MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1825, 28 October 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

The following report was read at the meeting of the above Board on Saturday last : Sir,—l have the honor herewith to lay before you my report on the works completed and in progress during the past mouth in the Masterton and Alfredton Road District as follows: Alfredton Road Districb.—l made a tour of inspection in this locality during the 17th September, and carefully examined and checked the various works in course of construction, On contract No, 6 I was disappointed to find that despite the contractor's assertion to the contrary, the various defects which it was required of him he should rectify, had, in some cases, been only partially performed, and in others had been entirely unremedied. In consequence of this I have advised that it will be necessary that he comply with the requirements of his contract, and that until the works are faithfully fulfilled I cannot recommend any further payments, On contracts Nos. 4 and 5 work has been much retarded through the exceptional amount of wet weather experienced recently in the Moioa. Notwithstanding this drawback, fair progress has been made and considerable fresh formation has been opened up, Sawyers are engaged with the preparation' of the timber for the construction of the culverts, so that with an improvement in the weather, which may be reasonably expected, this line will be opened shortly for the traffic of the eastern end of Alfredton,

Masfcerton Road District, No, 2 Ward.—The Masterton to Gladstone road formation contact let to Mr P, Can' has only recently been started, the contractor having requested permission to defer its commencement until he completed other works which he had in hand upon the date of his tender being accepted for this contract, The works, which are of a comparatively light character, will be forwarded with as much expedition as possible. On the Opaki to Rangitumau road contracts Nos. ] and 2, the earthworks are all but completed in the rough, and all that now remains to fulfil these undertakings is the final trimming up of the formation and constructing of the different culverts which will provide for the drainage of the road, The works throughout give satisfaction and reflect credit on the contractors, who have had considerable disadvantages to contend with since the commencement of the works. The construction of the bridge on this line has been carefully and efficiently performed in accordance with plan and specification, so that the temporary line through Mr Colin

McLachlan's property may now be finally abandoned and closed from traffic.

No, 3 Ward, Fernridge road.—ln furnishing my report at last sitting of the Board I inadvertently omitted any reference to this line, which, among the i many others, has suffered considerably from the floods of 2nd September." • Portions of the line have sustained more or less damage, and at one point where a heavy filling traversed an old watercourse, the embankment has been' almost entirely swept away, leaving a chasm both difficult and dangerous to crags for heavily loaded vehicles, Upon careful examination I have estimated ' that £lO judiciously expended will in a large degree tend to ameliorate the present inconveniences to which the ' j settlers using this line are subjected ■ and will recommend that this expeninß tare be authorised by the Board, Through pressure of other work during the past month I have been unable to comply with the resolutions passed respecting tho Upper Matahiwi and Upper Opaki roads, and in the case of Mr Donovan's line I have ascertained that the works necessary to repair the ' damage sustained from the late flood cannot be executed for less than £l, and will therefore request the further sanction of the Board for the expenditure of that sum, The diversion of the overflow waters of the Waipoua into the former, channel at Pirau has been proceeding during the past ten days, but owing to the continuously swollen state of the river since the commencement of the work, and consequent deepening of the present channel, the . operations have been carried out at considerably disadvantage and additional expense. The sum. authorised J|L for expenditure by the Board, amounting to £lB, has already been exhausted and the under taking is still incomplete. Under the circumstances I can only request that the Board grant a further sum sufficient to ensure the preservation of the work already performed, by opening up the channels sufficiently to provide a free outlet for the waters, This will relieve the temporary embankments at present constructed from the pressure to which they aro now subjected. The repairs to the Man-, riceville road are being pushed forward with as much expedition as possible, and the line has been reopened throughout for wheel traffic. The metalling operations so far have had to bo deferred on account of the heavy rains, which have saturated the ground and rendered it unht for heavy carting. These will however, be proceeded with so soon as the weather will permit of their being undertaken. The plans & and report dealing with the diversion of the Waipoua river at Pirau have been: duly forwarded to the County Council, and, I understand, will be dealt: with by that body at an early date.

No. 4 \Yard. —The clearing of the slips fronrn'nd otherwise repairing the Waipawa alley road is being performed by day labor under the super- j intendeuce of Mr McKenzie. Most of " the heavy slips have been cleared sufficiently to admit of the passage of wheeled vehicles, and the depressions caused by the subsidence of the heavy embankments are being made up, and the formation generally: .put in a thorough state of repair. Mr McKenzie is of opinion that the works will occupy another three weeks in their comple tion, when the line can be opened for the purpose of general traffic. My time during the past week has been employed in exciting severe criticism of the Board's action, and rendering myself generally obnoxious to the private surveyors of the district by ▼' carrying out the resolution passed at last meeting with reference to the laying off of the new Opaki race Course, Tenders will be laid before the Board this day for the metalling of the : Opaki to Rangitumau road. 7/ I am, (Sic., ' 0. E, Brenner,