WORK OF THE BOROUGH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9095, 22 May 1908, Page 3

WORK OF THE BOROUGH.

The Acting-Town Clerk reported, inter alia, to the meeting of the Mastertonßorough Council, last evening, as follows: — Since my last report seven chains of Queen street, north of Post Office, has been treated to a coat of ordinary macadam, and I propose to continue this work to the foot of the bridge, the Borough boundary some three chains' in excess of that for which I have instructions. Such a course is, in my opinion, desirable otherwise the repairs, stopping short as it will of that point, will give the road, already bad, an extenuated appearance of disrepair. The cost of so ( treating Queen street approximates to £l3 per chain. I estimate the difference between that sum and the provision made the tar macadam, i.e., £1? (£3O was my estimate) will be adequate for a topdressing of that material, which will, as outlined in my last report, be applied so soon as suitable weather permits. The committee are probably aware that at intersecting carriage entrances across paved footpaths 1 am omitting kerbing, where .formerly box eulverting was provided. I am pursuing this course because, in my opinion, three desirsiole results are achieved: -(1) That the flow of water, to carry which the channel is provided, will not be subject to obstruction as is experienced

where the former practice ia in vo r »ue. (2). That the eulverting is liable to yretain offensive matter. (3). That in each case, and they are many, the occupiers or owners or the Council, are not put to an expense which in the circumstance is in my view vexatious. I propose, as weather conditions permit, to consolidate the loose metal on such streets as Cole, Sussex and Pownall, which, in my opinion, should not have been taken over by the Borough in that condition. The most recent of that rlass of dedication is Cassel street,

and I again urge upon tho Council, ' that which I have formerly pressed for, i.e., the adoption of a higher standard of requirement the private streets bye-law. The present system immediately results either in obliging your residents to travers.i a rough metalled track called a road or a footpath, as the case may be inlmitely worse than would be the casts if the soil were left in its virgin state and no provision whatever 13 made for surface drainage, or the ratepayers as a whole must be n 11 *: to an expense not inconsiderable which in equity should certainly rail upon th 9 person or body uedicating. The additional co3t of forming a road which would be reasonably suitable for a township such as Masterton is now becoming, as against the present unfinished cost, chain per chain, is so little w,i jii in course of construction, that the constructors cannot urge increased cost hs a valid objection. The work of replacing the six-inch snwer in Lincoln road has been commenced.