Wairarapa North County Council.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3229, 13 June 1889, Page 2

Wairarapa North County Council.

Engineers Report.

Masterton Riding.—Masterton to'' Waimata Road. A. contract lms been entered into in tlio interim since last County meeting for repairing the surface of a number of bridges in the Masterton and Wainuioru ridings, and the worka will lie proceeded with as soon as the materials (which necersarily have to be procured outside the district can be delivered by rail from the Hutt sawmills, Contract No. 8i (formation and metalling) was finally completed and passed on the 15th of last month. Since that date the contractors have performed certain maintenance works, and- will continue to execute repairs as occasion may require until the expiration of the maintenance term on the 80th inst. The thinner portions of the road surface between Otalmao and Masterton, ■ have - been roughly repaired for the present, and a contract has been entered iuto for stone breaking on the,Te Ore Oro flats, for the purpose of further repairs to this section of the line which may become necessary during the coining winter. Caetlepoint Biding.—Masterton to Waimata Road. Contract No. 86, (metalling) was completed (including the maintenance term) and taken oil the contractor's hands on the 17th of May, Alfredton Riding.—Eketahuna to Tinui road, Eketahuna to Tiraumea soctidll. Contact No, 29," (road formation). This work was inspected on the 81st of last month, and I &m pleased to be ahlo to report most favorably of it. Tho culvert materials are of first class quality, and great care has been taken in bedding them on 'solid rock foundations; the heavy embankments have been finished in a substantial and workmanlike manner, and generally the performance i reflects considerable credit' on Mr 1 T, K. York, the contractor. Mr William Saunders, of Tiraumea has applied to purchase a few hundred [ feet of the line wiro rope in the ■ Gounoil's store for the purpose of rigi ging a chair on tho suspension rope . crossing tho Tiraumea river, at his , residence. As the rope is not likely to be if much value to the Council, I , would recommend that he bo allowed i to. have what quantity he may require at the cost price of the same to tho . Council. Tho metal repairing conf tract recently let at ■ the Eketahuna end of this road is now proceeding i and will probably be completed by I the end of the month. The metalling of the central portion of tho Elcetai liuna to Alfredton road from the . present metal pits, is an undertaking , involving so great an outlay, that it j is improbable it will be accomplished < within the immediate future unless suitable material c&u be discovered ■ within a reasonably close radius of it, With a view thorefore to securing , the- assistance of the resident uiittlers towards solving; thb difficulty I would recommend that the Council offer a reward of £lO ( for the discovery of a suitable metal j reserve within say half a mile of the . line between Tawataia, road junction and tho eastern boundary of the Peep, f o-day clearing, With an inducement : of this sort I think it is probable that p any private information at present ' kept secret may be brought to light t for the benefit of the parties, Opaki to Mauawatu road, Contract No, 25, (survey of Eketahuna township road.) Nothing further has transpired with reference to this work since last sitting of tho Council.

Masterton Municipal Fire ' Brigade.

| The following report was presented to the Miislerlon Borough Council on Tuesday last! I havo the honor to present for the information of his Wbrship the Mayor and Borough Council the annual report of the Municipal Fire i Brigade for the year ending May 7th, i 1889, and in doing so congratulate ! the Council on the small amount of • damage caused by fire within the borough during the year, The number of alarms ou tho bell was twenty-one, of which seven were for fires in _ buildings, eleven chimney fires, and 1 three false alarms, For the previous ' year the number of alarms was . of which fourteen were , for Ores in buildings, nineteen i chimney fires, and four false alarms. Out of tho seven buildings ir. which the fires broke out, six were destroyed I and one slightly damaged; but in all casej the adjoining buildings were saved. The attendance of the Brigade [ has been very good, The following is the average: for fires in buildings eighteen officers and men, chimney 1 fires fourteen, monthly meetings ' eighteen, weekly drills fifteen, During the year the sum of £ls from tli.n Brigade funds was given in eight prizes for the best attendance with good result, The 'firemen lmve lieui obedient to orders Mid have done their work satisfactorily. Tho steam fire engine lias been kept in good working order. and the uso of gas in tlie furnace is a great improvement. Steam can now ho got up in six minutes. Quicker timo is not needed, as it will take that lime to the scene of fire and got it into working order. The hose reels are in good ordei, also the canvas hose, of which there are eleven hundred feet for the steamer and soveii hundred for the mapual engine. The stealer. has been iilip/oved by the addition of a spark and oinder catcher, which was much needed in windy weather. Two of the leather lengths of hose havo burst ■i little, and are not to be deponded ou with a very high pressure. The' manual engiiie is always useful, but requires a new suction hose, The timber of the frame ot the engine is rotten and wants renewing. I would bog to call the attention of tlie Council to tlie (lifopitW state of the helmets and uniforms of tfie The i helmets are falling-to pieces and tho coats are ragged and threadbare. The Brigade is i also in want of afewnew 1 bolts and spanners. The newly , appointed custodian, Mr 6. Smith, , has been most attentive to his duties ' am) gjves overy satisfaction. Tho new I wajef. pjipply'wits tested by the Brigade at tlie oorner of Queen mjd Perry streets, and proved amply sufficient to supply all the fire engines '

th: t are in Miisterton, I woiiid urge ujloii'- lk Council the necessity of hose box in jho creek which runs ihj'ongh the Weslevan Church grounds, »s it is n most important .water centro. A- hose, box is nlso liiiieli needed" in Queen street near Mr Kwliiian's, On behalf of the Brigade I thank tlie Council for the new fire ladders; the old ones were very dangerous. The Brigade has also to thank, the Council for two hundred feet of new hose, in the place of the two hundred feet given by the M nnicipal to the Volunteer Brigade. The strength of the Brigade during the year, has been twenty'five men, From the information afforded me, ih(f>losses of the Insurance Companies within the Borough have been,for the year about £650, Trusting that the Brigade will continue to be favorably thought of, and tliat their wants may not be forgotten. I conclude bv hoping tlmt we may he always true to' the fireman's motto, " Always ready, ever willing."—l have, Ac,; D. Pickering, • ~ Lieutenant,'