AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 90, 29 May 1877, Page 2

AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the above Board took place in their office on Saturday last. Present —Messrs H. Piper, (Chairman), J. Duxbury, B. Shadbblt, and Lelievre. Tlie minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from Mr. Frank* Houghton resigning his position as a member of the Board;

The Clerk was instructed to advertise the election of a fresh member, on Saturday 16th June next. A letter was read from Mr. D, Kennedy, offering.to pay 7s 6d per chain towards the making of the Wainui road. The Board ordered 22 chains of the road to be formed as requested. From Mr. R. Rowe intimating that a portion of the Children's Baj , road was impassable, and that the tidal wave had carried away the bridge leading to his property. The Clerk was instructed to have the roadway re-benched, and the bridge replaced. APPOINTMENT OF WORKING OVERSEER. The following applications were received in answer to an advertisement for this office:—Robert G. Rix, Ltttle Akaloa ; P. F. Ralfe, French Fsrm ; William Kenny, Akaroa; F. Hahn, Akaroa; John Reid, Duvauchelle's Bay ; John Recce, Le Bon's Bay; George Raven, Akaroa; Thomas LeC6mpte, Barry's Bay ; Etienne. Brucher, Akaroa ; John Burbery, , Akaroa ; Herbert Hewer,- Duvauchelle's Bay; Alexander Reid, Akaroa; Wm. Clements, Akaroa, John Barwick, Duvauchelle's Bay ; and F. S. H. Murray, Wainui. The last tiori, was considered informal. Mr.- J. Duxbury proposed, and Mr. B; Shadbolt seconded—" That. John*Bar\vick be appointed to the office at a salary ef £126, as advertised. The motion was carried. - dewar's contract for metal.

A letter was received from the contractor, Mr. Dewar, saying that Mr. Lines had entered upon the old quarry, and had given more money to the stonebreakers, and thus taken both men and men going over to Lines with their work, and that it would.be impossible for him to finish his contract in the proper time. Also, that rather than.'struggle any longer with the job, he would give it up. The taking of the quarry putting the finish on the whole matter. Mr. Shadbolt thought they should stick to the man, and clear Linos out of the quarry. Mr. Duxbury remarked that the men could not have been breaking the stone in anticipation of Lines getting the job for metalling the road, and that the men could not give the metal over to another; Dewar must hold the stone, as the Board would hold him to his contract, and would allow neither the men nor the contractor to give over the broken metal to another.

The Chairman.—The quarry was given specially to Dewar, and the stone is the property of the Board, and the men have no right to interfere in the quarry.

The Clerk was instructed to write to Lines, that he has no right to interfere in the quarry, when Dewar is working, and that he must remove from it, until Dewar's contract is completed, and also to write to Dewar, that the Board hold him to his contract, and that he must not allow the stone, broken on his account to be transferred to Lines.

Robinson's bay road diversion. ■» Mr. G. Breitmeyer wrote offering the land required for the diversion at a cost of £30 per acre, and the old road conveyed to him, free of expenses. The Chairman supplement Mr. Breitmeyer's letter by stating that Mr. Breitmeyer would shift all the fences, and reerect the same at his own cost.

The Board decided to accept the offer, subject to Mr. Breitmeyer's agreeing to erect the fences, aud requested an earlyreply. ■■•':•■-, A letter was to hand from Mr. John Bell, Wainui, , in reference to the culvert below hia place being too small arid not sufficient to cany off the storm water. The Clerk reported that the Jetty, road was, being washed away, and wanted protection. Mr. Duxbury moved—" That as there is a few yards of stuff to move, that the work as requested be proceeded with." PIGEON BAY BOAD. The question of the payment of Mr. T. S, Johnston's account was again brought up, and the following correspondence was read from the Superintendent's office :— Christchurch, May 17, 1877. I am directed by Mr. Eolleston to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 2nd inst, and to express his regret that the letter referred .to should have been inadvertantly sent,to you without signature. I now forward a copy of it duly signed, and I shall be glad to hear at an early date that the request therein contained has been complied with by the Board, as the amount due to the contractor, Mr. Johnston, has been long overdue. . . (Signed) W. Jamieson. Eeferring to previous correspondence on the. subject of the. Pigeon Bay road, Akaroa side, I have the honour herewith to return account of amount due to the contractor, T. S. Johnston, and to inform you that the records in. this office show that the balance of the grant was passed over to the Board, with the understanding on the part of the Provincial Government, that their liability would be liquidated by the Board. I hope therefore, that on reconsideration, the Board will see their way to pay the amount due to Mr. Johnston. (Signed) W. Eolleston. Mr. Duxbuby said that the understanding was, that the plans should be submitted to the Board, and in this case it had not been done. The specifications had not been submitted to the Board, and they had neither knowledge nor control of the works, and remarks had been made that the metal in this case had been put on where it was not wanted. If we had no right to spend the money in the first instance) we can have no right now, arid as to Mr! Saxtori's pledging the Board, he was sure such was not the case. .

Mr. Shadbolt.—We have no right to pay this work, as the contractor was merely the servant of the late Provincial Council.

Mr. Duxbuby thought it was a humiliating position for the Board to - occupy, paying sums of money to contractors, the details of which they knew nothing of. There was also further question of what was to be done with the balance of the Pigeon Bay road grant. The Clerk said that the balance of the grant to the Pigeon Bay Road Board was £224 18s 2d. .'

:Mr. Duxbuby said that another reason wily he objected to paying the amount of Johnstons account was that the work had not been let by public tender, it being a private arrangement between the engineer and the. contractor.

The Chairman said that as far as he remembered, the work was not tendered for. The case of Kenny's contract was not analogous, as the Board were satisfied with his work; and it had been advertised for in. 't%e Christchurchu papers. ■ ; Mr. Duxbury thought the Board could not reverse its decision, and he thought the better way was to send the money back to Mr. Rolleston as the agent of the Government, and let him pay Mr. Johnston, and as ,to the balance of £70, the Board had better ask if they would return this also. All works should be let by public fender, 1 and the specifications submitted to the Board. The Board had no doubt sometimes wasted public money, but so. had the engineers, and until this was done, he would not be a party to vote money in the uncertain way proposed. ' Mr. Shadbolt quite agreed with the previous speaker in regard to returning the money to, Mr.Rolleston,' if they were quite sure they were done with the Broughs. The Chairman did not think that the Board was in a position to quarrel with the Government, as they have taken possessian of the metal, and had been ' using the road.

Mr. Duxbuby did not wish to have any quarrel with the Government, as they were ugly men to deal with, but if they had no right to spend any part of the money, what were they to do with the balance. It would be the better way to "send the amount of Johnston's account >to the late Superintendent, it would relieve hiih of a difficulty, and the Board would riot be going back in their resolution. . The Chairman thought that having differences of opinion with the Government might operate against us in.the case of special grants for the future Mr. DuxBURY, to bring the matter to an issue proposed—" That the money be returned to Mr. Bolleston to the amount of Mr. T. S. Johnston's account, from the balance in hand of the Pigeon Bay special grant, andat the same time, skthat ask the Board had incurred inabilities, they would be justified in paying any balance due in existing contracts on this road." Seconded by E. Lolievre, and carried.

Mr. Shadbolt would still oppose the payment, of the account in question, as the district has never got value for the money, the metal had been spead in parts . not wanted, and the metal not half broken as was remarked to him by the late Superintendent. He still adhered to the terms of the Boards early correspondence on the question, and refused to be a party in spending money over which they had no control. The policy of the engineering department, with Mr. Thornton at.its head, had always been to ignore the Road Boards, He would agree to the resolution if the mover would add that the Board further exprpss their dissatisfaction as to the manner in which the work was let and carried out, and also inquire if the job had been let by public tender. The Chairman remarked that he had no objection to the additions as proposed by Mr. Shadbolt. Mr. Johnson, if paid, could afford to be growled at. The motion, with the addition of Mr. Shadbolt, was agreed to. SPECIAL GRANTS. On the suggestion of the Chairman the clerk was instructed to write to Mr. Eolleston, asking if the special grants for the district at present in the hands of the County Council, were available for the use of the Board. BALGUEBIE VALLEY BOAD. On the motion of Mr. Lelievre, ssconded by Mr. Shadbolt, the Board agreed to call for tenders for the forming of this road from Mr. Fenton's lower gate upwards, and also to erect new bridge. Carried.

■• ■ PAYMENTS. On the motion of Mr. Shadbolt, seconded by Mr. Lelievre, the following accounts were passed for payment:— & s d J.lvess 3 6^o Curtis and Drink water ... 014 0 A Reid ... 1 15 0 J. O'Brion 0 18 0 £6, : 7 6 The amount of MessrsSigley and Dixon's account for bridge at. Wainiii £64, was also passed, subject to Mr. Adams passing the work. FRENCH FARM ROAD. - The Clerk was instructed to write to Mr. Thomas asking him to eign his contract. A specification was submitted to the Board by the clerk, and approved of for the repairs "of the French Farm road from Barry's Bay jetty to French Farm beach. A request was also received from Mr. Charles Bates in regard to bridge leading to his place. Both matters were placed in the hfinds of the newly-appointed overseer to see carried out. Mr. Shadbolt moved, and Mr. Duybury seconded, that the Board adjourn till Saturday, June 16. Carried.