CAMBRIDGE-OXFORD ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1896, 30 August 1884, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE-OXFORD ROAD.

Ar the meeting of the Pi.iko County Council held on Wednesday evening last, the following leport on the above, road was, submitted by the engineer, Mr T. G. Sandes :—: — The Chaiiman Piako County Council. Sih, — 1 beg leave to inform you that I have thoroughly inspected the road from Cambridge to O\foid, and I have come to the conclusion tint the great fault in the making of the road has been the want of drainage throughout. At all the siding cuttings catch-water drains are absolutely necessary to keep the rainfall off the loads. At piesent all the water that fa.ll*> runs off the hill-sides on to the roadway, and the water-tables are not able to cairy it off, even if they weie graded for so doing, which they aie not; the result, therefoic, is that a number of soft places are formed, which, with the heavy tiaffic theioad is abked to carry <soon become holes and dangeious to vehicles. These remaiks will apply to all the biding cuttings on the road from beginning to end, and I consider that in order to make the road fit to carry winter traffic it will be necessaiy to run a catch water drain over all cuttings, such drain to be properly graded, and the water run into culverts and carried away at the right a^ot. The wooden box culverts put in on the road are for the most part utteily useless- now,-having been made of timber measuring only \\ inches in thickness, the result being that they are smashed to pieces by waggons tunning over them. The flat paits of the road allrequiie draining nioie than what exists. Side drains have been put in in many places, but the outfalls have been badly neglected, hence the softness of the road at present. This applies moie particularly to the road between To Ran and the junction going oft to Te Waotn. At uo place along the load would there be much more than a mile to cart gravel, and I think the average would not be more than 40 chains, so that the council might reckon on getting it for Is (id per yaid all lound, and then a leally good road could be made. In several places whoie eaith has been piled on to the swamps it might be spiead to advantage, and the road made wider, and then topped with sand or gravel. I consider that at least £800 is necessary to make the road passable for traffic next winter, and this amount, I believe, weuld make things safe. If nothing is done during the summer it is certain that traffic will be stopped entirely to wheels next winter. A great deal of the work necessary could be done by surfacemen, but the bulk should be let by contract.— T. G. Sandes. Cr. Maclean remarked that the traffic on this road both winter and summer was enormous. No other road in the district had to carry so much heavy and more constant traffic, and no other road was worse looked after, and allowed to fall into such a shameful state. The waggoners at the present time were subscribing money amongst them to keep the road in repair, and were it not for what private enterprise had done in this respect the road, he believed, would have beeD closed ere now. This was work which the Government should have looked after, the road being a colonial road. Cr. .Firth proposed that a copy of the engineer's report be forwarded to the Minister for Public W«rks, stating that if the suggestions therein contained were not given effect to before next winter, the road would then be practically closed to traffic.

Mr J. S. Buckland will sell at the Bazaar, Cambridge, at 1 o'clock this day, two handsome and quiet buggy horses, single-seated American buggy, ditto Auckland made, and harness, &c, &c. Nctire of the Piako County's intention to borrow the sum of will be found in another column. Mr Wortbington, Taupiri, offers a. reward for tho recovery of a bay gelding. Mr, F. Gisbon Te Awamutu offers a reward for the recovery of a chestnut gelding if lost, or for the conviction, of the thief, if stolen. Mr. E. R. Lang, butcher, Ngaruawaliia and Huntly, announces that he has disposed of bis business to Mr J. A. Lamb, who also inserts a business notice. „ , *The usual religious services will be found ad- ' vjrtised in 'another column; " The TamaheVc Road Board imito tenders for forming about one mile of the Junction Road, Tamahere, from ,Tinne's to Seymour's. Specifications caii be seen on application to Mr A. Campbell, or Mr £. Rhodes, \^ho will s how the work, '