PAROA ROAD BOARD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1246, 27 July 1872, Page 2

PAROA ROAD BOARD.

A special meeting of the Board WM Held on Thursday last, for the purpose of receiving applications for the office of toll collector on the Marsden road, considering the' memorial proposed by the Totara Road Board (already published in our issue of the Bth inst.), and intended to be submitted to the House of Representatives, and considering the County Chairman's letter in reference to the expenditure of* "the General Government grant. A number of applications to become toll collector were placed upon the table, one of which was ordered to be forwarded to the County Chairman for appointment, and the Board went into committee of the whole to consider the memorial, with a view to its adoption or otherwise.

In reference to clause 4, stating "Chat to levy rates on mining property is unjust, impolitic, and impossible, with fair* ness; that the tenure of such property depends, in, most cases, upon occupancy and the possession of « . miner's right ; that such tenure is forfeited by abandonment for 24 hours ; that its value cannot be ascertained approximately; and that miners are, already taxed by miner's rights, registration fees, costs of survey, water rights, and gold duty; and their dwellings are assessed for the .levying of Road Board ratesi" \ ; fl /; '•;[ '„_ Mr O'Connor movWd, and Mr Barnhill seconded— "That the whole clause be struck out, and that the question whether mining property ahould be considered as rateable property or not 'should be left entirely to the Boards of each district." Mr Colton moved as an amendment— " That this Board do concur in toto with the memorial of the Totara Road Board, inasmuch as it seta forth the grievances discussed at the late conference of Road Boards held at Hokitika.','-: ; = The original motion was put and carried ; amendment accordingly lost; j Clause 9, referring to the expenditure of funds derived from any General Government grant, and desiring to give the Governor's delegate power of control over the works to be contracted therewith, was so altered that the passage regarding such control was struck Out. • -' The County Chairman's letter was next under the consideration of the Board. The letter stated that a petition from the Greenstone and New River districts had been received by him, requesting him to cause the Board to spend some portion of the grant in those districts ; and further stated that if such were not complied with, he would feel compelled to report the matter to the General Government. Mr O'CoNifott moved, and Mr Symo&b seconded— "That the secretary be an. structed to write to the County Chair.

man, showing the advantages of the Greymouth road and its general utility to the whole district ; also, regretting that he should think fit to interfere with the legitimate functions of the Board. 11 — Carried.

MrBARNHiLL moved that the Chairman be instructed to cause the survey of the remaining portion of the Greymouth road to be proceeded with at once ; and that on completion of it, tenders be called immediately for its construction. A good deal of discussion again ensued, but the motiqn was carried, Messrs Dowling and Colton voting against it. A motion of Mr Colton's, that the District Surveyor be requested to lay off a bridle track from Stillwater Creek to Arnold, township, was also carried, and the meeting adjourned.