LOCAL REVENUES BOARD.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 24, 4 June 1877, Page 2

LOCAL REVENUES BOARD.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the members of the Inangahaa Local Revenues Board was held at the office, Broadway, on Friday afternoon last. There were present— Messrs Brennan (Chairman) Davies, Kelly, Dick, Aiken, and the Secretary. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Mr Daviea pointed ont that 89 a dis* cussion was likely to arise upon the subject of a resolution passed at the last meeting ot the Board in reference to the erection of a new bridge across the Inangahua river, it would be well to allow the confirmation of the minutes to stand over until a later period of the meeting. The Chairman concurred in this, bat said that such a course would be at variance with the Standing Orders of the Board. He said, however, that the difficulty could be got over by moving that tho Standing Orders be suspended. Mr Davies then moved, and Mr Kelly seconded, that the Standing Orders be suspended. Carried. COBBESPOKTBENCTS. Tbe Seretary read the following correspondence, which had been received since the date of the last meeting :— Prom Mr Warden Shaw enclosing a memorial from the residents of Boss Town in reference to the Inangahua Suspension Bridge. The Secretary laid on the table a memorial, signed by seventy-four electors, also referring to the subject of the Inangahua bridge. The Secretary reported that he had arranged for 4 temporary ferry on the river, pending the action of tbe Board with regard to the bridge. s He also reported that in accordance with a reiolation passed at the last meeting of thi Board, he had prepared plans and ■pecifications for a new one span sus. pension bridge to be erected upon th< site of the present one. A letter was read from J. Gillespie offering to repair the present bridge foi the sum of £85, and stating thatai additional outlay of £50 would berequirec for stonework to protect the centre crate Letter read fron> Mr Butler agreeing t< teruis for the survey, levelling, and pre paration of plans, and working section! .for improvements to Smith Street, Uppei Broadway, and Franklyn Street, Bluok'i Point. A communication was road from Mi John Curie, calling the attention of th< Board to the necessity of erecting 1 bridge and 1 hand rail across a creek on tin Buller ro:id below tbe Cemetery. H< stated that the cost would be about £5. The correspondence as read was on tin motion of Mr Daviea, seconded by Mi Kelly, received. Mr Danes said that he had look over the H9I of signatures to one of the peti< lions presented in sefWence to th< 1 Inangahua bridge, and found that the« were on it the names of twenty-two residents of Black's Point. Mr Aiken considered that the Black'; Point residents had a* much right t< interest themselves in the matter as th< inhabitants- of Reefton. Mr Dick thought that as the peopli living' at Black's Point were ratepayers, they were as much entitled to a voice it the expenditure of the public money a: anybody else. If they were of opinion that the funds* of the Board were oboul to be improperly spent, they had a perfeol right to say so. 1 Mr Davies did not object in a general way, but thought that they mighl just as well get signatures from Greymouth at once. Mr Dick submitted that Mr Davies was now arguing quite outside the ques« ;tion r a»Greymouth was not in the Road Board district. Mr Davies said he would then modify his remarks, and limit the distance to the Junction or Antonio's Flat,' and the vcsU deuts of these places might Just as well hare signed the petition. The Chairman considered thai there was 110 impropriety in the residents of Black's Point signing the memorial. As ratepayers, they stood upon the same footing as the inhabitants of tbe rest of the district, Mr Davies said that b» had merely remarked upon the circumstance, ho raised no objections to tie signatures whatever. The matter then droppedv With reference to the memorial from the residents of Boss Town. Mr Davies moved that the Secretary write to Mr Warden Shaw acknowledging recerpt of tbe petition forwarded through him, and slating that a ferry boat had been placed on the river for the convenience of persons desirous of crossing, and that the Board had under consideration the subject of bridge communication. The resolution was seconded by Mr Kelly and carried. The plan of the proposed new bridge was laid upon the table, and in reply to Mr Dick, the Secretary said that no reliable estimate had yet been formed as to the probable cost of the bridge, but stated the amount to be somewhere about £500 or £600. Mr Davies— Then it might befoOtfor it might be £800. The estimate given as a mere guess. Tbe Secretary said the sum be bad stated was sometbisg more than a mere guess, but he was not at the moment in a position to speak with certainty.

