EKETAHUNA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 March 1940, Page 7

EKETAHUNA

COUNTY AFFAIRS ENGINEER'S REPORT. ("Times-Age” Special.) Reporting to the Eketahuna County Council at its monthly meeting on Friday, the engineer, Mr W. Duffill, stated. inter alia: — Contract No. 115. Napier's Bridge East. —This work is now well on toward completion and the bridge has been completed. The formation to the western approach is finished and some 400 c.yds only remain to be placed on the eastern side to complete the main filling, whilst the work of forming the Tiraumea end of this approach is in hand. Contract No. 119. Hare’s Road Bridges. The contractor continues to make good progress with the exception of the road formation in each case, he has completed Morriss’s and the factory culverts, together with the diversion channels to each, and traffic is passing over same. A start has been made with the school bridge. No. 555 highway. Opportunity has been taken to improve some of the more dangerous corners on the hill section of the highway, and these have been metalled. No. 63 highway. A blind corner near the Pleckville bridge was improved and metalled, giving visibility and greater width. Acting upon the decision of the council at its last meeting, application was made to the Highways Board for permission to transfer moneys from the No. 555 highway to No. 62 highway, with a view to commencing the more urgently necessary reconstruction work on the latter from the end of the present sealing at the borough boundary eastwards. Advice is to hand from the board that this request cannot be acceded to. No. 442 highway, Perry’s Culvert. Survey plans and specifications for this work have been completed. The proposal includes, over a length of some 20 chains, the elimination of four of the worst corners on the highway. Priest’s Road Culvert. Work on this job has been seriously hampered by the consistently high water levels in the creek, but is now well on toward completion.

Riding Work. East Riding: Mangaone C. East. Three dangerous corners on the hill section were cut back. Mangaoronga. Further slipping occurred on the recently widened Cemetery Hill portion, and these were removed with the shovel. Hamua-Rongomai. A light slip occurred on Carruthers Hill, and the shovel was brought in to remove this also. Mangaone C. West. A subsidence occurred in the gorge section and was repaired, and a new culvert laid at this point. The section of the road from Brittain’s Hill westwards is very thin and a start has been made to metal it from the Blue Pit. West Riding. Further scouring of the Mangatainoka River at the Stirling Bridge has taken place during the period, but although the position requires close attention, no danger to the bridge has yet occurred. Alfredton Riding: Castle Hill: A dangerous section near the road Whare, together with the metalling of the badly worn section near Dickens' is being put in hand immediately. The suspension bridge on this road is showing signs of weakness, and repair work is being put in hand. Mangatakatd. The clay section in to Koce's was shaped up and metalled to afford an allweather access.

Engineer's Residence: The work is now practically completed, and the final cost as outlined in the treasurer's report was £1495. The unit cost of the house per square foot of floor space worked out at 20/2, as against the figure of 22/3 represented by the lowest tender. The work was done by day labour. The report was adopted-. Social Evening. On Saturday evening Mr and Mrs A. Ramsay and Mr J. Ammundsen, Stanley Street, entertained a large number of friends in honour of Seaman Munro Ramsay, who is on leave. Mr B. McAlister presided. Appropriate toasts to the occasion were honoured, interspersed by vocal items contributed by Messrs W. Steer, S. Daniel. W. Hooper, A. Golder, B. Lobban, T. Byers. J. Ammundsen and A. Ramsay. Supper was served, after which Mr McAlister voiced the appreciation to the hosts for the enjoyable evening. f Personals. Mr and Mrs Eric Preston. Wellington, have returned home after spending a few days with the former’s parents. Parkville. Mrs G. R. S. Allen. Sydney, who has been visiting her parents, Mr and Mrs J. Jewitt. Newman Road, returned home on Friday. Mr Ron Crocker. Masterion. and formerly of Eketahuna, has left for Sydney to visit his brother. Mr James Crocker. A dance in aid of the Patriotic funds will be held in the hall tonight. The visiting seamen will be the guests of the evening.