AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 320, 12 August 1879, Page 2

AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD

Saturday, Aug. 9. A meeting of this Board was held on the above date at their offices, Duvauchelle's Bay. Present — Messrs Williams (Chairman), Curry, M'Donald, Shadbolt, and Chappell. INTERVIEWS. Mr A. M'Phail, contractor for the middle portion of the Mount Bossu road, waited on the Board to complain that the pegs on this line were out of their place. He could not find pegs from No 31 to 44. Mr D. Curry attended to enquire as to the building of a bridge over the creek in Grehan Valley, near Kedge's. A ford would be of no use. j The Chairman explained that it was one of the works which the Board had promised to undertake, but it would have to stand over for the present, as they had not sufficient funds. Mr H. Magee urged the claims of himself and the settlers in his neighborhood to a road. The Purple Peak road, as constructed by the Board, was useless to them, as they could not get on it. He thought the Board should make the road laid out by Mr Brodrick. The Chairman stated that the Board at present had no funds, but would endeavor to attend to the matter as soon as funds were available. Mr Mark Wright, complained that the Mount Bossu road was perfectly impassable, owing to landslips, and the culverts being stopped; it was hardly possible even for a footpassenger to get along. The Board promised to take the matter into consideration, and attend to it as soon as possible.

The Chairman read the following statement :— " At last meeting I tendered my resignation as your Chairman, it will therefore be necessary to appoint a gentleman to fill the vacancy. fi I therefore thought' it would-, not be out of place to put before you. a statement of pccounts, shewing the assets and liar ( ' bilities.of the Board. With that"";yiew ,1 have had ja return I prepared, giving the' total receipts to date a3 £8941 { "added to which are the following itern&;*j-/; Outstanding" rates, £256 ; rates being 5 pared, at 9d, current year t £600 ; £ for £, last year's rates, £349 10s; sale of stable and fencing, Kenny, £20; Pigeon Bay Summit "fdad,*'£2Br making'aftotal income from all sources L of £10,444 _!»1I<|« " The Board's indebtedness to date is as follows: —Paid to Ist August on contracts, days labor, salaries and incidentals, £5447 17s 7d ; balance of contracts, not, yet completed, is £3275 19s 6d ; M'Kay's arbitration award, £476 5s ; extra on contracts for culverting and overchainage, £500; bridges and roads damaged by late flood, £300 ; Long Bay road culverts. i£l77 7s; Purple Peak contract. £43; fencing, Moore and Keegan, £100, making a total of £10,120 9s Id, which leaves a balance of £127 15s "As the Horse-shoe Bend contract is included in this amount, there will be a further sum towards putting that portion of the main road in order. "As it will probably take five months* before all the contracts in hand are completed, there will be ample funds to carry on the immediate pressing works, and allow time to collect the outstanding current rates. With regard to the Board's share of the Impounded Land Fund, which is contingent upon a loan to be raised by the Government, it will necessarily be some time before this item is available, and I do not think it will be wise for the Board to undertake any further new works until this amount is in hand. The share of the 'Land Fund taken on the basis of the last distribution belonging to this district is £3000. We have pledged ; the Board to several works of importance which will absorb the greater part of this sum. Rhodes' Flat, £500; French Farm, £600; Waikerakikari, £800, and Bal guerie road, £600. "In conclusion, gentlemen, I have to thank you for your courtesy during my brief chairmanship, and I shall always have pleasure in giving my successor any information in my r power in connection with the Board's business. " F. W. Williams." The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman said he would, if the Board desired it, conduct the business for this meeting. Several members urged Mr Williams to re-considsr his determination, but the latter declined to do so, as the dual office he held formed too great a tax on his time. CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr James Hammond wrote, complaining of damage being done to his property by the overflow of the creek in German Bay. James Mander, sen., applied by letter on behalf of himself and partners for payment for work done on the Purple Peak road. It was found that the contract had been taken by J. H. Mander, jun., and therefore the Board could not deal with anyone else in the matter. At the same time, it was resolved that Mr Barwick and one or more of the members should inspect the work, and take it over if it were satisfactorily completed. A letter was read from Mr A. Watkins, Chairman of the Wainui School Committee, asking that the road might be made up to the Government school, Wainui. From Mr S. Curregh, asking for an extension of time for a month for his contract on-the Onuku road. From Messrs G. Black and C. Haylock, urging the necessity of a road being made to'the Heads, as proposed. Mr Chappell thought the Boar/i should" clear some of the stones away froin.__e bad places.. He was afraid they would never be able to make the hew road. 7 1 From Mr A. Kattowski, asking for a bridle track leading to his property in German Bay., Both questions were directed to stand over for the present. From Mr H. T. Worsley, .complaining of the state of the. Grehan Valley; road, which he compared" to the " bed of a mountain torrent." The Board undertook to do something to make the road passable. From Mr G. Armstrong, which the Board' declined to receive. From Mr John Wright, Grehan Valley, offering land for road purposes at £10 per acre. t ; ■ : * . . 7 Consideration of the matter was deferred. From Mr H. H. Fenton, stating that no pegs had been shifted on Mr T. Brough's contract, Horse-shoe Bend, after the contract had been signed. Mr Brough was in attendance, and the whole question of this contract was reopened. Mr Chappell thought the fairest thing they could do was to allow Brough to complete the work in the spring, the Board deducting what had been spent on the work to keep the road open. He made a proposition to that effect, which was seconded by Mr Shadbolt. and carried, engineers' reports. The engineers forwarded a report and plan of the proposed site for Fyfe and Bruce's bridge. Also specifications for falling, clearing, &c, 50 chains of the Waikerakikari road towards Le Bon's Bay track. Consideration of both reports was deferred. pawson's valley road. Mr Vogan waited on the respecting a diversion of this road to his place, and an exchange of road, with Mr Shadbolt. Resolved to write to Mr Shadbolt, and ask him on what terms he would permit the diversion. WAINUI PASS ROAD. The engineers wrote, offering to grade the above road for the sum of £60. It was stated that the distance was about three miles. A long discussion ensued a« to whether this work should be proceeded with at once, or held over for the present. Mr M'Donald strongly urged that as the' Board had pledged themselves to expend a certain amount of money on this road, and offers of the landholders in the neighborhood, they were bound in

