COUNTY COUNCIL WEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 161, 16 May 1879, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL WEST.

Engineer's Report. Masicrton, 13th May, 1879. The Chairman of the Wairarapa West County Council. Sir,—l bog to submit the following brief Report on the County works : Makakahi Bridges: Forty Mile. Bush Road.—The bridge at the lower crossing of the Makakahi river is open for traffic, but not quite completed. The erection of the bridge at the upper crossing is now proceeded with. Mangaoneßlock: Ekataluma to Alfredton Road.—The contractor for the first section of this road is pushing on with the work of formation in a satisfactory manner. Tenders were called for the second section of this road (one mile and fen chains), ; but as only one was received it was thought advisable to call. for fresh tenders. These fresh tenders, and also tenders for the third section (one mile and sixty chains), aro advertised to be received on the 21st inst. These contracts include all necessary culverts, but not bridges. One bridge of 70 feet span will required on the second section, and one of 70ft., two of 00ft,, and one of 50ft. on the third section. The road will be of little use until these bridges are built, as the banks of the several streams are high and steep. Forty Mile Bush Bridge.—l recently examined the bridges on the Forty Mile Bush Road. Nearly all of them are more or less rotten; they are failing much more rapidly than I anticipated they would, when I examined them about six months ago. Several of them are in a very bad condition, and may fail altogether any day. I noticed threo in particular which require immediate attention. No. 1 is 100 feet long; the poles aro rotten at the surface of the ground, and the weight of embankments has thrust some of them out of position. No. 2is 54 feet long ; the poles are rotten at the surface of the ground, and one of the wings has been forced away by weight of embankment. No. 3 is 35 feet long, and spans, a deep creek with a considerable flow of water in in it. The piers of this bridge are propped

up in a temporary'manner, arid two of the wing walls are forced awayf'from the end piers by the weight of em&mkment,' Dixon's Contract:'Te Ore .Ore Road,— No work-has been dono on [his contract forsome time, aiid the workmen have all left the ground. The time for the com--1 pletion of the contract expired on the Ist i inst

j McKenzie's Contract: Te Ore Ore Road—The works on this contract are being executed in a satisfactory manner ; at the same rate of progress tho contract will be completed within the specified time. . '..

I expect to be in a position to call for tenders for a fourth section of the Ekatahuna to Alfredton road, and three miles .of the Rangitumau bridle track within a •fortnight. Manawatu and Mangatainoko Ferries.—

I have forwarded the necessary materials for repairing the punts at those ferries, and I will get tho repairs made as soon possible. 1 have the honor to be Sir, Your obedient servant, John King. [Copy of letter to Minister of Public Works, re payments,] Wairarapa, May, sth, 17V9. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works, Wellington.

Sir,—l have the honor to request your attention to the extremely unsatisfactory manner in which payments of amounts due to this County on special votes are being made, as unless some better plan can be adopted it is quite impossible for the County to carry on with efficiency and economy the work it has undertaken. In the present state .of the money market it of the utmost importance that contrac-'. tors should be paid promptly, and if this could be depended upon there would be very much greater competition for any tenders advertised than can be the case when the contractors find from experience that the party is unable to pay for the work as amounts fall due. It is now about a month since vouchers to the amount of about £2,700 were sent in with a request for immediate attention, and yet I have just received a letter from the County Clerk informing me that nothing has been received, and that he has consequently been obliged to retain a large number of cheques for amounts due to contractors which have been signed and ready for issue the moment the necessary amount is at the credit of tho

toimty Fund, but which cannot be mcl

till then, as tiie Bank refuses to allow the Fund to be overdrawn. You will at once seo that such a position is a most unsatisfactory one for the County to be placed in, and that whatever the cause of delay may be, it ought to be provided against in the future. So far as lam aware all the requirements of the Treasury and Audit Departments have been complied with, though I may here point out that

some of them are of the most vexatious and absurdly impracticable character. As, for instance, when the engineer in charge is required to certify " that all moneys received have been expended." As this can, I am sure, only be required in ignorance of the practical difficulty of complying with it, I hope it will not be insisted on in future, when I explain that the engineer'cannot possibly know anything

whatever about the state of the accounts, and that as he is constantly employed in distant parts of the district with which communication involves long delay, all that can really be done is for the Treasurer to send him a statement with a re-

quest to sign, and he ib obliged to do so, though ho knows nothing about it except through the Treasurer, and therefore it appears to me that the statement had far better be sent by the' Treasurer to your Department direct, as.he would,then be immediately responsible; lflr- : . its '.Correctness. The condition that all amounts re; ceived shall b.e.<;ertified.as, "expended' Mfore a fresh payment'is made obviously cannot be complied with now that such, payments are mado in advance, as it is clearly impossible for the 'Treasurer to

apply for the exact item which will be required,to meet accounts which he has not received, and.tliorefore there must always be a balance to credit or debit of 'each

vote in the County Books till the whole amonnt is expended, when a full statement can be furnished to the Treasury, Hoping that this application may lead

to a more satisfactory arrangement being made with regard to future payments, and that the amounts expended to May be passed to the credit of County Fund at once. I have the honor to be, Sir, _ Your obedient servant, C. PIUMZYN.