REPORTS.

Manawatu Times, Volume V, Issue 140, 11 May 1881, Page 2

REPORTS.

The following reports in connection with the County and Borough Councils were crowded out of last issue :— BOROUGH COUNCIL. PUBLIC WORKS REPORT. We, your Public Works Committee, have the honor to report that we have considered the Engineer's monthly report but there are no salient points to lay before you. We have instructed the Engineer to have a culvert placed under the new formation in Ferguson street to carry the water from the North to the South side. The matter referred to this Committee from the Council viz., the memorial of property owners in Ferguson-street asking to have the same cleared and formed, has received our attention and we would recommend that the Engineer be instructed to call for tenders for falling the bush and take the necessary levels as soon as practicable. We would recommend that tenders be called for bushfalling on all the streets during this winter. The Engineer having taken the levels in Botanical Road in accordance with the recommendation made in a previous report, it is found that to take the drainage down this road is not practicable with the present means of the Council, as a depth of eleven feet would have to be attained in places. The clearing of the drain to the Kawau is left in abeyance, waiting reply from the Government and Council. We have instructed the Engineer to take a theodolite line in Main-street to fix the frontages of the sections, as there appears to be in some instances a doubt. We would recommend that the sum of £6, being at the rate of 4s a chain for 30 chains, be paid to Mr A Dundas for the amount of bush fallen on the street line by him. ENGINEER'S REPORT. I have to report as follows for the month of April, 1881 :— Contract E.— Bushfelling and clearing in Church-street ; very little progress has been made.

Contract H. — Bushfelling and clearing in Botanical Road ; this contrac is completed. Contracts I and J. —Bushfelling and clearing in Boundary Road and Vogelstreet respectively ; considerable progress has been made. Contract K.— Bushfelling and formation in Short-street; all the bush is down and a fair amount burnt or cleared. Contract M.— Formation in Featherstonstreet from Rangitikei street ; the whole of this work is completed in a manner which reflects credit upon the contractor. The apparently undue depth of the water table west from Taonui street is partly owing to a rise in the ground for 2 chains and partly through the grade required to clear the water off Taonui st eet. Some inches could be taken off the footpath to advan age. Contract N. — Formation of College-street between Fitzherbert and Cook-streets ; a section of this road is completed and good progress made with the remainder, Contracts P and Q. — Formation in Alexandra and Main-ssreets respectively ; a commencement has been made with these works. Contract R. — Formation of footpaths in Square ; this work is proceeding rapidly. I am having the water tables made up to follow this work. The drain in Park Road and the short length of formation in Cook-street are completed. The kerbing in Main-street cannot be properly adjusted until the new hotel is more adva ced. The kerbing and filling in of the drain in front of Mr. Manson's and the placing a culvert at the junction of College and Fitzherbert- streets, ordered at your last sitting, have been done. The daymen have been occupied during the month with the completion of the south side d ain Main street from the Square to the gravel pit (which now discharges the water from both sides in a satisf ctory manner,) and in making up the water tables in the Square. These latter require a large amount of gravel to make up, and have, and will keep the horse and dray closely employed. In reference to the matter of a culvert across Main-street which raised discussion a the last meeting of the Borough Council, I hold that the culvert was made strictly in accordance with the work it was intended to meet and that rotten timber was not used in its construction. The drain which this culvert forms the outlet to is so faulty in its conception that no lengthened reliance can be placed upon its fulfilling the object for which it was laid down. Its course corresponds to the base, and perpendicular of a triangle having its apex at the lowest point, there is therefore both the deposit of matter held in suspense and the impact of the water against the opposite side, which at an angle of 90 degrees amounts to a loss of three-fourths of the nominal internal capacity, to contend with. Wi h this knowledge I hold that l should not be fulfilling the trust imposed upon me if I ordered new timber when I had sufficiently good timber in the Borough yard to use. [Since writing my report l have been appllied to by Messrs. Gillies and Anderson, saw mill proprietors asking for that portion of Main-street lying between the railway crossing and Vogel-street to be metalled, and stating that they will be prepared to take up a debenture to cover the cost. In reference to their application I would remark that a further outlay beyond the amount already expended on the road formation of, say, about five pounds would be required to prepare the road for metalling. Should this application meet with your favorable consideration it would be of advantage for both formation and metalling to go on simultaneously.