NORTH RAKAIA BOARD OF CONSERVATORS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2116, 4 December 1880, Page 3

NORTH RAKAIA BOARD OF CONSERVATORS.

A meeting of the Board was held at their i office, Southbridge, on Thursday, Do- , oember 2nd. Present—Messrs E. Lee (in the chair), B. Lookhead, and D. Marshall. Correspondence was read from the Under Secretary for Public Works, in reply to two applications from the chairman re payment of Mr Dobson’s charges for Rakaia River report, and that the award of the engineers be given effect to, promising that the same will be further considered and the Board informed of the result. The Secretary reported that the receipts since the previous meeting had been—Bent account, £140; rates, 1880, £100; grant from the Solwyn County Council, £IOOO ; subsidy on rates, 1879-1880, from the Treasury, Wellington, £289 13s lid. The disbursements Overdraft, £99 Is Id; pay sheet, £702 2s Bd, and interest on current account, £1 13s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £716 16s lOd. The secretary, in his report, stated that he had called for tenders for leasing the reserve at present occupied by Mr Storry, and the reserve adjoining Fagan’s. That there had been one very heavy flood in the river, which for two days had interrupted the works. The water had subsided, but had left a larger stream hugging the north bank than had been the case for years. The works had stood remarkably well, and not in one single instance had' been washed away. Mr John Miln’a two teams had been carting gratuitously for the last ten weeks, and by other assistance a great quantity of most necessary work had been done on the frontage of the Education Reserve. Fresh groins had also been put in on Brawley’s frontage and on the flat below the old protective work. The banks at the mouth of Overflow gully were suffering considerably from soour, and a new earthwork had been made across the gully, about three chains below the old one, and of larger dimensions, at which Messrs Thompson, Gorman, Abbott and others assisted with carts and men. The people living in the neighborhood of Overflow Gully had purposed interviewing the Board that day, but had been engaged as a deputation to Christchurch, and thereby debarred from attending. That the works had been visited thrice by the chairman, once by Mr Lookhead, and on several occasions by himself since the last meeting. The report was adopted, and a vote of thanks passed to Mr Miln for the assistance so kindly volunteered, an example which the Board feel sure would have to be imitated by others before anything could be done under existing circumstances. The question of ways end means was fully considered, and although reluctantly the Board determined to discharge all bands with the exception of one maintenance gang of four men, who were to be kept on for the current month. The pay sheet, amounting to £296 4s Id for wages, £152 6s lid for material and goods, £74 14s 6d for salaries, office rent and expenses, £IBO interest on debentures, and £4OO for sinking fund, was examined and passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned to Monday, 3rd January, 1881, after having authorised the chairman to open and accept tenders, returnable on the Bth inst.