MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9145, 22 July 1908, Page 3

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

REPORT OF ACTING TOWN CLERK AND BOROUGH ENGINEER.

The Acting Town Clerk and Borough Engineer reported, inter alia, to the meeting of the Borough Council Works Committee on Monday, July i 4th:—The work of kerbing and channelling Queen Street South to Crayne Street is proceeding, as also the regrading of Queen Stivet outh from the Makora Creek northwards. The work of metalling the new formation of Queen gftreet South has suffered retardation during the last few days owing to suspension of crushing operations, due to fixing new crusher jaws recently imported from England. The new jaws are now in position and crushing operations has been resumed with satisfactory results. The plans for the Makora Road extension are now complete! in draft, but do not advise th'i carrving out of the work of road formation until more settled weather obtains. The repairs to River Road are now approaching completion. The instructions received as to path formations and repairs in Macara, Michael Dixon, Essex, Dixon, Masonic, Sussex,.and Chapel Streets and Worksop Road have been completed or are in near completion. LiUructiona have been given for the extension of the water main in Jean Street. I have again looked into the qi33tion of the request for advice as t.i what is required to the footpath in High Street intersected by Kuripuni Street and Dixon Street, and 1 repeat that so far as I can see the requirements of the locality are met by the existing footpath. However, to provide a concrete kerb and channel it wil' be necessary to expend some £35; to coat the path with gravel an additional £5 or alternately tir pave an additional £2l. If 1 am right in assuming tnat the Borough Council de3ire to permanently improve this particular locality then in my opinion to effect that object something beyond wnai I have now estimated should he done. My view of what is reqiired is a continuation of the kerb a id channel from the Creek along the High Street on both sides northwards to a point at bast alignable with Kuripuni Street and a tar path formed on both sides. The whole of tno intersecting land at the triangle now open to vehicular traffic should than be brought to a camber common ta the intersections of South and Hi?h Streets therewith properly metalled and to effect this object will involve the Borough Council in an inclusive expenditure of approximately £l2O. I have looked into the question of the* co'ud'tion of Pownall Street, and I found on the date of my visit the conditions to be even ,worae than I imagined. It appears that a previous Council disturbed the natural soil in a number of places with the object of lowering the permanent level so as to provide for its intersection with Renall and Cornwall Streets, q,nd having done so changed its mind, and/for some reasrn left the road severely alone. The naturally ensuing from such a proceeding is that in those places the road is alternately either an impassable water channel or an impossible mud track quite untraversable. The natural surface next to

thy fence lines has been resorted to • by vehicular traffic, and although not in quits such a bad condition, is only I traversable with great difficulty, and 1 imagine quite impossible to women aid children. I do not consider it wise to attempt to effect any permanent worlc on this road at this season of the year, but I do consider I that the Borough Council should pro- I vicb at least a five-foot path alon? I both sides of the fence lines, the cost of which (£27) might be charged to ban. I recommend that this work ba put in hand at once, as. there are residences with a frontage along the straet from which the occupants ca i only reach Cornwall Street or Renall Street by traversing a wretched mud track. Reporting further upon the expenditure un boundary roads, I now find that the expanditure of the Borough Council in respect of which no contribution has baen made by the County, relates to a period from the month of January t> the month of October, 1907, and totals £136 3s 6d. I understand that no claim has been made upon the County in respect of this expenditure, and I presume the Council will now instruct me to apply to the County Council within the terms of section 213, pub section 3 of the Municipal Corporations Act for a reasonable contribution in respect of this expenditure. As to the footpath in High Street intersected by Kuripuni and Dixon Streets, it was resolved, on the motion of Cr Morris, seconded by Cr Pauling, that the proposed works be limited to kerbing and channelling, and that the footpath intersected by Kuripuni Street an J Dixon Street; and on the motion of Cr Pauling, seconded by Cr Ewington, that the iroad be treated with such broken 'metal as is necessary in the opinion of the Engineer to produce surface drainage. As to Pownall Streat, on the motion of Cr Hunter, seconded by Cr Morris, it was resolved that the operations be limited to a footpath on the west side. As to expenditure on boundary roads, it was resolved on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Hunter, that a claim be preferred against the j County Council for a moiefcy of the expenditure, amounting to £136 3s 6d down to September 26'.h.