WAIEARAPA NORTH COUNTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3206, 16 May 1889, Page 2

WAIEARAPA NORTH COUNTY.

ENGINEER'S REPORT,

The following is the Engineer's ' report presented at the monthly meeting of the Wairarapa North County Counoil on Tuesday: - Masterton Biding.— Masterton to Waimata Road—Contract No/ U (road forniatiou and metalling). The works on this contract were sufficiently' advanced by the end of April to admit of its being thrown open to the use of the public on that date. Since then' she Burface. .haß been metalled throughout, and it is nowreported to roe thatthe remainder of the work has been fully completed. I propose visiting tho ground tomorrow for the purpose of inspection. I have communicated with Mr John Morrison of Blairlogie with respect to the leasing an; i acre 'of of 'land belonging to 'him,"' and which is ! situated to the rear of the toll buildings at Taueru, and have ascertained from thafcgeiitleman that he is prepared; tcj lease it to the CounojUrorn year to year upon the Counoil ;■' fenoing half the opoii boundary on one side of the property.

andvvpaying-rtliajvaiinual .collectablefromthesdme. ; recommend that the Council engage to'lease'it on tbfeae/terms: so ."'as, to provide a sufficient area' for 'grazing' I the roadman's horse ahd cow. ; The only ground at present available for | this purpose is a small patch of a I little oyer an aore, -the- remnant "''of the-ferry reserve on the bank-of4he jTaueruriver.: ..','"'. :;.::•;;;;

Waingawa to Camp ; connection with a fire which threatened destruction of; a portion of. the I Waingawa bridge a -short, time ago/-1 would-recommend the Council the proposals ombodied on the attached sheet for recognising the services of 'those who assisted in extinguishing it;,-' '■'.•■' '-. " ;v.'----

i ';Castlepoint Eiding.-Ma'sterion to Witimata road, contractNo-86(road metalling): The .metalling works of this contract have been completed and a man is still employed plearuig put and finishing up the'ditches anS water tables, upon fulfilment'if wliioh will be taken .over'by the Council, The additions to the dam-in-the Wliareama river have been finished and the work as'a whole is'jif a strong and substantial character.''\.o:

Alfredton Hiding.—EfietaUuna to Tinui road (Eketahuna to. Tiraumea section),' contract' No' 20,' formation: The contractor has reported-tome tnat_ this work was.!finished 6n : ; tlie 4th fast. I have hot; however;'as yet been able to examine it, but will take an early opportunity of doing bo, Opaki to Manawatu Road.—The .metalling contracts throughout this line aro now finished, and the peiv mahent men are' employed in stone breaking arid trimming over the sur. face of the work. The' approaches'to the public pound pd police.'station; works authorised by the Council at its last sitting, have also been'constructed and both reformatories are therefore more accessible, for the reception of their respective charges. Contract No 25. (survey of Eketahuna township road,) I am unable to report any further progress with this work since last sitting of the Council. Attached to this report will be found my proposals with estimates for the maintenance -and improvement of the County roads for the current year. The items contained in these provide for tho supply of additional materials required for the preservation of the road surfaces, together with the cost of labor of the ordinary labor staff of the Council, Among the former a considerable sum it will be observed is required for sheeting a number of bridges in the Masterton riding, which \ from constant use during a number of years, are now in a dilapidated and unsound condition. This work I propose to perform with red birch planking in place of the timbers hitherto omployed in the district for this purpose viz., totara, white, yellow and red piue; these latter, after fair trials have proved beyoi'i doubt both expensive and ineffectual in'maintaining them in sound and serviceable order. In addition to actual service works I have provided for other necessary requirements such as painting of bridges and roadmen's cottages, and hi the • Castlepoint riding, for alterations and improvements to short lengths of road, from the present undesirable state of which the public now suffer considerable discomfort and inconvenience. The expenditure of last-year's separate rates within the different ridings has been chiefly devoted to improvements of the road surfaces, and in restoring old bridges and culverts, and marked improvements have reaultedto the special benefit of the section upon which this outlay has been made. In the Alfredton riding a portion of the separate rate, supplemented by votes from the Alfredtonßoad Board, have been spent in forming and draining the 'extension of. ."the i ; main line towards Tiraumea,.work which will materially facilitate communication between the back country and the railway terminus at Eketahuna, by prording. a good serviceable road, for what previously was a dangerous and impracticable dray track, Upon the portion of the Opaki to Manawatu road within this county,, considerable difficulty was experienced during last winter in keeping the surface in a proper state of repair with the funds placed at my disposal from 'the proceeds of the toll at Hastwells,- Since the mutilation of the road by the Government railway works the annual expenditure has proved no more than sufficient to prevent it becoming absolutely impassable, and this only by concentrating the outlay to the north of the Railway termiuus, thus necessarily depriving the southern section iu some measure of its requisite amount of attention. In consequence of this the length betwoen Opaki and Dreyer's Rock, a distance of six miles, has materially deteriorated from its former standard, and will require a full measure of consider' ation during the current year if the line is to be maintained in that state of efficiency which the rapidly increasing settlement of the surrounding lands will demand, It is satisfactory to be able to report that in all excepting the Akitio riding the i expenditure upon maintenance has been kept within >the amounts passed by the Council in May, 1888, and that in' eaoh riding with, this one exception a small credit balance remained when the accounts were closed for the year. The overdraft in the Akitio riding it will be remembered was sanctioned by the Council to meet-works of an urgent character and for the want of which through traffic, along the coast line was at the .time, somewhat embarassed.. The permanent labor staff have given general satisfaction in the performance of their various duties, and have in many instances displayed interest and intelligence in oases where work oi a special character has had to be performed, I havo on previous occasions, brought under _ the special notice of the Council the serious proportions the willow nuisance is assuming in various parts of the district, it will therefore be unnecessary for me to further enlarge on the question beyond pointing out that dunng last winter the very serious injury inflicted on the newly metalled portion of the Tinui to Manawa road was dirootly attributable to the contracted state of the Wbareania" river bed by. !bo overgrowth of willows in that locality. It will be necessary during the current year to make provision for the Construction of two new bridges to replace those at present spanning the lower' crossings of ; the ; Kopuaranga and Wangaehu rivers. The existing structures, which had been built originally of timber of inferior quality, have- been in use now for maiiy' years and are rapidly developing such serious symptoms of decay chat it-has < beep '.necessary one instance, to ; limit the height of i than'pne l oc'caSipri,;t6',prevent > 'a l '.total ; collapse of'the, bridge.; In -corinec-; '.' tion with the Kopuaranga bridge, i although to frail tor heavy freiglit t it ;i