In reply to Mr Dick, the Secretary j •aid that the plan presented provided for j a span of 270 chains. The length of span ! required for a bridge at the end of Bridge Street would be 132 chains. Mr Dick though the advantages were greatly in favour of the latter side. The Chairman said that in considering the Bridge Street crossing, tbey should also take into consideration ihe probable cost of constructing approaches to the bridge. . _ After some further discussion, Mr Kelly moved and Mr Davies seconded, that tenders be called for repairing the present bridge, and also for erecting a new one on the site of the old bridge. Tenders to close on Saturday next, 9th instant. Mr iiken thought that while they were advertising, it would be as well to also invite tenders for constructing the bridge at the telegraph crossing. They wonld then be able to see wbich was the cheapest, and ther© could bo no two opinions as to which was tho proper site. The Chairman pointed ont that this conrse would necessitate the preparation of new plans and specifications as well as the preparation of an estimate of tbe cost of constructing a track from Boss Town to the end of Bridge Street. It seemed pretty clear that upon whatever site a new bridjjji was placed, it would cost the Board something like £600 or £700, and for his own part he did not think they were in a position to sanction such an expenditure; Mr Dick was of opinion that a bridge conid be erected upon the upper site almost as cheaply as the present bridge could be repaired. At alt events a large body of the ratepayers had signified their preference' for the upper site, and they were entitled to consideration. Mr Davies said there were seventeen hundred ratepayers in the district, and it could hardly be taken tbat seventy -four of that number represented tbe popular j ■ feeling upon the subject. For his own part, if the bridge was to cost anything like £600* he should oppose the expendi- , tore. It would be a perfect waste of time to prepare plans and call tenders for tho erection of the bridge ou tbe upper site. He should not have seconded Mr Kelly's 1 motion to invito tenders for the construction of a new bridge at all hud it not beea tbat plans bad been prepared. There was another objection to tbe upper site. In the course of a very short lime probably it would be fotwd necessnry to erect a dray bridge acros Uie river at the upper site, and iv that case if a foot ' bridge wero erected there now it would have to be pulled down at a future time. The resolution wes then pot and carried. Mr Aiken placed his remarks in the form of a resolution, snd moved tbat , plans m l . specifications be prepared and tenders iuvited for the erection of a foot* bridge at tbe telegraph crossing. Mr Dick seconded tbe motion. He considered it would bo nothing short of a waste of public money to erect a new bridge at Boss Town, as it could not jossibly bo made permanent, and in the event of sanctioning the work tbey would find themselves year after year called upon for money to keep it in repair. By calling tenders for the erection of the bridge at each of the sites they would be able to see which was the cheapest and act accordingly. Tbe Chairman said that it would be only misleading to call tenders for the erection of the bridge on the upper site, unless they afeo- added to the probable cost the amount required to construct an* proaohes to the bridge on each side. There was no hiding the fact that if the 1 bridge were erected upon the upper site it would hare to be made accessible, and the cost of that work would have to be ! included. It seemed to him that in this matter the cost of ereoting the bridge was only a moiety of what tbe full cost would he. In reply to ihe Secretary, Mr Aiken said he would add to his resolution that tenders dose on Saturday, tho 9th inst. The Secretary said it would beimposii« sible to have plans and specifications prepared, and the route surveyed in so , short a time. Mr Aiken conid not see hew so much time was required. He was willing to go himself and help to peg off tho ground. The resolution of Mr AikenVas then put to the meeting and lost. Mr Dick said the Board would only be perpetrating a double folly by trying to restore the present bridge, Tbey would be patching and patching until in tbe end they wonld find that it wonld cost more then a new bridge. The question, which throughout had excited quite an aninwted discussion was then passed by. A letter was read from Mr Bull, stat* iog that on several occasions of late the Greymouth mail had arrived in Beefton one and a-half and two hours behind time. He had spoken to the coach driver upon the subject, and the latter had reported that owing to the condition of the road it was impossible to got through to time. Tbe portion of tbe road between the Junction and Sqooretown was is such a wretched condition that be conid no more tban walk the horses. The letter concluded by urging upon the Board the necessity of repairs to the road. In connection with this matter, the Secretary said that J. Godfrey, whose

tender for tho use of horses and draya for the road been accepted, was now oo bis way to Beefton. Mr M«3herry, with a gang of six men and att necessary tools, was on the road awaiting tho arrival of tbe drays, and ihat by Monday nest the whole wonld be in full- work. Ms Fitzmaurico wonld place a aecond gang of six men to work upon the road to* morrow (Saturday!. Mr Davies moved that a letter bo written to Mr Bnll informing him of the action of the Board in tho matter. The question of the maintenance of the Buller Boad waa referred to, aud tho Secretary reported that in accordance with the desire of the Board, himself and the Chairman would iuspect the road aa far as the Junction at once, and report npon the nature and eitent of the repairs required. • The credit balance of the Board wasreported at £256 lis Ci. Mr Kelly enquired the cost of erecting a wire foot-bridge across the Little Grey at Square Town. The Secretary stated the amount at £30, exclusive of the cost of material, which would be trifling. It waa pointed out that it wonld be quite useless to bridge the Little Grey unless all the other streams on the road were bridged also, as when the .Little Grey could not be crossed on foot none of the other rivers could be crossed. < Mr Dick called attention to the neces* sity of repairs to ihe upper portion of the Uainy Creek track. He said that the route was now impassable, and owing to the careless manner in whicb tho previous vote of the Board for the track had bea» expended no good had resulted. Aftei* some discussion, Mr Dane* moved, and Mr Kelly seconded,— That a further ram of £15 be expended apon tbe track, Mr Dick consenting fo find a snitable person to undertake tbe work. Two accounts for day labor were then? presented and passed for payment. The Board then adjourned. 9 ' '- 1