WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2331, 18 June 1887, Page 2

WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary monthly meeting of the council was held at the Council Chambers, Ohaupo, on Tuesday, June 14th, the following being present :—Ors. Teasdale (chairman), Hunter, Smith, Finch and Lang.

Engineer's Report.—The usual preliminaries being disposed of the Engineer made the following report for the month :— To the Chairman Waipa County Council.

Sir,—l regret to report that owing to the difficulty in procuring timber for Heather's Creek bridge, the contractor has not been able to start operations on this contract yet. He intended to have got it from the Waotu mills, but these have been stopped, and the delay has arisen through having to make fresh arrangements. The Kihikihi cutting has been completed. The contractor has, however, to maintain the same for some short time longer. I recommend the payment of £31 on this job. A new box culvert has been laid on the Alexandra-Te Awamutu road. The work was not quite completed when I passed there on Saturday last. This work was authorised a few meetings ago. I found it necessary,to close the road for twa days in order to get the work done. I recommend the payment of £17 on this work. Bush drain, Rotorangi swamp road. As explained to you at the last meeting, ' the crossing for this drain was in an advanced state of decay. In fact, it broke down last' winter, and was then only patched up with ti-trec in a temporary way, so that the construction would very shortly have had to be faced, under these circumstances, as the proprietors of the Rotorangi property were about to open up the drain, I agreed to supply the pipes 2ft. in diameter, they defraying the cost of cartage and laying. This being agreed to, the pipes were forwarded and have been laid in a satisfactory manner.' The cleaning out of the drain alongside of the swamp road was well advanced when I inspected the work last week, and will, I expect,: be finished by this time, this work will be of considerable benefit. There is now a strong flow of water down this drain, where previously it stood stagnant, or flowed sluggishly along through the Weeds. The gravelling done along this portion of road requires raking in, As instructed, I, have arranged to have a substantial gate 'fixed in-Mr Walker's fence leading to the gravel-pit ! on his property, near Monavalo. Walker's Grully Bridge, I have to report a" very slight forward movement in the Cambridge abutment of this bridge since last meeting. 1 Reforming road' near Mr Hibbs on the Ohaupo-Hamilton road. The Contractor has done part of this work, but I thought it would be better to suspend operations on part at least for the present until we get better weather. Reforming road nearBycrofts on the Newcastle-Whatawhata' road. The contractors for this work have made fair progress. The wet weather has, however, interfered with their operations, otherwise the work would have been completed. I recommend an advance of £11 on this job. Reforming road from Steele's farm to Thomas' bridge.it is to be regretted the council could not afford the moans to have gravelled this piece of formation at the time the road was formed. Had even a ! ight coat been put on this road it would have 1 remained in good condition for number of years, as it is now in a rather unsatisfactory' state owing to the late rains, and will probably be worse before the winter is over, when it will be again to trim up. If gravelled this would have been avoided with the further advantage of having a good; road. The work of sanding the approaches to the Mangapiko bridge, Alexandra, has been nearly completed. This work was authorised sometime ago. Three tenders were received :— For this work Bayliss and Co., 13s <kl per chain ; Crouin, 14s. per; chain, Appleyard, £2 4d. The tender of. Bayliss and Co., was accepted. In acvordv

ance ,with.instructions I called for, tenders for gravelling some parts of 'tlie Te A#amulu fetation road and accepted tbat'of Win. Alexander, at Is 7d per cub. yd. Tenders wpre also received from ;Given 2s por cub. yrd., and Bearsly 2s 4d per'cub. yd. A number of small repairs have been done in. various parts of the county during the-jnpnth. Some repairs 'have also been executed to the decking of Willbughby's bridge. Anew set/ of pipes- are required in the hollow opposite Mr W. J. Hunter's house,' the 'present pipes are 100 snitall to carry tha.water, the greater part .of which flows over tlie road.' The outfall'drain' from these pipes in Mr Martins paddock require to be deepened also, aboijt 4 cljains down. The hollow below Mrs Gavin's on the same road, is in the same position. A new Bet of pipes should belaid-in here 'alsb, these two places - cost hiore ■ in a year to clean out than would pay for the work proposed. I estimate the co/»t ( of both at £fi 10s. Complaints have been, jiade 'to meof the.difficulty horses have in peeping their feet when crossing the raily bridge on the Ohaupo-Hamilton road. This trouble might be removed by nailing a few battens, about 2ft. Gin. long, on the centre "of the bridge. Perhaps if the! Resident Engineer fot.the county, was. wiitten, to .ljejYojjld have the work done, this bridge being under his control. Phave received a letter from Mr J. Bycroft, which I hand in herewith, in.which he states his: willingness to: sign an agreement to take the responsibility, of maintaining the culvert he has laid under the road for.drainage.purposes. I have in-spected-the culvert, which is built with totara in a substantial manner. It extends across width ; : of'the road, is 2ft. square in the clear, and from its depth, about 9ft. under thelsurface at the road, it is not likely to cause any. great troubles I have made arrangements to have the agreement prepared.,—Lam, &c M , , 7 Alex. Armstrong, County Engineer. Kihildhi, 13th June; 18S7.

Wokks Authorised.—lt was agreed to have, lately,'laid pn>;thß';RotoVangi 'swamp' "rdad,' ! 'rake'd into 1 "the '* 'ruts, as recommended, by the engineer.; also to replace the small culvert across the Ghaupo road near Mr W. J. Hunter's'- wi|h> a set of large pipes.- A few smallxrepairs in the:iTuhikaramea diatrffctfabd a* Te Rore were also but it'was not Considered advisable to do more than was absolutely necessary at this season of the year. Bycroji't's : Cui-vkrt.—A .letter! was received from Mr Bycroft .explaining *the work, and the Engineer reported.. satisfactorily as to the manner in which the ! culvert had been put in. Correspondence.— A letter was read from the Rangiaohia Road Board claiming payment for gravel taken for the-county •road. The chairman was authorised-;,to arrange the matter by; gravelling Taylor's hill if acceptable to the board. A : letter was also received from Mr.Bettley, calling attention, to the sale of meat by auction at Hamilton. The, clerk 'was' directed to reply that Mr Jolly held no' license' t slaughter for sale. ■ " <

Travelling Expenses.— Regarding the expenses dis'allowod by the auditor which had been paid to. Mr German as member of the Auckland Hospital Board, the clerk was directed to write for a refund, as the Hospital Board alone had power to pay expenses fur its own member.

Re Hospital Suit.—A report was received from the council's solicitor (Mr ,W. M. Hay) as to proceedings taken and the result of the same.

A number of accounts were passed for payment and the meeting closed. ; '