COUNTY AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1938, Page 9

COUNTY AFFAIRS

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNCIL. ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN. The chairman, Mr R. E. Gordon Lee, presided at the monthly meeting of the Masterton County Council, held yesterday. Others present were:— Councillors W. I. Armstrong, P. R. Welch, G. Moore, J. Donald, H. H. Mawley, and J. W. Colquhoun. The District Engineer, Public Works Department, forwarded details of the procedure to be adopted in submitting samples of bituminous materials for testing, prior to its use on sealing works.

The Commissioner of Transport wrote seeking the co-operation of the council in the organisation of the National Road Safety Week, which commenced on December 2, by displaying “Road Safety Strips” on motor lorries owned by the council and the distribution of leaflets.

The Clerk, Mr J. C. D. Mackley, said the council had co-operated with the Masterton Borough Council in the distribution of stickers and leaflets forwarded by the department. The chairman said they could only hope that people would take notice of the campaign and be more careful in the future than they had been in the past.

A resolution was passed affixing the seal of the council to the survey plans in connection with the land to be acquired for road purposes on the Goodland’s Bridge to Bennett’s Hill section of the Masterton-Castlepoint Main Highway A letter was received from the State Forest Service thanking the council for its co-operation in the matter of controlling fires adjacent to forest areas and stating that the council’s suggestion regarding painted signboards had been anticipated and the Forest Ranger at Masterton would call at the first opportunity to discuss the matter. The engineers, Messrs Seaton, Sladden and Pavitt, forwarded the drawings and specifications of the road improvement works on the MastertonStronvar Main Highway, as approved by the Main Highways Board. The engineers also forwarded drawings and specifications for Jackson’s Road bridge, Kiriwhakapapa Road bridge and Te Ore Ore ’Settlement Road bridge and stating thatyin each case everything was now ready for the calling of tenders. Mr Mackley said the total estimated cost of the three bridges was £3,500. The chairman: “We have the plans but not the money, so we cannot call for tenders.”

The ranger reported having dealt with 13 head of cattle during the month. Fees collected amounted to 15s, making the total received to date £l4 3s.

A report was submitted on a meeting with the ratepayers of the Upper Taueru Riding when a proposal to raise a loan over the riding for certain works was discussed. It was decided to accede to the request of the ratepayers that the Minister of Public Works be invited to a meeting of the ratepayers concerned at Bideford. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineers, Messrs Seaton, Sladden and Pavitt, reported as follows: — No. 63 Masterton-Weber Main Highway: Deviation and culvert at 10.65 miles: The excavation for the culvert is nearly completed. All the steel bent to shape has been delivered to the site. No. 64 Masterton-Castlepoint Main Highway: Goodlands Bridge to Bennett’s Hill section: Reconstruction and sealing: The priming of the portion of road between “Otahoua” homestead and the foot of Bennett’s Hill will be done during the coming week, excepting a short length of 3 chains which requires further consolidation by traffic before priming is done. No. 65 Masterton-Stronvar Main Highway: Weraiti Corner to Lee’s Road: Reconstruction and sealing om. Ochs, to lm. 13chs.: The priming of this section has been done. No. 65 Masterton-Stron-var Main Highway: Weraiti Hill road improvement: Steady progress has been made during the month. The big filling near McKenzie’s at lm. 45chs. has been completed. Grading and shaping the road from om. to Ochs, to om. 52 chs. and from lm. Ochs. to lm. 38chs. is being done and it is proposed to move the plant to the big cutting at om. 50chs. and excavate limestone for metalling these portions before Christmas. This programme will enable the existing roadway at the top of the hill to remain intact during the holidays. Homewood Road Deviation at 36 miles: The formation and metalling has been completed. Traffic is using the deviation. Waihora Road: Access to A. E. Taplin’s: The formation has been completed. A good job has been made.