Manchester Road Board

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 33, 6 September 1887, Page 2

Manchester Road Board

An ordinary monthly meeting of this Board was held on Saturday afternoon last. Present— Messrs F. Y. Lethbridge (chairman), Wheeler, Tremewan, Pryce-Jones, Bull, and Macarthur. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence was read from the following:— E. Gladstone, asking permission to fell roadline. H. L. Sherwill, re change of a client's name on rate roll. P. Stevens, re felling roadline. H. Barnett, Secretary of Palmerston North Industrial Exhibition, asking for the name of the Board's chairman to be placed on the Exhibition Committee. Luxford and Co., soliciting orders for drain pipes, and enclosing price list for same. H. Holland, re the condition of the road from the Bunnythorpe station to his sawmill, and offering to give £10 towards metalling the said road. W. Masters, re the impassable state of the above road. Prior and Sandilands, re change of a client's name on rate roll. G. Forlong, re change of name on rate roll. L. G. West, chairman of Palmerston Hospital Committee, a circular, re proposed hospital, and soliciting the co-operation of the Board. Public Works office, requesting mileage of work done under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. Kiwitea Road Board, asking the Board to make passable a portion of the Valley road. Rangitikei County Council, re the use of totara instead of matai for bridges and culverts. Alex Bell, re the state of Mangoane road, and asking for repairs to be done on same. Petition from settlers on Taonui road, asking for the road to he put in order. The Engineer, an estimate for metalling and culverting a portion of Reid's line. Same, an estimate of cost of labor of maintaining the roads in the district. John Farrel, an application for payment of felling roadline. John Gardner, re the bad state of Pohangina road and asking for £3 for compensation for an accident through bad state of said road. Resolved, That the name of A. J. Dowden be placed on the rate roll in place of W. F. Marsh, and that of Mrs C. Burton be substituted for Bailey Bros, for section 1 and 2, subdivision C. Resolved, That Messrs P. Stevens and E. Gladstone be allowed to fell roadlines as requested by them, to be paid in 12 months time at the rate of 3s per chain, the whole of bush on the lines to be cut down. A former letter from the Kiwitea Boad Board, : and a resolution passed thereon, were briefly discussed. The following is the resolution passed on March 3rd:—Proposed by Mr Macarthur and seconded by Mr Linton, That in reply to the Kiwitea Road Board this Board will agree to do an equivalent amount of work in that Board's district where the Board pleases, twelve months after they metal the Pohangina road within the Manchester Board's boundary, and this Board recommends this road to be cleared and the ditches cleaned out this season, and the metalling proceed early next season:— Carried. (This resolution was duly forwarded to the Kiwitea Road Board, which body held it over for consideration until election of a new warden for Pohangina ward.) Mr Macarthur proposed, and Mr Tremewan seconded, That the Engineer be requested to report on the cost of metalling Pohangina road from Warne's mill to the Manchester Block boundary at next meeting, and that the Kiwitea Road Board be asked whether they will renew their offer received 3rd March last on condition of the work done being of a permanent character. Mr Jones proposed, and Mr Wheeler seconded, as an amendment, That the Kiwitea Road Board be informed that this Board is unable to contemplate any works of construction during the present state of its finances. On the amendment and the motion being put, there was an equal number of votes for each, and the chairman gave his casting vote against the amendment, which, was accordingly negatived. The original motion was then put and carried. Tenders for road work and supply of material were laid upon the table. Resolved, That owing to the short notice given in calling for tenders for road work, the"tenders at present delivered be not opened until next meeting, and that further time be advertised. Re Mr Gardner's request for compensation, it was resolved that the clerk inform Mr Gardner that the Board is unable to consider his demand. Mr Masters waited on the Board, and explained, the impassable condition of the road from Bunnythorpe station to Holland's mill. A short discussion was held on the matter, after which it was Proposed by Mr Bull, and seconded by Mr Macarthur, That the necessary steps be taken to raise a loan under the Loans to Local Bodies'Act for the purpose of making the Taonui road, Valley road, Forlong road, continuation of Spur road to Oroua river, Reid's line, also 1 mile of Stoney Creek road to Bunnythorpe, from Oroua river to Bunnythorpe road, half cost of the road from Bunnythorpe to Oroua and one-third of cost of bridge over said river, the special district to be rated to No. 5 Ward, and that if the special rate can be paid out of the general rate it shall be so paid.— Carried. Proposed by Mr Macarthur, seconded by Mr Bull, That an application

be made under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act for a sum of money sufficient to construct the road from Bunnythorpe to Ashurst along the railway line within No. 6 Ward, and the completion of the road from Warne's mill to the Manchester Block boundary, Henderson's and Hennighan's lines, the Engineer to prepare an estimate, and the other necessary steps to be taken by the chairman, the special rate to be levied over No. 6 Ward, and to be paid out of general revenue if possible.—Carried. Proposed by Mr Macarthur, as per notice of motion, seconded by Mr Jones, That the resolution passed at the Board's meeting on July 2, 1887, refusing to make special charge to any individual at the Gorge toll gate be rescinded.—£Carried. Proposed by Mr Jones, seconded by Mr Wheeler, That Mr Cotter and all members of his family be allowed to use the bridge at the lower Gorge for an annual payment of £3, except for the purpose of crossing stock, for which he shall pay the usual toll while the Board collect the tolls.—Carried. Anent the letter from Mr Bell, re the condition of Mangoane road, Mr Macarthur proposed, and Mr Bull seconded, That the Engineer be instructed to expend not more than £50 in repairing the Mangoane road, such repairs to be of as permanent a character as possible, the work to be done as soon as the weather will permit. A discussion followed, in which Messrs Jones and Wheeler opposed the motion. The former twitted Mr Macarthur with inconsistency, having former opposed a similar request from Mr Bell to have the road repaired. Mr Macarthur explained that at that time the Board was positively refused by the bank any further overdraft for special work, and consequently the Board could do nothing in the matter, but as the state of the Board's finances was now different, he could support the work being done without acting inconsistently. He argued that the altered circumstances now justified a different action on the part of the Board, and he therefore failed to see any inconsistency in proposing the motion. Mr Jones proposed, and Mr Wheeler seconded, as an amendment, That the Clerk inform Mr Bell this Board regrets this inconsistency of its inaction as regards the Mangoane and Pohangina roads respectively, but is unable in the present state of its finances to repair the Mangoane road. Mr Macarthur said he should certainly object to such a motion as that being recorded. It was making a confession, and it was the first time he had ever heard of a public body censuring its own actions. The amendment was negatived, and the original motion carried. Accounts amounting to £139 4s were passed for payment, and the Board adjourned.