Manchester Road Board

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 141, 4 June 1889, Page 2

Manchester Road Board

Saturday, June Ist, 1889. The ordinary monthly meeting was held as above. Present — Messrs Macarthur (chairman), Wheeler, Pryce- Jones, Reeve, Pearce, Lethbridge. Before the usual formal business was commenced, Mr Pryce-Jones claimed his right to vote for the election of chairman, be having been absent from the last meeting when Mr Macarthnr was elected. Mr Macarthur said that among other correspondence to be laid before the meeting a legal opinion from a Marton legal firm would be read. Mr Macarthur further said he could of conisa resign the position but as he considered his appointment was perfectly regular, and therefore legal, he had no intention of doing so. At the present time he had no intention of saying the election was illegal, nor did he see any benefit which would arise from discussing the subject then. Mr Lethbridge thought the election might be held again. Mr Macarthur said he understood the only objection Messrs Lethbridge, Wheeler, and Jones had to his election was that he would give his casting vote in favor of Mr Pearce's motion for rescinding: the motion passed at a previous meeting, hanging np the expenditure of loan in No. 5 ward until the roads along the railway line were made legal. Mr Lethbridge said there were other objections. Mr Macarthur said whatever resulted from their present action the odium would rest on Mr Pryce-Jones. r He accused the latter of having sent a report to the Advocate of a private conversation held 'af the time a meeting of ratepayers was called, but as there was no quorum 'there was no meeting. Mr Wheeler said it was not Mr. Jones, but he (Mr Wheeler) who sent the alleged report, and -justified himself by blaming Mr Macarthur for sending a circular to }he ratepayers prejudicing an 'election. Mr Macarthur claimed his right as a ratepayer to oppose any candidate whose views were likely to prove against" the interest of the ward. Mr Wheeler asked Mr Maearthur to resign now and have a re-election and the thing would be more satisfactory. Mr Macarthur declined and Messrs Lethbridge, Pryce-Jones, and '"Wheeler then left the room. ' ; ' The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. ■ CORRESPONDENCE. , From Cash and Esam as follows :— We are instructed by Mr H. P. Jones and two other members of the Board to give you notice that the election of Mr Macarthur as chairman of the Board is irregular anj|, invalid, and that steps will be taken torbring the question before the proper tribunal as Mr Macarthur is not, in -pur . opinion, either de jure ovde facie' ih&T chairman of the Board, we are desired by our clients to give the Board nofice that ~ any resolution carried on Mr Macarthur's casting vote will be questioned hereafter. We shall be glad if you will bring this letter to the notice of the several members of the Board at its meeting on Saturday. From Betuming Officer, stating that the following Licensing Committee had been elected for Ashurst :— Messrs Crich- ;.!.-. ton, Haynes, Page, Saunders, and Tre^oi me wan. „"";,» From H. P. Jones, stating he was not aware of having been deputed by the Board to take any part in the matter of ~ the Onepuhi bridge. From Secretary to Treasurer, asking: for detailed statement of proposed works to be undertaken out of the loan. From B. Treinewan and B. Scheldt, drawing attention to the state of the Bunnythorpe road. - From B. K. Eeid, making an appointment to meet the chairman of the Board to arrange re damage to his crops. x Fro jo. E. G. Knight, asking permission to fall bush on road line fronting section 19, Watershed road. ■ '..-, From Chairman Eangitikei County, making an appointment to meet members of the Manchester Eoad Board to discuss plans for erecting new span to Onepuhi bridge. From K. Lloyd, asking permission to fall bush on road line adjoining section 83, and that_ his name be placed on roll for said section. From J. Gallager, asking permission to erect fence and gate across Gallagher's road, Ashurst. From Kilsall, applying for his name to be placed on roll for part of section 25.; From A. Wiscbnowski, J. B. Pybus, John Bruce, and W. F. ElMngton applying to have their names placed on roll. From Gardner Bros., applying for permission to erect a fedce on road line to protect a live hedge. . From Manawatu Eoad Board, asking for particulars re class and size of decking: used on bridges for district roads in Manchester District. From Secretary to Treasurer, enclosing copy of letter received from Mr Carey, of Taonui, relative to proposed expenditure of loan on a road from Oroua river to Bunnythorpe and asking for an explanation of the matter. The following. is a copy of the letter : — " I have the honor to draw your attention to the feet of the loan — recently applied for by the Man- '*' Chester Road Board for the purpose- of making certain roads on schedule, more especially that road running from Oroua river to Bunnythorpe. As it was atilely on account of this road being made, I think I may state that at least one third of the votes were given in favor of the loan. Since the provisional granting of the loan it has been pointed out that there is no legal road there, and it is not in the Manchester Eoad District. Therefore, on behalf of myself and several other ratepayers, I would request to be informed whether we can be called upon to pay the special rate for suoh money. — B* E. Carey, Taonui. From B. Cobb, asking the Board to push on with the work of erecting crossing" over the creek. : Circular from Pahiatua County Council, asking co-operation in the matter of obtaining an amendment in the Land Act ; to enable deferred payment settlers to. anticipate their thirds by taking advantage of the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, for the purpose of at once making roads and redeeming the loan bj the deferred thirds. From Surveyor-General, re Cheltenham ' Cross road, and stating that the proportion of one third cost of maintenance proposed to be charged to the Manchester Board a fair :ne, and unless either of the Boards ask for a commission such proposition would be gazetted. . From Property Tax Commissioner, re i advance of subsidy. . • ' : I Mrs Bezar applied for an order for the hospital for her son. (Order granted.) Letter from H. Adsett, re state of road to his mill, and he would hold the Board responsible for any damage suffered by him therefrom. The chairman said, in the matter of B. K. Eeid's claim, he had seen Mr Eeid and the latter had agreed to submit the afiair to arbitration. ' Proposed by Mr Macarthur, seconded • - by Mr Eeeye, That the matter of the damages claimed by B. K. Eeid, the - Board is willing to submit the damage claimed to arbitration up to a maximum of £60.— Carried. .' Proposed by Mr Eeeve, seconded by Mr. Macarthur j That permission be given to

