WORKS IN WAIPA COUNTY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2073, 20 October 1885, Page 3

WORKS IN WAIPA COUNTY.

Thk following is the monthly report of the county engineer, presented at the last meeting of the council :—: — To TfiK Cm human Waii"\ Coinm Coi mii., Sii , — I hiuo the honour to sub nut tin 1 following lepoit on tho wavsand works in tho ci'initv . -The quantity of ram th.it foil during tho past mouth has affected considerably many of tho tin gravelled poitiou«, especially on the county rondf. The suifacu nf the swamp road fiom Mon.iv.de .p<i»t Rototangi nnd on tho bush lii' biokcu through to the peat in many places, and some constdoiahlo cracks ha\e al'o nude their appearance, owing to the snbsidenco of tho load alongside of tho deep drain:*. These repairs ought to bo carried out an .soon us possible ; the cost will not exceed £5. The road fioin Hamilton to What.iwh.ita is almost in the same condition, and the sen ices of a man with a hone and drnv for n week would be required to fill up the hole.'. About fifteen chains of fascinmg on tho road require to be clayed, as the covering laid on a few months ago has worked down, lf>av ing tho fascines, bare. A small portion of tho load over the fourteen chain swamp has boon under water for a .shoit time during tho month. Thedrain.ifje proposed for the portion of the Hwamp might now be undei taken. The road from Te Aw.unutn railway station to Kihikihi has suffered more than any other road m tho county fiom tin- mm and heavy traffic. I have had homo of tho largest holes filled in on tho road from the rttation to Te Awamutii, but from To Awamutu to Kihikihi nothing has been done. This piece of road i.s in a very rough and broken-up condition, and now tli.it good weather may bo looked foi, home extensive repairs w ill be neceKsarv. Tho flats ought to bo reformed, ditches cut iitid cleaned our, and if metal cannot be got it should be hea\ily giavellod. The gravel should be laid on in two coats. The first after tho newly-formed suifaco ha« becoino ionic what hard, and the second coat after the fir>t lirh become consolidated. The gravel should bo laid to a breadth of 15ft., and in thickness Kin. and liin. respectively. I estimate tho cost of this work at £10 pot chain. The cost ts ccitainly largo, but it must ba remembered the road is an important one, and it will give more satisfaction to take up a section or sections, and h.ue these portions done thoroughly, than by attempting a general repair. Only such repair* as are absolutely ueceso.it y to kt-ep tho road safe for traffic should bo carried out on tho remaining poitions of tho road in tho meantime. These, of course, would be taken up as funds would j>erniit. Tho summer is just beginning, and thin work could not bo undertaken at a more favourable tune. The contract for grading near Ohaupo hai been taken up. The contractor has made fair progress with the work, the wet weather naving delayed his progress to a certain extent. I called on Mr Hunter, senr., re lowering the road opposite his gate, but he would not consent to thin being dono, tho grade up to his gate now being somewhat Hteep. Under these circumstances I had to alter the spction, so that the grado hore vv ill not be quite so favourable as at first intended. The contractors for grading at Hindle's bridge have got about two thirds of their contract complrted. I went there last weok and found that they had loft the job. A day or two afterwards I jeceived a letter from them asking for an extension of time, owing to their having other pressing work in hand. While not approving of the course they have taken, the delay will not cause any great public inconvenience. I recommend that they be allowed one month extension of timo to complete their contract. Mangapiko Bridge— The work of making up the approaches is being pushed on, and I fully expected this work would have been completod by this meeting, but here again tho wet weatliei has interrupted the progress of the vvnik. Part of tho material for tho for mation of the approaches has been taken fiom a sand hill at tho junction of onu of the KangiiuliiA Road Hoard loads with the county road, from which a considerable amount of sand has been taken from time to time to execute repair*. A fortnight acjo noMce was given that no mou- sand was to bo taken from that place. I then started the contiactor on tho only other available piece of ground, situated on tho west Ride of the road near to Te Awamutu My reason for not starting on this part at first was to nave the road, which has been recently gravelled, from being cut up. The bridge over tho Mangaohoi diversion near Kihikihi is completed with tho exception of the laying at the decking. Tho contj actor haa started to form the approaches, the mateiial for this purpose being taken from the top of Gilford's hill. The contractors for tho diversion of the stream have not been ablo to resume work owing to tho rise of water in the creek. I recommend the payment of £."K) to Mr Clifford, the contractor for the bridge. The repairs authoiNed to he executed on the Te Awamutu Alexandra load havo hcpii completud. The fence at Mystery Creok has been repaired. Tn accordance with instructions, I have examined the giavel pit reported to bo "3 on Mr Aitkm's pioperty, in the Tuhtkaramea district, and hud there i« a good seam of course rough sand which will answer well for road purpo<-os on a clay bottom. It is situated about 20 chain back from the county road, but there would bo no difficulty in gotting out a-> the ground is level between the ro.id and where tho pit .wmld be. The vvholo of tins land, in, I understand the property of Mr Aitken, so there would be no trouble in getting way leave thiough the pioperty. Jn tho event of the council coming to teims with Mr Aitkin for the sand, f would recommend that all tho stripping bo done by the council, as it is noxt to iinjtossibh" to get contractors to do this m a satisfactory manner. Tn this case, T do not think it would bo advisable to purch.v-u the land, as something superior might be found afterwards. Unless Mr Aitkin agreed to give the Hand, and grant a temporary road for nothing, I think it would bo bettor to offer a lump Hum for the privilege of lemov ing the Handover any area that might bo agieed upon, and on the ground being worked out, the ground to fall back again into Mr Aitkm's hands. Thej giound in question is unfeiuud and has never been under cultivation. No offers wcie received for the purchase of the old timber of tha M.tngApiko bridge. Mr J>ay has declined to sign the agreement drawn up by tho council for their protection in tho matter of tho ditch cut by him sometime ago across the county road. He states that the pioper person to sign this document is- Mr Hugh s, solicitor, Auckland. Tenders mo to be opened to day for giadiug at McNicol's bridge, Walshes and the Paturangi Cheesu Factory.— l have. the honor to be, your obediont servant, Ai,k\. An.MHrnoN(. F County Engineer, Kihikihi, October, INBS.