RICCARTON ROAD BOARD ELECTION.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 182, 8 January 1875, Page 4

RICCARTON ROAD BOARD ELECTION.

of ratepayers ia the called for the purpose of •%ecMng tjir.ee members of the Road Board in the p*u.'»a o' Messrs Nunweek, Hack, and retire °y effluxion of time, was £-hoI4 y e»srd;ay at the Riccarton Hotel. There §.Wsp§jtii and Mr H. J. Hall, Vpjimw&m P3f the Board, presided. ?*" rman rea< i tne balance-sheet for that, after paying all outliabilities, the Board had a credit e%tiotfsf members, he (the chairman) desirM tearing before the meeting one or two mwtt&iirot moment to the district, and on |Mf IcMhe Board desired to have the opinion ,efft% ratepayers. The first was the ||cpeßs6n of the gravel reserve. He had pwaited upon the Government, and two memi§KHi of the Executive had promised to per- . soriaUy inspect the sites themselves. This :;fhey;did, but could not come to any decision In the matter, and they then instructed the LiJP&yincial Engineer to visit the ground and report on the same. The assistant engineer had visited the places and sent in his report, a copy of which had been kindly forwarded to him by the Secretary for Public Works, as follows: " Christchurch, December 10th, 1874. " Tq G. Thornton, Esq., " Provincial Engineer. . " Sir—ln accordance with your instructions, I have examined and made a survey of reserve 93A and rural sections 2457 and 4414. "1} herewith forward you drawings shewing boundaries of land and position of shafts gunk on same, together with their depths to water level and the nature of the sinking in them, " On the plan I have coloured that portion of the respective sections which I consider available for gravel pink, and that portion which I consider unavailable on account of depth of stripping and shallowness of gravel I have left .uncoloured. " The quality of |jsoil in the uncoloured part of 93A and 2457 is the same in both cases being light and sandy. Its market value I should put at £lO per acre. " The quality of the gravel (or more properly speaking shingle) is also the same in both areas coloured pink. It is not of the best quality, as it is composed of large stones and sharp river sand. " The shafts that have been sunk are all in their proper positions on the plan, and their respective depths to water level, as well as the nature of the sinking, is shown in section. "All the calculations and information given in the tabular statement herewith appended, are founded on the data given by the drawings. "I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant, (Signed) «W. J. Bull, " Assistant-Engineer. « October 12, 1874." [Copy.] "Mr Maude,—l forward this report with details of quantities, &c, &c, and plan of sections No 2457 and 4414 and reserve 93a, and having personally inspected the ground, can verify the truth of this statement. (Signed) " G. Thobnton. "December 15,1874." "Particulars connected with reserve 93A and rural sections 4414 and 2457.—Acreage available for gravel in rural sections 4414 and 2457, 5 acres 1 rood 23 perches; average depth of soil in same, 11 inches; average depth of stripping, 2ft 7in; acreage available for gravel, and colored pink, 14 acres 2 roods 14 perches; average depth of stripping, 3Jin; average depth of gravel, 2ft llin; number of cubic yards of gravel, 70,498; value of gravel, at say 6d per yard, £1762 9s; value of land at say £lO per acre, £53 18s 9d ;—total, £lßl6 7s 9d. Reserve 93a —acreage available for gravel, 14 acres 1 rood 20 perches; average depth of soil in same, Ift; average depth of stripping, 3ft 3in; acreage available for gravel, and colored pink, 5 acres 2 roods 20 perches; average depth of atiippiug, Ift 9in; average depth of gravel, 3ft; number of cubic yards of gravel, 27,224; value of gravel, at say 6d per yard, £6BO 12s; value of land, at say £lO per acre, £143 15s;—total; £824 78." The Board had also requested Mr F. Pavitt to survey the sites, and that gentleman had forwarded the following report:— " Christchurch, "14th October, 1874. " The Chairman, "Riccarton Road Board. " Sib,—ln your letter of the 12th instant, you requested (by direction of the Board) a survey of two properties at Fendaltown, reserve 93a, and parts of rural sections 4414 and 2457, twenty acres in each, and a report on the quantity and quality of gravel on each property, and also their respective value for agricultural purposes. "I have therefore made the necessary aurvey, and beg to report as under—"On reserve 93a there are two acres and nine perches, from which gravel can be obtained, and as holes were made in various places to test the depth of the gravel, I found that an average of four feet eight inches over the whole can be got out, without going below the water. This would give a quantity of about 16,000 cubic yards. •J The quality of the gravel is very good, in some parts large, but generally very fit for road metal. " Adjoining the gravel and round it, is land of not much value, about an ,acre in extent, its value being £3. "The balance of the reserve, seventeen acres, ib good agricultural land, such that any crops would do well on, and I estimate its value at £l2 per acre. "At the eastern end of rural section 4414 there is one acre from which gravel could be easily obtained, the average depth being four feet three inches, giving about 6500 cubic yards, " There are patches of gravel at the west end of the section, but as it was in such small quantities, and not very good, I did not measure these patches, the distance from the road being about 20 chains, I concluded it would not pay to open pits at these spots. "The quality of the gravel on the one acre is not very good, being very sandy, with veins of sand running through the whole. " The balance of this section is about 13 acres, and being old river bed its value is not more than £4 per acre. « On section 2457 there is no gravel, but the land is light and the herbage poor. The area is 6 acres, and its value £8 per acre: " The respective values of the properties axe therefore as under ;

