry Street, has been commenced. At the rate at which this class of metalling can be laid it is absolutely necessary, in order that the work may not be delayed, and to avoid the men standing idle, that we should be in a position to always have in hand at least a quantity of tar equal to one boiling, 'lhis would necessitate the purchase of a tank with a capacity of thereabouts 400 gallons in which the boiled tar could be stored in readiness for emergencies. I ascertained that a tank of this capacity, suitable to my requirements was available for £'< i 10s, and having regard to the fact that it was urgently required I have purchased the article, and it is now being erected. I find that notwithstanding the fact thit the steam roller has been engaged in crushing stone in readiness for the tar macadamising of Queen Street that it is unable to give an output as rapidly as my requirements demand, quite apart from the fact that the jaws of the crusher, which are at present being replaced by new castings, were not, owing to wear, equal to their former output. Apart from the question of capacity or otherwise of the engine to meet the requirements for.tar macadam and broken metal generally, I feel it my duty to call the Council's attention to what, in my opinion, is bad economy in using a plant such as the steam roller in crushing operations when a much cheaper and more suitable article could do the work, and would, moreover, release the steam roller for work more properly that for which it was purchased. I find my operations considerably hampered by the fact that when the stock of crushed metal has been exhausted, street repairing has to be suspended whilst the roller is sent back to the depot to begin crushing afresh, and my suggestion is that the Borough Council should at ones purchase a stationary engine, such, for example, as a 7-8 h.p. gas engine, which should be permanently fixed at the depot. The gas could be supplied from the Borough's gasworks, and would prove more economical in its workings than the steam rol'er, and would give as good a result in the quantity of broken metal delivered, and I would suggest that enquiries be made to see whether it would be possible to purchase a second-hand gas engine, of a reputed maker, in good order on reasonable terms, and if such could be procured that I b? authorised to purchase same. I was able to get a 50-gallon tar heater on wheels, which ha 3 been delivered and set to work.

It was decided to make temporary arrangements for a suitable engine for stone-crushing purposes.

The report was adqpted