GREY VALLEY ROAD BOARD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1789, 30 April 1874, Page 2

GREY VALLEY ROAD BOARD.

A meeting of the above Board was held at the Board office, Fraser's Buildings, Ahaura, on 28th inst. • There were present Mr J. W. Jones (in the chair), and Messrs Alcorn, Stanhope, Cunningham, Lash, and Robb. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, after a few questions had been asked by one of the members, who was not present at the previous meet> ing. -I The Chairman's report was read, giving an account of transactions since the last meeting. On the first of April, the Nelson Government placed the roads and bridges in the Grey Valley, and amoug them portion's of the main road through the district from Greymouth to Reefton, in charge of the Board. In accordance with the date and' tenor of the letter, the Chairman accepted the reponsibility on behalf ?of the Board ; and had repairs done to re-open the traffic on the thoroughfare. A number of men had been previously engaged to work on the road on behalf of the Government, ami the Chairman with fh§ Overseer qf : Works put on extra hands, so that a difficulty which was found upon inspection to be existing at the Little Grey Junction,' namely, six waggons and forty-two horses with their drivers, was -soon got rid of. Repairs were made all along the road from the Arnold to the Little Grey. ! The Board adopted the report, and confirmed the action of the Chairman in making the necessary expenditure. ■ Recommendations were made in the Chairman's report about tracks required in several parts of the district, and the appointment of a permanent Secretary and Overseer of Work 3, was confirmed. ! I The return of IVtessra B^obb and Stani hope, as members for the sub-district of ! No Town, in the room of Messrs Gillen and Campbell was announced, as also the re-election of Mr Alcorn for the Ahaura district. j ■ The next business was the election, of Chairman for the ensuing twelve months! On the motion of Mr Stanhope, seconded by Mr Robb, Mr J. W. Jones was reelected. Mr Aloorn, on behalf of the Board, thanked Mr Jones for the able and disinterested manner in which he had performed the duties of hqn'. "sepretary to the Board, since its inauguration. : All the members concurred, and Mr Jonei returned thanks. The correspondence was read and received, and accounts to the amount of LI 17 12s lid were passed for payment. It was stated that to meet this liability about LSO of a balance wa3 to the credit of the Board, and a further sum of LIOO, provided the Government had paid it in to £he credit of the Board, according to promise. ' A warm discussion took plage on the action of the Government* in shifting the responsibility of thY maintenance of the main road on to the- Board without' providing funds to meet the emergency. Messrs Lash and Cunih^ham strongly expressing their dissent. : Mr Lash, after reviewing the items of expenditure, said the greater proportion of the money had been spent on the main road, which should not have been the case, when, in the outlying districts, communication was all but cut off for want of repairs to tracks. He could not agree with the action of the Board in taking over the responsibility of maintaining the main road, when the Government had not provided funds for the purpose, and unless a special grant, was made he would resign his seat at the Board, for he could see that the members were being made the target to shield the shortcomings of the Government. • •• '"' Mr Aiuorn thought the best plan would be to fight the Government with its own weapons. The Board was bound, to accept the responsibility of the road if the Superintendent chose to hand it over, but the Board could imitate the action of the Government, and remain passive under the responsibility. . Bringing a horse to water and making the animal drink . were widely difficult operations, and in like manner, although the

: Board had to accept the main road among other good things, there was no law to; prevent the Board letting the main thoroughfare alone. ' Mr Cunningham thought the Board had plenty use for its funds in the legitimate channels, and in this opinion Messrs Robb and Stanhope concurred. i; : Tie-following motion wasthen proposedby ;Mr. Robb and seconded by Mr Cunningham and carried,' namely : — "That the members of, .the Board, express their dissatisfaction arid deep regret that the Nelson Government should have thought it necessary to hand over -the; main road to be maintained and kept ixx order by the Board without first having made 'provision of funds for such .purpose. Thai a copy ; of the resolution be forwarded to th^ Goverment with a request that a sufficient snm of money be placed at the disposal ofof the -Board forthwith.!' :i . :J ■ A resolution was also passed that the representatives of the Grey district be communicated with, requesting them to use their.. efforts to have a Bum appropriated specially for the; maintenance, of the main , road 'si.pa.tb frorri the ordinary revenue of the Board. It was also passed that the members should be requested {to have an alteration made, bo that the land revenue should be placed at the disposal of the Board, instead) of the license fees, and the conduct of the gold-fields members, in having- the Act altered in other respects, was severely criticised. The secretary 1 was directed to make inquiries about the area of laud under occupation in the district, arid the funds likely to come from sales, reiits, and licenses. . , Several. urgently required works in the outlying districts : '.were . authorised to .. .be performed, and the secretary was directed to stop all expenditure on the main road except what was absolutely necessary. ,. r After deciding by an unanimous vote that no rates should be levied or collected until the Government provided funds for the working of the Board, and getting through a large airiount of routine business, the Board adjourned to 19th July.