INANGAHUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 26 July 1880, Page 2

INANGAHUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

♦— , Enoikbee's Bepopt : I have the honor to report that since tbe last Council meeting, I have prepared plans for a dray bridge over tbe Landing Creek on the Westport road, and tbe maintenance contractor for tbat section of the road informs tne that he is prepared to go on with the erection of the bridge according to the plan, and to receive payment in accordance with the schedule of prices for bridge work which is attached to bis tender. I have also prepared plans for a very simple suspen-

I sion bridge to be erecieJ over Larry 'b Creek at Colinton instead of the present 1 rotten and very dangerous structure. » Tenders have been invited for the erection, » and were closed on tbe 7th of July, but i they have not; been dealt with pending | the decision of the Council. Tender* have been called for repairs to the horse track at Boatman's between the ' township and Fiery Cross machine, but 'the tenders received have not beon dealt 1 with await : .ng tbe meeting of the Ccun« ' cil. J There are also tenders awaiting to be 5 dealt with for repairs to the road between the Ksep-it-Dark machine site and ' Lankey's Creek, which is now in a very I had state ; and for reducing the gradient f upon tbe Black's Point road from the slips to tbe township. ' The contracts that have been completed » since my last report aro as follows :-» The forming of a* road between tbe s main Grey Road and the Otutufu River. * C. Mirfin, contractor. t Forming a road above Critshington B from Lankey's Creek to the Deadman's 9 hole. King and Co., contractors. Metalling on the formation of the last ■i mentioned road, from the bead of tbe 5 Dauntless Company's race. Willis and B Co., contractors. 1 Gravelling right-of-way between f Walsh an J Kellys-sf reefs afc the rear of 1 Broadway. Robert Car', contractor. Forming eight chains of ll'inft-street, * Reefton, commencing at the Buller Road. J. Butler and Co , contractors. c T The maintenance contracts on the Up* , per Buller main road, from eight miles [ above the Lyell township -to the junction b of tbe Hope and Buller rivers a distance - of 34 miles have b-?en comoleted, and n ' quantity of bridge work has been pers t formed according to a resolution of tbe 9 Council. ' Certificates have been passed for tbe ' above-mentioned contracts. r The works in pro-arcs-?, are as follows : Horse-track fo M'Onnocbie's farm on S ihe opposite side of the river from 1 Overend's, commencing at the Dead** * man's hole. Widening the horse-track into a dray t road against the machine site of the j Welcome Company at Boatman's Creek. , A dray road towards Soldier's and i Devil's Creek from the main Grey Road, i Forming a piece of new track tip Murray Creek opposite the Westland battery, ■ and repairs to other portions of the Mur- ! ray Creek track, 1 Gravelling a horsestrack up the Black ' water from Barman's store, a distance of 1 about 130 chains. 1 On the dffferent ma ; n road contracts, I bave to report as follows :— ' Main Gret Road. Reefton to tbe Saddle— The contractors I are widening tlie road so tbat it will carry I 13 feet of metal, which is the width of I metal demanded by the specifications , upon the completion of contract, A , voucher has been passed for a quarter's progress paymenf, due last month acb cording to time. From the Saddle to Sqnaretown— • The road is being widened, and in many ' places it is much needed, especially where the side drains are vory dnep. and made too close to tbe road when it was first formed. From Squaretown to Batira's— A large portion of tbis road wiil carry 13 feet of metal, but where it is deficient in width, the contractors are widening it. From Batira's to tbo Blackwater— The road was somewhat out of repair when inspecting it, but from tbe Blackwater to tbe Grey Junction, thpre ha 9 been good work performed. The roads on this side are already showing the benefit of the wide tiers, and it is a maryel to think that waggoners will not see that ifc is to their benefit to increase the bearing surface on the wheels. Main Bulleb Road. I refrain from making any report upon ibe road contract between Eeefton and Larry's Creek, as tbe committee np* pointed to visit the road weni down, I believe, for the purpose yesterday, but I would draw the attention of tbe Council, through the committee, to the bad state of tho road crossing Williams' Fern Flat, and also to the road below Lyons towards Larry's Creek. These portions bave not bad anything done fco them during tbe present maintenance contracts. Larry's Creek to Brandt's punt—This section is in good order, the contractor paying attention to the ruts and keeping tbem well filled wilh broken metal. From Brandt's punt to Mindermann's and to the Dee bill— This portion is rather rough in places, but it is owing to fresh , metal, and along tbe swamp towards Mindermann's there bas been a heavy 1 coat of gravel placed, This, wilh the ; work that the Council performed upon | the same road 12 months ago, should ; make this a good road s but without a . doubt the width of tbe wheel tiers should , be increased on tbis *nde as soon as pos- | i sible, especially now that tbe Govern- 1 ment subsidies to the road 3 aro with- s drawn. ( From Mindermanu"s to the boundary— ( Tbis road is in fair order, but some very t heavy slips have had to be removed dm** ? ing the laic frosts. Tbese slips have a ( tendency to keep the road bottom in a ] muddy state, and certainly are nofc an ], improvement to tbe road. <\ WOBKS IN TEE BOATMAN'S BIDNG. < > b Boatman's dray road— Tbis road is b cutting up somewhat owing to the very I ji

heavy traffic on it of Inte, as the whole of tbe timber and material for the Welcome Company's machinery is passing over it. The contractor is repairing it, and the road will afterwards be the better for the traffic, as I notice a considerable difference in the width of tbe road since the heavy traffic has been upon it. Boatman's horse track — It is absolutely necessary in order that this track be kept passable that a man be placed upon it, For the passage of the sleighs and other conveyances that bave been specially constructed to travel the track, have made ifc all but impassable, and the breakages of bolts and shafts belonging to the conveyances are of hourly occur*, rence, and the population now using the track is very considerable, in fact more tban in any other portion of lbe County. I would, therefore, urge that a good man be immediately employed upon it, Between Capleston and Colinton, the track had become entirely blocked witb fallen timber, and several parties essay* ing to get to Colinton that way, had to return, so tbat I employed a man to open it up ; and up Larry's Creek from the Buller road it became necessary to clear portions of tbe track that impeded traffic. This being the only way that provisions can be paoked to tbe townsbip. It will be necessary to do something at the crossing of Larry's Creek at Colinton in the event of not erecting the bridge, and I would recommend that the present structure be demolished, as I fear if left standing some one may lose their life attempting to cross it. At the suspension bridge over the Lefthand Branch, on the foot track to Beatman's, the anchor on tbe Boatman's side of the bridge requires immediate atten.* tion, as the timbers composing: it are rotten, and likely at any moment to give way. I therefore recommend that steps be taken to place a new anchor, and several other repairs that are urgently needed. Miscellaneous Woes*. On the Black's Point road I havo been compelled to employ a small amount of labor, owiUs to slips and some repairs tbat were much needed in tbe townsbip, (ig!iin«t tlie Dauntless Battery. At Crnshington, the road passed tho Kpep-it-Dark Battery is in a very bad state, and must bare something done to it. On the Ajax track I had lo employ a man fcr a couple of days to cut down some bad places, to enable tbe pack» horses to get along with tbeir loads as the track had become worn into narrow channels at these places. The approach to the places of worship in P.eefton could be made more secure by increasing the width of the present pathway towards tbe Jod of tbe rise, and by running a short length of fencing:, to prevent anyone from falling over the bank. About £5 would do all that is re% quired. Tbo preparation of plan 9 for the election of a bridge over Larry's Creek, on tbe Westport road crossing, has been delayed until aftor this meeting sf the Council. WILLIAM GARDNER, County Engineer. Reefton, 2lst July, 1880.