'is;tßtiil : ; foirip capablevof i any: %ht : forjthe present :winter^TheiTOks ; performed past year; have been^franjmpbrtaht-;::--i character iii so far as the" t .■ of road coramuniqatipnjn theiisjtrict:;':- 7 is concerned.'/ Louglengths;of^road; ; « hitherto/' inapassable ;inVthe; v winter.;™ have beehlaiddownvwithMeilAanjiJ V;/the notoriously dangeroufi sections;of:;;'; 1 ;/ the' Jastertpn.-tb .W^aimata.line^neaf' v££ Kahumingi'. liaye :^Weny) ; Mirely;;v;/' abandoned/givihgplace:to alterationey f; ■ by whiob a considerable saving'in '; :; distance anda vastjmprovemerit;in■£;'■gradieht have been sepurMi-j'i think 1 'J it will he generally admiPdi'that the outlay on these works id calculated to be of a highly reproductive oharacter, not .only to .the interests directly involved; but also generally .to those of ■ the Mastei'ton. distHofc; at ; large*. In addition to the Council's loan expenditure upon the;, main lines, works to the. value, .of >£1709 have been exeouted under the' direction and supervision of the Council for several: of the Eoad Boards, upon various -lines of road forinore expeditious performance of which, and ,\vith the Council's \ sanction,',' a ' small'; 1 ''amount of extraneous assistance was employed. The wheel tire' bylaws have as usual ,„, largely contributed 'to the protection m U the roads from abuse during the Pr winter season, and are" beyond doubt one of the most successful measures ..■■;..; introduced by the Oounoil r for; ; improving the means of communioa- ///:- tion by themaitfroads. of the- County. With reference to a question which /' :_ y has already been under the cb'nsidera- : . v tion of thb Council, I refer to that of ■ letting the maintenance of the-niaio ■■: road's by contract, I have : carefully. • considered the matter ,' from / the... : .; different aspects of • the,case. wUcli:.;' present themselves to me, and.am of; . : opinion that in a district suoli as this" :■ in which great lengths of the lines are ; situated .in rough and treacherous ' couutry, and connected with numbers :■}■'■ of costly bridges, subjoct at times to ■' ';"/ ektraordinary-damage; from i various ij.; v : sources, and which require to-be'"--.;-'.,-, continually open and in. a.fit state ! for traffic of all that a V thoroughly reliable day labor staff is , - that which is rnoEt calculated. to " . meet, under all : circumstances, tlio„, particular and varied requirements ''.-.-;. of the case, and is also that which .-Jm'. would be attended with\the greatest X) economy to the ratepayers of theTT; district.- At the. same time my experience :shows that alllwork suoh.as, gravel supplies, carting. :'■■ of all descriptions, and repairs; in cases of extraordinary damage of any magnitude should be let by • contract so far a3 it is possible. "'■[■.