honor to proceed with it. On the motion of Mr Shadbolt, the matter was.left over till next meeting. ,y GOyGH's._A_,ROAD. The engineers wrote; to that this how/complete. -. The plans would be ready in a.few days to enable the Board ,tb obtain conveyances from Messrs Masefield'. i /'. , . ■ *■„ - " i GERMAN BAY}: VALLEY ROAD "V*■i ' i \ ■ Mr J. F./Roberts wrote, complaining of the vStare 'of this, road,"-particularly that portion iri\.front o£ Mr James Brown's property. "'" " ; The matter was. referred to the Clerk of Works. The.same gentleman also. wrote,. -rbad.'might be jconthu|ed| past Mora's land. "'' - s " ''■ • v*' "" It was resolved to write to Mr Roberts, • stating that the funds *t the - disposal of the Board would not allow them to entertain the proposition. PAYMENTS. W. Kennedy, masonry for culverts £7 5 6 Reed and Wallace, blacksmith's work ... * .... ... 417 8 H. Billens, sundries ... ... 117 6 J. Bell, cartage :.. ... 12 0 0; T. S. Johnson, cartage «.. 5 0 0 Do • labor ... ... 4 4 0 Brough and David, progress payment 50 0 0 S. Curregh, progress payment 40 0 0 J. Gunning, do do 50 0 0 F. Hawthorne,- do do 20 0 0~ H. Piper, bullock hire ... 26 5 0 H. Le Comte, final payment ... 22 7 3 Le Comte. Lines and Co.- ... .50 0" 0 Do, balance Wainui contract .... ... ... ... 92 7 6 W. Chatfield, Ist progress payment 10 0 0 S. Johnson, timber 9 16 J. _l*_?iel, timber ... ... 1 O ,0 C. M'Donald, culvert ... ... 510 0 Do, use of land for road 10 10 0 Do, fencing ... ... 36 13 4 (These items were incurred two years ago.) Stamps ... 10 0 Citron, stationery 1 11 6 Johnson and Co, final payment, : Le Bon's Bay road ~. ... 40 0 0 Fenton and Wilkins 103 10 6 Sundry accounts for labor ... 120 10 1 £725 11 4 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. Mr Shadbolt proposed Mr Curry as chairman. Mr Curry declined, and thought Mr M'Donald the most suitable person. Mr M'Donald had previously intimated that he could not accept the office, and left the room. Finally Mr Chappell was elected, though he was anxious to decline the honor. The Board then adjourned till August 23, at the usual hour.