LONGBEACH ROAD BOARD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 810, 5 December 1882, Page 2

LONGBEACH ROAD BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of the above Board was held on Friday last. Present —Messrs Grigg (chairman), Chapman, and Dobson. Correspondence was read as follows : From the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, informing the Board that his Excellency the Governor had, by order, published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 21tst September, validated the valuation roll of this di.'trict.—From the Chairman of the School Commissioners, Christchurch, in reply, stating that lessees of education reserves had no power to sell gravel off such reserves. If the Board took gravel under its statutory powers the price of the same should be paid to the School Commissioners.—From the County Council, asking the Board to co-operate in taking action to abate the small birds uuisance, and to allow their O.erk to pay lOd per 100 eggs or heads of small birds delivered to him. The Clerk was directed to pay as requested.—From the same, sanctioning the expenditure of L 5 for gravel to be spread in the Waterton Pound. —From the same, asking the Board to see that the fords on water races in this district are kept in good order, and to whiten the posts placed at the ends of the culverts. The Board desired the Surveyor to attend to the fords.—From Mr John Dunn, and twenty-three other ratepayers, asking that a new road line from Flemington to the Lougbeach roadway be purchased, and the road formed. The Board estimated the cost of this at .about LI,OOO, and directed the clerk to reply that to do this work a special rate would have to be struck, and that the ratepayers must petition the Board to strike such a rate.—From the manager of the Coldstream estate, asking the Board to form and shingle the main road from Goldstream towards the Hinds railway station as far- as Pya’s corner. The Board, decided to call for tenders for the formation of this piece of road.—From the secretary to the West Coast Railway League, asking the Board to contribute or collect contributions in aid of the funds of the League. The Board decided that they could not apply Road Board funds to such ; a purpose, and , did not think it would be of any use asking the ratepayers for subscriptions. • From the Rangitata Road' Board, asking this Board to consider the expediency of merging the several road districts ’of this County into one, under the Cp.unty Council, and to emplby one competent engineer to do all the work. The matter was disevssed very fully by the Board, and the Chairman was asked to reply that this Board would strongly object"to give up local supervision and representation, that the ward system could not be carried on under the County Council. That the Centralisation of the rating power and local application of funds by such authority would not conduce to economy. That the ward system which now had happily been introduced in this district was the only safeguard against unfair distribution of funds ; and to propose to the Rangitata and Upper Ashburton Road Boards to join with this Board in paying a competent surveyor to do all the work for the three districts.

The Surveyor’s report was read as follows rl have the honor to report that the Committee appointed by the Board met on the 16th October last, and accepted tenders for the formation of part of Windermere road, completion of formation of part of Ealing road, completion of formation of part of Boundary road, a sideditch on part of Dobson’s road, and shingling of parts of Bell’s Ford’s, and Boundary roads. Of these works, Windermere and Ealing roads are satisfactorily completed, and the other three contracts aro being proceeded with. The meeting of the Board which should have been held on the 3rd of November last lapsed for want of a quorum, and was postponed by the members present until to-day. The contract for the straightening of the Hinds river between Surveyor’s and’Boundary roads, and also the extra length of eight chains below Surveyor’s road have been completed. Mr Holland has not yet either shingled the Waterton pound or made a side-ditch on Dawson’s road to take away surface water from around the pound. Both jobs were Ist to him, about five weeks ago, With the authority of the Chairman, I have had small footbridges placed over the waterraces where these latter cross the Longbeach and Winslow roads.—The report as read was adopted. Accounts amounting to L 455 6s lOd were examined and passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned.