AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 72, 27 March 1877, Page 2

AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the above Board was held at the office on Saturday last. Present—Messrs. Piper (chairman), Shadbolt, Lelievre, and Duxbury. CORRESPONDENCE. From W. Kenny, directing the Board's attention to his letter of the 2nd January re Okain's and Devauchell's. road, and requesting the Board's intention regarding same. The Clerk was instructed to confer with Mr. Fenton on the matter, and report at next meeting of the Board. From D. Wright, Clerk Okain's Road Board, asking that the sum of £10 be allowed to finish the Summit.road from the Okain's crossing towards Pigeon Bay, as the Board could not exceed the sum (£l6) voted at the last general meeting. Mr. Duxbury said that the road in question was not of the least use to the inhabitants of the Akaroa and Wainui district. He held that the Board would not; be justified in acceding to the request of Mr. Wright's letter, as there were roads within their own district which required urgent attention. The Okain's Board had promised to pay half the £70 to Mr. Kenny, but had " shirked" out of the matter. The Board had also obtained half of the £350 grant voted in favour of the Wainui district. .Mr. Shadbolt said that there was more traffic between Little Akaloa and Pigeon Bay than on the part alluded to in Mr. Wright's letter. The road in question was outside the boundary of the. Akaroa and Wainui district, the new road being entirely within our own district. The Chairman suggested that the clerk be instructed to. inform the Okain's Board that the road is not in the Wainui district, and that the Board referred to the boundaries of the respective Boards as conained in the Act.

The Clerk was instructed accordingly. _ From Joseph Libeau, requesting that a piece of road running through his land on Duvauchelle's Bay beach be closed, the road being of no service to the public, and a great detriment to his property, and offering to purchase same from the Board. ~J The Chairman said that he feared that J the process in dealing with the matter | would be of too slow and costly a charac- .a ter to warrant the Board acceding to Mr. 3 Libeau's request. In the first place the 1 Board would have to advertise its inten- ■ tion to close the road at least once in three J weeks for twelve weeks. A meeting of "1 ratepayers would then have to be con- * vened to consider the matter, and if a \ majority of those present opposed the \ dealing with the land, the matter could proceed no further; but if no objection were offered, a survey would follow, and the Governor-in-Couneil would, no doubt, <• issue a proclamation closing the road and authorising its sale. The person through whose land the road runs would have the first offer of purchase at valuation, but on bis declining to take it, the land would be submitted to public auction. .As the land scarcely contained an acrfej he doubted whether it would be worth all that expense. Mr. Duxbury said that the Board had no right to undertake the matter, it being entirely a private affair, but if Mr. Libeau * would deposit a sum with the Board to defray all the expenses, he could see no . 4 objection to the Board assisting Mr. Libeau in the matter, as the road was certainly of no service. Mr. Lelievre moved—" That the Board *• agree to entertain Mr. Libeau's request, providing that he will guarantee to pay all .€{ expenses, together with the fall valuatibn of the land, and that he will deposit f usds 1 with the Board as required." „jj The motion was seconded by Mr. Shad- *'* bolt and carried. From W.J. Inman, calling the Board's attention to the disgraceful Btate of the : German Bay valley road at its junction j with the main road, and pointing out that | it was the only valley of any extent in the 1 •harbour that has had no road made up it. % \ Mr. Shadbolt said that the Board would | not be justified in spending any money J except on the proper line of road. % Mr. Duxbury' explained that £200 wa»s .voted and spent on the road at the" top of '* the hill, and that on the completion of the 4 Long Bay road, the traffic would notnear be S so great. jj Mr. Shadbolt suggested the advisability "5 of the clerk examining the condition of ~? the road complained of by Mr. Inwood. 4 Mr. Duxbury moved—" That the clerk* be instructed to prepare plans and specifications and invite tenders for theconstruction of the road on its proper line." The motion wassecondedby Mr.Lelievre \ and carried. .' -I TENDERS WAINUI VALLEY BRIDGE. - J Tenders were, opened for the construej| tion of a bridge on the Waintii Valley*? road, and all being considered excessive, ' the clerk was instructed: to advertise for fresh tenders under new specifications. i r SURVEY LONG BAY BOAD. >? A tendei was read from Mr. H. H. Fen* ; ton, offering to lay off the Long Bayroad at £3 3s. per day, and stating that the reason he had tendered in that way was to allow-an opportunity of his using the - utmost care in fixing the line.: If the Board did not approve of that plan, he would be glad to put in a price at per •?; mile if proper specifications as to the character of the work were prepared, so that he could .clearly understand the work re- 4 quired..... ' Some discussion took place as to the merit of the two systems, when it was eventually moved by Mr. Duxbury—~' 1 That the Board, at its rising, confer with Mr. * Fenton re his terms for the survey of the Long Bay road." The motion was seconded by Mr. Shadbolt, and carried. ROBINSONS BAY PROTECTIVE WORKS." The clerk reported that O'Grady and party had failed to come forward to sign for their contract at Robinson's Bay. The Chairman stated that he had met Gunning and Co. one day last week, and oneof the members of that firm had informed him that Mr. Duxbury had promised then* the contract, their tender being the next lowest, providing O'G rady and party failed to come forward. Now he (the Chairman) was surprised at any member taking upon himself to commit the Board without its authority, and it was evident to him that Everall and Gunning.and O'Grady and party were in accord in -the,.matter. - '■ Mr. Duxbury explained that he had been asked by Everah and Gunning that in the event of O'Grady and party failing to take up their contract, to whom would . the Boara' give the job, and he replied, be J supposed to the next lowest tenderer. denied ever having promised the work-to Everall wad Co., and it now appeared quite J clear to him that they were one and the i same party. As an individual member of : the Board, he not be justified in going to that extent. **• Mr. Duxbury's explanation was con- j sidered perfectly satisfactory. jj The Chairman said that it would be necesjfl sary to devise some means to guard againsM a recurrence of this system of and moved—"That all tenderers be re- ~, quired to deposit the sum of £1 on contracts under £50; over £50 and under , £100, £2 ; and in addition, a further sum often percent, on the total amount of tender on signing contract." The motion was seconded by Mr. Duxbury, and carried. ROBINSON'S BAY BOAD DIVERSION. Mr. Duxbury moved—" That Mr. Fenton be instructed to report on the main road, Robinson's Bay, from Mr. Johnston's to Horse Shoe Gully." . Mr. Shadboit seconded the motion which was carried. PAYMENTS. The following accounts were passed for payment: — . , £ b d. J. Lines ... ... ••• *$ 4 7 J. Hammond 3 0. 0 Sigley and Dickson, on account 60 0 0 Akaroa Mail 8 7 6 £117* 12/ l The Board then adjourned till Saturday, April the 7th.