ROAD BOARDS.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 7, 8 June 1874, Page 3

ROAD BOARDS.

ASHBURTON.

This Board met at their offices on Tuesday the 2nd instant, at noon. Present —Mr J. Grigg (chairman) Messrs Alfred Saunders, E. C. Fooks and Harrison.

The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

The surveyor's report was read and considered seriatim.

Long Beach road, Leatham's contract, left to surveyor to act upon. Black's road, re Mr Oarsbie's application for culvert.in gully, left to surveyor. Bangitata Bridge road, resolved that No 2 rbute be the one adopted by the Board, and the clerk was directed to send a copy of surveyor's report on this road to Sir Cracrof fc Wilson, and also to Mrs Moorhouse, pointing out that the Board are prepared to support their application to the Government for the necessary diversion, if accompanied with a special plan of survey. Bangitata bridge. Clerk instructed to make application for a special grant from the Government re this work, accompanying this with a copy of the surveyor's report on said bridge. Boundary road. The surveyor was instructed to carry out the plan recommended by him, as the most economical; and in addition, the Board resolved to grant the sum of £4O towards forming outfall drain along sections 16,691, 16,688, 1646, and 6808 . Tenders were accepted for the following works : —Making North Paddock road at 17s per chain ; making Coldstream Swamp road, alias Brogden's road, at £6 per chain. Mr C. E. Fooks, by desire of the Board, explained the nature of existing contracts up to May 6th, 1874. Besolved—" That Messrs Bruce and Fooks inspect all existing contracts, and fully and finally report on same at the next meeting of the Board."

The clerk was directed to write to the Secretary for Public Works, enclosing copy of the following resolution passed by the Board :—" That, as the Board o> j.'cts t' crossing the railway line, the Government be requested to grant a line of road on ttie east side of the railway reserve, within snid reserve, south of river Ashburton, from the said river Ashburton to the Rangitata river, failing which the Board would still consider it necessary to purchase a right of road through Mr McLean's land, on west side of railway." Mr Williams had an interview with the Board re picking stones off Rangitata bridge road, requesting the Board to have the finished portion passed at once. The surveyor was instructed to inspect the same.

Resolved—" That all contracts entered into by this Board within the new district of South Rakaia, remaining unfinished after the contract time of June 4th be handed over, together with all papers, &c, relating thereto, to the South Rakaia Road Board. And all contractors for said unfinished works be written to, stating that the Ashburton Road Board have nothing further to do with slid works, and referring them to the South Rakaia Board hereafter."

Mr Gilmour attended, re culverts and bridges on Black's and Jackson's reads, stating that through want of the bridges being built he was unable to carry on his contract without great hindrance. After a desultory conversation the surveyor was directed to get the bridges, &c, done as quickly as possible. Mr Gilmour was requested in future to communicate with the Board in writing. Resolved—" That the district surveyor be allowed £SO per annum extra for forage, also £2O for extra horse work in the South Rakaia district in consequence of the division of the two Boards not having been completed, owing to the unfinished state of existing contracts in South Rakaia district.

The clerk was instructed to apply to Mr Corsbie for payment of drain pipes. Resolved—" That F. Black be paid the sum of £3O 16s lOd, for work done in 1872. Also, " That the surveyor be instructed to have Mr McLennan's contract carried out at once, in accordance with specifications" Resolved—" Tbat the Board supply pipes at cost price, delivered at their offices, to persons applying for same, subject to the surveyor's first notifying that they are necessary for places where they are intended to be put in." The surveyor was instructed to employ labor as required. The surveyor was instructed to prepare a statement of works urgently required throughout the district during the ensuing year ; also, to prepare an estimate of funds necessary to carry out the same, and to forward the estimate to the member for the district in the Provincial Council. The clerk was directed to also write to the member for the district, requesting him to make application for a special grant of £SOO for fencing, planting, and laying out recreation grounds. An application from Mr Scott, applying for a grant of £lO, to make the Low Cliffs beach road passable, pending the completion of Brogden's road, and the company to supplement the grant with £5, was refused. Payments were ordered to the amount of £1536 3s 7d, inclusive of an amount of £360 to Mount Somers Road Board, paid by Provincial Treasurer in error in December, 1873, to the credit of the ABhburton Road Board.

The meeting adjourned to Tnesday, the 7th July.

Extract of surveyor's (Mr J. Stanley Bruce) report, referring to Rangitata road, &c.: —

" On the 16th ultimo, I visited Sir Cracroft Wilson's station on the Rangitata, with a view of ascertaining the most practicable route for a road to the Rangitata bridge, from Mrs Moorhouse's station. There are three routes to choose from. The most expensive and difficult to make would be on the present line laid out by the Government, which passes through two of Sir Cracroft's homestead paddocks, No. 3975 and 4039, thence through two ferry reserves, and by a cutting in the river terrace on to the plains. This course is very undulating and stony, and besides is liable to be flooded at many points in time of a fresh. The second route would, at the present, only require the following works to be done:—To bridge a creek about two miles from the homestead, up the river, and to make a sidling in the river terrace of about half a mile in length. These works would be entirely on Government land. The only drawback to this road is that the sidling would be exposed to the S.W. The third route is very nearly on the line of the present track, used on sufferance, as it passes through Sir Cracroft's freehold, going just in front of the homestead. The only work required would be the small bridge before referred to. Although this course would give by far the best road of the three, it is scarcely to be expected that Sir Cracroft Wilson would sanction its being made, as it cuts almost through the very centre of his homestead paddocks.

" Rangitata Bridge—As one half of this bridge is in the Ashburton district, I think it right to state that I consider it necessary a groin should be constructed to protect the northern abutment. Further, that the concrete bridge, under the northern approach, should have an invert, and the foundations carried deeper, as the last fresh has considerably undermined them."