Keserve 93 2 acres. 9 perches of gravel, 16,000 yards, at say 6d ... £4OO 0 0 3 roods 31 perches inferior land at £3 3 0 0 17 acres good agricultural land at £l2 204 0 0

20 acres £607 0 0 Rural sections 4414 and 2457 : R.S. 2457 6 acres light land, at £8 per acres £4B 0 0 R.S. 4414 1 acre gravel, 6500 yards, at say6d 162 0 0 13 acres river bed at £4 per acre 52 0 0 20 acres £262 0 0 "In estimating the value of the land I have considered the distance of each property from the main road, and the general character of the soil, as shown by the herbage and general appearance. " I have the honor to be, Sir, " Yours obediently, "Feancis Pavitt, " Surveyor and Civil Engineer." He (the chairman) would like the meeting, as representing the ratepayers, to express an opinion whether they approved of the action taken by the Board in endeavoring to retain the gravel reserve, which had been reserved for the use of the district. With a view of ascertaining the feeling of the district on this subject, a petition had been sent round the district, and out of about 304 who had been asked, 290 had signed that petition in favor of the present gravel reserve being retained, so that it might be said the ratepayers were unanimous that this should be done.

In reply to a ratepayer, the chairman said the petition was at the office of the Board in town.

Mr Drury said it had been observed by some of the ratepayers that the petition was a very one-sided one. It was his opinion that the exchange of reserve would be an advantage to the Riccarton Road Board district, as according to the Assistant Provincial Engineer's report, the piece of land offered by Mr Boag in exchange for the Government reserve, contained a considerably larger quantity of gravel than the reserve, and was in a much better position as regarded the district roads than reserve 93A. The Assistant Provincial Engineer, in his report, gave the value of reserve 93A at £BOO, and calculating the gravel at 6d per yard, the price offered in exchange would be £I6OO. He was one of the members of a former Board, and had played a prominent part in that matter, and he was anxious to remove any impression that was circulated that he had been favoring an individual, and was going to give this person £3 for £l, which value had been proved a fallacy by the Government Engineer's report. He was persuaded that the district would be a decided gainer by the exchange, as being in every respect more suitable for a gravel reserve, being much nearer to roads that had not as yet received a yard of gravel. Mr Boag had offered from the first to settle the matter by arbitration, and the Government had also advised this course, and he considered that would have been the fairest way of settling the difficulty. Mr Drury was about to read resolutions which he had moved at meetings of the Board, when— The Chairman objected to his doing so, and stated that the resolutions moved by Mr Drury at the Board meetings had not been seconded, had thus fallen to the ground, and were consequently so much waste paper. As they had not been recorded on the minutes of the Board, he could not allow Mr Drury to read them to the meeting. Mr Currie was of the opinion that the gravel reserve resolved itself into a very small question. When it was known that the gravel was contained in that piece of land the Government had resolved to have it placed on one side as a gravel reserve. Mr Boag had allowed a road through a piece of land which also contained gravel, and he now proposed closing up this road unless he got the Government reserve in exchange for this piece. One would be useful as a gravel reserve, and the other more for agricultural purposes, and what the district required was gravel. [Hear, hear.] As to the relative values of the land, that could easily be arrived at by appointing arbitrators ; and from his transactions with the Government, he felt that a satisfactory result would be attained on proper representations being made to them. After some discussion of a desultory nature, Mr 0. Shand moved the following resolution—" That this meeting having heard the chairman's statement respecting the proposed exchange of reserve 93a, fully concurs in the action taken by the Board to retain the same reserve, and that the thanks of the ratepayers are due to the Board for the trouble which it has taken in the matter. 2. That the Board be requested to protest against any action which may be taken at the next session of the Provincial Council to exchange the land reserve for the land offered by Mr Boag." Mr Leatham seconded the resolution. Mr Drury moved the following amendment —" That this meeting after hearing the report of the Provincial Engineer on gravel reserve 93a, and the piece of land proposed to be taken in exchange, are quite satisfied the exchange will be a benefit and an advantage to the Kiccarton district." The amendment was seconded by Mr W. Strange. On being put only two voted for the amendment, and the original motion was declared to be carried. The Chairman said that it had been considered by the Board advisable to sell the lease of the land held from the church property trustees, on which their office was erected, while the lease could be sold, and have the office erected within the district. They had instructed the surveyor to receive applications for land, &c, for this purpose, and had received several applications of sites, which he would read to them. He desired at that meeting to have an expression of opinion from the ratepayers on this subject. Mr Hall then read a list of sites which had been offered for the purpose. Among other applications, a room at the Riccarton Hotel was offered at £ls a-year. Mr O'Callaghan moved the following motion—" That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable to have the office of the Board in the district, and that the land offered by Mr fctewell on the Fendaltown road be purchased for the purpose." Mr Leatham seconded the motion. Mr Currie said that the question had been submitted to the Attorney* General, and was

