ROAD BOARD CONFERENCE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 239, 1 November 1878, Page 2

ROAD BOARD CONFERENCE.

A conference was held at Garwood's House on the Hill Top on Monday, the 28th October, between the Chairmen of the Akaroa and Wainui and Little River Road Boards and Messrs Coop and Shadbolt. representing their respective boards, for the purpose of coming to terms as to the expenditure of £900 granted by the Into Provincial Government for a road from Mount Bossu to Lake Forsyth, and also in regard to the proper boundary of the two districts. On the motion of Mr Shadbolt, Mr Parkinson took the chair. The Chairman said that, as Chairman of the Little River Road Board, ho was of opinion that the County Council had taken the matter entirely out of the hands of the Road Boards by the resolution which they had passed at their last meeting. The two Road Boards had agreed to work together in order to meet the resolution of the County Council passed at itß

meeting on the 26th Sept., and in face of this the County Council had apparently misconstrued the intentions of tho Road Boards, and agreed to appoint an engineer to obtain an estimate of the cost of the work, regardless of the interests of the two Boards, who had agreed to work together, and had tried to meet the resolution of the County Council in every way. It seemed.to him to be a question of whether the County Council or Road Boards should do the whole of these works. It seemed impossible to understand the actions of the County Council ; they were evidently trying to obtain hold of the reins, and if so, let them drive. Yet, he was clearly of opinion that the County Council could not do works so cheaply nor yet so satisfactorily as the Road Boards. If the County Council were going in for works, I let them do the whole of the works, but he feared that if the County Council entertained the question of making roads, the same difficulties would arise which had arisen when tiie late Provincial Government undertook works of a similar kind. The two bodies, having co-terminous powers, and probably jealous of each other, were sure to clash and lead to confusion. Let either one or other of the bodies do the whole work, and maintain the same after completion. As an old member of a Road Board, his leanings were, decidedly in favor of this last relic of Provincialism. The County Council was not, nor never was intended as a substitute for Road Boards ; it was merely a medium between- them and the General Government, and a very good check against hasty and personal action in the matter of closing roads. They had jumped from tbe Purau track to the Bossu extension ;if they had proposed taking over the expensive main road, the matter might have looked more feasible ; these by-roads, he considered, were entirely out of their province, and would, therefore, move—" That this meeting considers the recent action of the County Council in regard to the Bossu ■extension as beyond comprehension." The resolution was seconded by Mr Shadbolt, and carried unanimously. Mr Coop moved—" That in the event of the incoming County Council handing over the sum of £900 to the two Road Boards, a report be obtained by a competent engineer as to the cost of the work in each district, and that each Board agree to undertake the work in their respective districts, of an uniform width to be agreed upon, and to subsidize the sum of £900 (if found necessary to do so) in order that the work may be carried out efficiently." Seconded by Mr Duxbury, and carried unanimously.