Manchester Road Board.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 180, 3 February 1896, Page 2

Manchester Road Board.

The regular monthly meeting of the above body was held on Saturday last. Present — Messrs F. Y. Lethbridge (chairman), G. Wheeler, J. Purkiss, W. G. Pearce, A. Conway, H. J. Booth. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence was received and. dealt with as follows : — From J. Jefferies and S. Pudney asking the Board not to press for interest on rates paid last month.— All interest must be paid. From H. C. Wilson, asking the Board to pass a bye-law to forbid bicycle racing on public roads within the jurisdiction of the Board. From Treasury, voucher for subsidy of £289 10s ld ; voucher for £36 10s 9d rates on Rangitikei native reserve. From Public Trustee, stating section 13, sub-division O, Manchester Block, iv estate of the late C. Dakin, had been sold to Thos. Mclvor and John McKenzie. From F. S. Woollams, stating that Mr Gallichan should pay rates of shop occupied by him in Ashurst. The Treasurer, Mr Wheeler, reported as follows : — " I beg to report the probable deficit of some £500 by March 31, 1896 ; caused for the most part by the extraordinary expenditure this Board incurred in repairing damages caused by the floods of last Easter, clearing Gorge road, repairing small bridges, and starting punt having cost about £318. Moreover, £208 is now paid to hospital and charitable aid; and I think steps should be taken to make it more generally known to ratepayers that nearly ■£• of our general rate is now absorbed for that purpose. Again, tbe sum of £64 5s has been paid out of the general rate as interest for the Aorangi and Cheltenham Cross road bridges ; and next year the interest on Onepuhi, Kiwitea-Kimbolton, Mangaone and Henderson's line bridges will amonnt to £105 16s, thus making a total of £170 ls for interest on bridges. Ascharitable aid, clerk, offico rent, engineer, bank interest, printing and advertising, and the annual protection of the Onepuhi bridge absorbs £882 per annum, and our general rate of M only amounts to abont £1750, it must be evident to all that we cannot maintain and repair over 200 miles of road, and keep up bridges and culverts, on the balance, viz., some £870. I see no other way for this Board to meet its annual expenditure bnt to collect the special bridge rates, and make such addition to our general rate as will meet hospital and charitable aid charges." Mr T. Thebridge waited on the Board to protest against Mr H. Ashworth being granted a license to slaughter cattle on section, Spur road, Colyton. The Engineer was instructed to inspect the proposed site for the slaughterhouse and report at next meeting. Mr Cotter waitoi on the Board to ascertain what steps they intended taking, with regard to re-erecting a bridge over the Manawatu river at the Gorge. He thought something sbould be done in the interests, of the ratepayers effected. He suggested that if a new bridge could not be built the old one should be repaired. When he (as one of a deputation with the Chairman) waited on the Minister of Lands the attitude of tbe latter was favorable to something being dose, but what that something was bad nbt transpired. He < understood the Minister of Public Works bad expressed a willingness to Mr Pirani, M.H.R., to give £ for £ towards the erection of a bridge at tbe site in question. He thought tbe balance might be raised between the following local bodies —Pahiatua, Fitzherbert, and Pohangina Councils, Manawatu and Manchester, Road Boards, and Woodville and Paimerston Boroughs. Tbe various shares could be allotted by commission. After discussion it was Proposed by Mr Conway, seconded by Mr Wheeler, That the Manchester Road Board thinks the time bas arrived that the lower ferry bridge shonld be renewed by a more permanent structure, and if the Government give £ for £ as implied, the Board will take the necessary steps to commence the work.— Carried. Proposed by Mr Wheeler seconded by Mr Booth, That the clerk write to Mr Wilson and inform him that clause 8 of tbe bye-laws of the Manchester Road Board, declares " Any person furiously or negligently riding or driving, or being in a state of intoxication whilst riding or in charge of any cart, waggon, or other vehicle, on auy road within the Board's district shall be guilty of an offence."— Carried. Resolved, That the following alteration be made on rate roll: — David Thompson in place of David Donald for sections 45 and 11, Ashurst ; Jas. Hastings in place of J. H. Hankins ; Miss I. Manson in place of F. E. Burnell for section 3, sub-division H. Resolved, That renewals of slaughter licenses be granted to H. Reeve and E. King. Resolved, That seeing tbat. R. James has charged for splicing wire rope as a separate item and that the rest of the time he was working as an ordinary laborer he be paid the ordinary rate and tbat enquiry be made into his working time. Proposed by Mr Wheeler, seconded by Mr Purkiss, Tbat the Engineer be in* structed to increase the thickness of tbe gravel on McCrea's road by 1£ inches, where he considered necessary.— Car* ried. The following tenders were received : —For collecting dog tax for year 1896— J. A. Macdonald £65 (accepted) ; an alternate tender was 9d per dog; H. Wishaw, £57 or 10|d a dog ; S. Saxon, 9d a dog ; G. B. Simpson, £60 or ls 3d a dog ; W. S. Berber, £39 3s or 10§d a dog; W*A. Grant, 6d a dog; A. Pringle, ls a dog ; F. Thompson ls a dog. For putting in concrete culvert in Makino road— F. J. Chell, £67 ss, (accepted) ; R. Bowler and Co, £93 7s lld. After passing accounts the meeting adjourned.