COUNTY ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9066, 15 April 1908, Page 3

COUNTY ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The following report was submitted to the meeting of the Masterton County Council yesterday by the County Engineer (Mr D. Mcl.achlan): — I have the honour to submit my monthly report on works within the County. Opaki Riding. Upper Fernridge Road. —The three bridges , destroyed by fire, have been re-built, and vehicular traffic reinstated. Opaki District Road.—Contract No. 124, 113 chains of metalling, etc. From an inspection of this contract last month 1 found the work satisfactory with the exception of a few days' stone-breaking required. The contractor has now reporteJ the work complete. Contract No. 161, delivering 200 cubic yards of metal: 30 cubic yards have been delivered. Golf si Links Road.-—Contract No. 174, ft) chains of formation: The formation of the above road haa been made, and the contractor will proceed with the metalling this week, weather permitting. A 3ft by 3ft culvert on Mr A. J. Cameron's frontage has been constructed, and the necessary metalling over the culvert is being performed by Mr Connell, gratis. " Matahiwi Road.—Contracts Nos 163 and 164: 500 and 300 cubic yards, respectively, of metal for repairs, are "reported complete by the contractors. Upper Opaki Road.—Contact No. 152, 16 chains of formation, etc., with 3 chains extra taken over from the contractor. The Bide drains on the Pairau swamp end of the road Have been cleaned. Loop Line.—Contract No. 143, 16 chains of re-formation and metalling: The contractors are now on the ground, and intend to proceed vigorously. Te Whiti Riding. Te Ore Ore Road.—l have interviewed Messrs Percy Bros, with regard to the extension of the present gravel reserve. The owners intimated that they would not take less than £6O per acre for an area of from 2 to 3 acres. As this valuation seems to be excessive, and the gravel is urgently required, I have entered their property under the provision given "in the "Public Works Act," when the matter can be settled by arbitration, if necessary. Masterton-Waimata Road.—Contract No. 165, delivering, etc., 1270 cubic yards of metal for repairs. The contractor started work, from the Masterton end, last week. Pakaraka Road.—Metalling operations with Messrs Donald and Warden's teams are proceeding. Weraiti Road.—Contract No. 155, metalling, etc., 110 chains of road. About a quarter of a mile of the metal has been laid, six to eight drays being employed. Masterton-Gladstone Road.—Contract Nu. 172, delivering, etc., 570 cubic yards of metal. This work is not yet in hand, the contractor being engaged on the Golf Links Road. A 4ft by 3ft culvert on the above road collapsed. From an examination of the material I found it too decayed to admit of repairs and therefore had the culvert rebuilt. Rangitumau Riding. Wangaehu Road—Contract No. 144, 30 chains of metalling. Some stone breaking is necessary before the work can be taken off the contractor's hands. Contract No. 145, 91 chains of metalling, etc. About 9 chains of metal on the above contract has been i laid,but in view of the damage that I will result from haulage over the matalled 1 ngth, I have suspended j carli g opt rations for this season. Contract No. 160: Painting two ( bridges. The above work was re-let i to C. Bragg ins, and good progress I has been made towards completion. Kaka-amu Valley Road.—Deliver- I ing 200 cubic yards of metal, is now being proceeded with. I Upper Taueru Riding. Te Ore Ore-Bide ford Road.—Contract No. 170, building „ a 24ft span bridge. The work is reported finished ; by the contractor. J As there/is much loss in travelling ; and erecting temporary camps, I beg to suggest that a shelter whare be built in a convenient situation on the Mangapurupuru Road reserve. • Wainuioru Riding. Masterton-Waimata Road.—Contract No. 146, delivering, etc., 1790 cubic yards of metal. Owing to the difficulty in getting tenders only about a third of this work has been carried out t > date. BlairlogieiEast Coast Road.—Repairs have been effected from Kohewai to half a mile east of Blairlogie. I fear that unless exceptionally dry

weather is experienced this month, carting operations on this section will have .to cease, .as portions of the road are very weak. East Coast Road .(Kohewai Flats to Motuwaireka). Contract No. 137 V (L. and >G.,) 192 chaiais.of metalling, etc. The original contract has been curtailed by 3| chains, and an intermediate gap of about 20 chains at ' Twisty Creek has been metalled with a light coat of shingle, involving the use of 278 cubic yards of metal. The work has been satisfactorily carried out by Messrs Gadsby and Bartlett, with the exception of the final raking in of ruts. (Motuwaireka to Beaumont Mailgate). Contract No. 156 (L. and G.) 70 chains of metalling, etc. On my visit of inspection last week 20 chains of metal had been laid and an embankment containing 250 cubic yards .of earthwork .c ,m----pleted. Beaumont Mail gate to Epriama deviation.— Contract No. 140 (L. and G.)„ 144 chaise of metalling, etc The work is completed, but requires a final raking in. Waikaraka to School House.--Con-tract No. 141 (L. and G.), 134 chains of metalling, etc,, is finished and is now on maintenance. Contract No. 158.—Building two platform bridges and culvert. The above work has been finished and taken off the contractor's hands. ',. The earthwork approaches which have h,een carried on by day labour to the Patanui bridge are about complete. Contract No. 136. Building a 50ft span over the Motuwaireka stream. The work is practically .finished with the exceptidn of remedying two small defects. The earthwork approaches to same are only yet made temporarily passable for light traffic. With the approval of Cr Toogood a tender of .£177 was accepted for a roadman's cottage at Rorokoke. The material is now being delivered on to the site. Alfredton Riding. Alfredton-Weber Road- (L. and G.) Contracts Nos. 148, 149, 150, and 151, of 3,331, 76, 81f, and 81 chains of metalling, respectively, have been duly completed, maintained, and taken wlf the contractor's hands. Alfredton to foot of Boustead's Hill. Contract No. 175, delivering 300 cubic yards of tnetal for repairs, was completed last month. Hutewai Road.--35 chains of reformation and metalling with burnt papa. Having received a telegram from the contractors, Messrs Bellahaw Bros., stating that the work was finished, I paid a visit of inspection to the contract on Jie 28th ult. The contractors entered into the work without notifying me of their intention to do so, and conducted it ■without supervision. They used irom the inferior burnt kilns, metal unsuitable for the work, binding it generally with a couple of inches of well burnt material. In some cases the measurement of the layer is only half the specified thickness, and throughout the contract bears evidence of having been shirked. Under these circumstances I am unable to recommend a further payment on the work, and have intimated so to the contractors. Castle Hill Road.—Contract No. 176, delivering. 400 cubic yards of metal. The work is in progress. The balance of the loan and grant is being expended in improving the creek crossings and approaches. Surface repairs are being effected to the Saunders, Pori, and Baker Roads. • .