ESPALANDE ROAD.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 852, 28 March 1903, Page 1

ESPALANDE ROAD.

WHATAUPOKO BOARD REFUSE TO

CONTRIBUTE,

The monthly meeting of the Whataupoko Road Board was held yesterday afternoon, there being present :—Messrs Matthews (chairman), Hamon, and Siovwright. The question of giving support to tho fund for improving the Esplanade road was brought up by Mr Sievwright, who said that the matter had been represented to him, and he thought that the Board should, if possible, assist. They used the road a good deal for tho carting of metal. His idea was that the revenue which the Borough derived from the river bank on tho Whataupoko might bo applied to such purposes. In reply to a question tho Clerk said that he bad been informed that tho revenue the Borough derived was about 1128 per year, but that amount did not include tho Kaiti, where tho freezing works alone gave a revenue of about £4O. The Chairman said that all the return the Board had got last year was about £7 or £B. At the same timo ho would strongly oppose any such grant as asked for. In the first place, he did not think thoy could legally do so, and, in any case, they had not the funds. Thoy were now £6O under the overdraft limit, and that was practically bypothocated by work in hand. Tho people on parts of tho Whataupoko wore crying out for roads and foothpaths, and rightly so, but tho Board had great difficulty in doing tho work they would like to do. Tho Riverside road, for instance, would again shortly necessitate considerable expenditure to keep if open, and ho did not see how they could reasonably take money out of rates to give for a road quito beyond their jurisdiction. Mr Sievwright said that be did not agree as to there being no power. It was quito within their province to join with other bodies for a work for tho common benefit.

The Chairman: Then where is the finality to come ? He instanced the case of the Fatutahi quarry road and tho County Council. If Mr Sievwright’s argument held good in regard to the Esplanade road the County Council would be justified in asking the Borough for a couple of hundred pounds to repair tho road which their carting of metal had broken up, and put into a worse state than the Esplanade road. If tho Borough Council were asked for such a grant they could make sure what the reply would be. Mr Siovwright said that if they had not the money that would settle the gnestion, being a sufficient answer without debating the other point.

It was then agreed that the Board, owing to want of funds, was unable to assist.