gtill undecided whether the chairman of

Koad Board ould legally hold land. The authorities here had decided against the Road Boards having this power, and it had been submitted to the authorities at Wellington. The Chairman would like the meeting to express an opinion whether it would be advisable to remove the office, and an opinion of its legality or otherwise could be obtained afterwards. Mr Currie thought that if the Board were anxious to dispose of their lease they should be authorised to do so, and be recommended to accept the offer of the landlord of the Riccarton Hotel for the use of a room at £ls per annum. After several amendments on the resolution had been moved and lost, the following one, proposed by Mr Drury, and seconded by Mr Currie, was carried:—" That the present Road Board office be retained until the expiration of the lease, and after that time arrangements be made by the Board to keep the offices in Christchurch, as being most suitable for contractors and ratepayers." The chairman said that, at a meeting of Road Boards chairmen held at Warner's hotel on last Saturday, Mr Tosswill had brought forward a resolution for assessing land without the improvements and buildings thereon. This system would be nearly ruinous to that district. For instance, the Board assessed Mr Wood's mill and property at £7OO, and by Mr Tosswill's resolution, if made law, it would be valued £26 per year. There wore also cottages in the district owned by men of means and valued at £IOO, which, under Mr Tosswill's motion, would only have a value of £l6. Personally he would be a gainer, but he intended to oppose the resolution on principle, and would like to hear the opinion of the ratepayers on this matter. As it was, nearly certain that the abolition of provinces would take place at the next or subsequent sessioa of the General Assembly—[hear, hear] —the expeiibivc machinery used fui' merely distributing funds to the different Road Boards would then be done away with altogether. [Applause.] As telegraphic communication was so easy with the General Government, he confessed he could no longer see the use of these institutions, aud by doing away with them a large amount of money now spent in salaries, &c, would be saved, thus materially assisting in helping the people to pay the increased taxation likely to arise from the large borrowed capital by the General Government. [Applause.] It was resolved —" That Mr Hall oppose Mr Tosswill's motion at the meeting of Chairmen of Road Boards." The nomination of persons to fill the three vacancies on the Board, then took place, a show of hands being taken with the following result : Nunweek * 18 Stanley 15 Hack 14 Grimsay 11 Inwood ... ... ... ... H O'Callaghan 11 J. Greig ... 6 Messrs Drury and Strange demanded a poll on behalf of Mr Grimsay. The chairman stated that the poll would be taken that day, and would close at 4 o'clock. This concluded the business of the meeting. The following is the result of the poll: H. Nunweek 61 J. Stanley ... ... ... 42 James Gregg 42 J. P. O'Callaghan 35 Joe. Grimsay 23 E. Hack 21 The chairman declared Messrs Nunweek, Stanley, and Gregg duly elected members of the Riccarton Road Board. The successful candidates thanked the electors for the honor conferred on them. The unsuccessful candidates also thanked those ratepayers who had voted for them. A vote of thanks to Mr H. J. Hall, the returning officer, was proposed by Mr Strange, and carried unanimously. Mr Leatham proposed a vote of thanks to the surveyor of the Board for the efficient manner in which he had carried out the duties entrusted to him, which was carried unanimously. This concluded the proceedings.