Mr B. Lloyd to fall bush on road line alongside section 83, Scandinavian Block, on Board's usual terms.— Carried. Proposed by Mr Reeve, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That Mr Warne be asked to remove the pate across the road at his mill. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Macarthur, seconded by Mr Pearce, That the Manchester Eoad Board would prefer having a commission to decide their proportion of liability for the maintenance of Cheltenham Cross road. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Eeeve, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That another man be put on No. 6 ward as surface man. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Pearce, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That the Engineer put the Taonui road in a temporary state of repair as requested by Mr Adsett, pending the expenditure of the new loan. — Canned. Proposed by Mr Beeve, seconded by Mr Pearce, That Mr Hunt be granted permission to fell the hush on the road fronting section 13, on Watershed road, on Board's usual terms. The road opposite section 14 will be constructed out of the loan as soon as possible. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Eeeve, seconded by Mr Pearce, That the following names be placed on the rate hook ; — R. Moffke, J. Bruce, W« F. Elkington, J. B. Pybus, R. Kirkpatrick, H, Jensen, A. "Wischnowski, W. and T. Greenhow, and Richard Lloyd. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Reeve, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That John Gallagher be given permission to erect gate and fence as requested by him. Gate to be removed •at the demand of the Board.— Carried. Proposed by Mr Reeve, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That Gardner Bros., be given permission to erect fence as requested in their letter.— Carried. Proposed by Mr Pearce, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That the chairman write to the Secretary of the Treasury in answer j to Mr Carey's letter, the said letter being calculated to prevent the Treasury granting the loan for No. 5 ward. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Pearce, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That the Engineer be Authorised to put 300 yards of metal on the Bunnythorpe road, 100 yards on the Feilding-Ashurst road, and 150 yards on the Taonui road. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Reeve, seconded by Mr Macarthur, That the Engineer have 200 loads of metal put on the Pohangina road, 150 loads to be put on above Mr Warne's null, — Carried. Proposed by Mr Pearce, seconded by Mr Macarthur (notice of motion having been given), That the arnendmend proposed by Mr Bull, seconded by Mr Lethbridge, at the meeting of the Board on April 6, 1889, "That as the votes was ■tal.en in No. 5 ward in good faith that the road Oroua river to Bunnythorpe should be ma.de, that unless that this road is made no money out of loan •■should be spent" be rescinded. — Carried. Tenders for ia^ikawa bridge were opened— lhle, £54 14s ; Wood and Stevens, £65 12a. Proposed by Mr Reeve, seconded by Mr ■ Macarthur. That Messrs Brown and Cobb be consulted before tenders are accepted for the Kaniawa bridge, and that the chairman be empowered to a-^ept the lo est t.nder if satisfactory arrangeme its a.c made. — Carried. Proposed by Mr Pearce, seconded by Mr Reeve, That Mr Macarthur be requested to use his best efforts to get the roads from Bunnythorpe to Oroua river, on both sides of the railway line, legalised ■during the coming session. — Carried. The usual accounts for the month were jmssed and the meeting adjourned.