ROAD BOARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6510, 7 January 1882, Page 6

ROAD BOARDS.

ANNUAL MEETING. AVON. This Board met on Jan. 3; present—the Chairman and all tho members.—VVith regard to tho alteration of the loop line at St Albans, it was resolved that application be rceommended to bo made to the St Albans Borough Counoil.—Tho deputation that was nppomted to visit the road at New Brighton, which Messrs Travis and Frost asked to have made, reported that they had visited tho road referred to.—Mr M'Namara saw tho Board relative to tho Canal Reserve road, and declined to accede to the proposition made by tho Board.—lt was resolved—" That the ! following by-law be adopted : That the present offlco of the Avon District Road Board reniiin for tho future the office of the Avon District Boad Board; that the annual meeting bo held on Friday, Jan. 6. at 12 o'clock. »- Accounts to tho amount of £OO 18s lOd were passed and ordored to bo paid. Tho annual meeting of tho Avon Boad Board was held yrsterdav, at 20 minutes past 12, in the office of the Board, Fapauui road. The following members were present:-Messrs J. L. Wilson (Ohairman), Dunlop, Fiesher, Munro, and Coopor. t!oi»e ten or a dozen ratepayers were present. The Chairman explained that tho meeting was not a legal but a customary one. The statement showed tho expenditure upon each ward. Tho speaker mentioned the assessment on each ward, and remarked that the ward system in his estimation was a good ono. Mr Wilson gave a brief resume of tho business done by tho Board, and ooncludod by bidding tho members farewell, and offering to give every information in his power to his suo-eea-or. jTho statement of receipts and expenditure, copies of which were distributed among thoso present, showed receipts as follows: Balance at Bank, £1767 2s sd; Government, £1039 Os 9d; rates, 1880, £646; other sources, £233 14s ; rates, 18S1, £1784 8s 3d ; total, £5470; and exponditureonvariousroads, &(?., £3854 14s 9d ; balance, Bank acoount, £l6lO 10s Bd, leas dishonoured cheque, 15 ; to' al, £5470 5s sd. The assets of the Board were stated at £456*4 7s sd, and tho liabilities at £240 Is Id. Several ratepayers asked for information as to various items, and had tho details explained to them. Mr Fiesher moved—" That in the opinion of this meeting the value of the assets is not correctly recorded as entered on this sheet." Mr Kerr seconded the motion, which was unanimously agreed to. A vote of thanks to the Ohairman concluded the business of tho meeting.

HSATHCOTE. The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Heathcote Road District was held at the Hoad Board Office, Ferry road, at noon yesterday. Mr F. Jones, Chairman of the Boad Board, presided. About ten persons were present. The annual statement of accounts and balance-sheet, audited by Mr J. Ollivier, was laid on the table. It showed that the receipts for the past year were £7248 3s 4d, including ba.ance at the commencement of the year £1279 19s 3d, and rates £2648 16s. The total expenditure was £5557 lis 4d. The amounts expended on roads in the various wards was as follows: —No. I, £798 12s; No. 2, £7Bl 10s Gd ; No. 3, £254 9s j No. 4, £699 3j lOd ; No. 5, £364 17s. Total expenditure on roads, £2899 13a 4d. Balance in hand, £I6BO 12b. Liabilities, £473 6s 2d. Assets: balance in hand, plant, <fcc, £3575175. The Chairman said that long ago the district had been informed that the tramway line down the Ferry road would be commenced at once, but it had not been started yet. The reason for tho delay was, he learned, that the plant required was in the ship Hellen Scott, which had only arrived at Lyttelton on the previous day. He supposed that the work would be gone on with as soon as possible. The members were for the first time elected under the new system this year, though previous to Us introduction the members had been allotted as far as possible to those parts of the district which were afterwards made into wards. Ho thought it a pity that a large district like Heathcote should only have five members on the Boad Board. Action had been taken on the re-1 commendation of tho last aanual meeting re increased representation, by communicating with the other suburban Eoad Boards on the question, but nothing definite had been arrived at. He hoped, however, that the matter would be brought up in Parliament, and that something would be done to give' an increased number of members to the Board. Power might also be granted to the Boad Board to borrow under certain conditions. Parts of the Heathcote district were so thickly populated that the works required in it, such as pavements and gas lamps, could not be obtained without borrowing. The ordinary shilling rate would not yield sufficient funds for the purposes. Mrßichard Vincent here said he was opposed to borrowing, and would use his influence with tho members of Parliament he krew, from the Premier downwards, to prevent such power being given to Boad Boards. In reply to a question, the Chairman said that only the ward in which the borrowed money would be spent would be responsible for the interest, &o. He then referred to the various items of the balance-sheet, which he considered as, on the whole, highly satisfactory. He alluded to the different works which had been executed by the Board during the year. He thought that the time would coon come when the Board would require the owners of laud handing over roads to the public to metal, as well as form such roads before handing them over. He moved the adoption of the balance-sheet. Mr Hawkins seconded the motion. He asked if anything had been done to get in the outstanding rates. The Chairman said that the Board had been unwilling to issue summonses for the road rates, on account of the drainage rates having been levied so recently, but they had been compelled to do so, and that morning a sum had been voted for defraying the ex- : pence of legal proceedings. I * The motion lor the adoption of the report I was then carried unanimously.

The Chairman stated that certain communications had been made between the Besident Magistrate and the Board with reference to the caso of Orabtree and the Heathcoto pound. He said that some time ago the trespass of cattlo nuisance provailed in the district to a great extent, and considerable difficulty bad been experienced in keeping the roads free from cattle without interfering unduly with the public The present poundkeeper was a County Council officer, and his engagement would terminate at the end of March. He received the driving fees under the Ordinance. He would be glad of any suggestions on the subject. Mr Vincent spoke strongly in condemnation of the conduct of the poundkeeper. After further desultory discussion, the matter dropped. Mr Hopkins moved a hearty vote of thanks to the retiring Board for their past services, which had been performed to the satisfaction of the district. Ho thought the district was to be congratulated on the introduction of the ward system. Mr W. Hawker seconded the vote of thanks, and endorsed Mr Hopkins' remarks as to the conduct of the late Board. The Chairman said that before putting the motion he would like to say that the members had always worked most harmoniously together, and he hoped the new Board would have as good a time. The motion was then put and carried nam. con., and the meeting terminated with a votd of thanks to the Chairman. BIOOABTON. The annual meeting of ratepayers of the district was held on Friday, Jan. 6, at the office of the Board, Upper Bicc&rton. Mr H. J- Hail, Chairman of the Board, presided. The Chairman read the balance-sheet and statement of receipts and expenditure for the post year, duly audited ana certified by the

Distriot Auditor. The receipts were M fol« lowi:—Balanco from last year, £4lßl 8s Sri i Government aubsidies, £4lO j rates, £BO3 Is lOd j contribution*, £l3O 8s 8d j interest on fixed deposit and rents, &0., £7B 6». Tho expenditure was—Contracts and labour on roads, &0., £073 8i 4d | salarios and office expenses, and advertising, printing, kc, £BIO 19* 5d j timbor anil drain pipes, plant, material, and general oxponsos, £474 3s 9d j leading a credit balanoo of £3913 8» 3d, of which aum £BOOO was at fixed deposit. Tho statement of assets and liabilities was as follows, via. s Asselß, £5585 4» 3d i liabilities, £260 j estimated credit balance, £5335 4* 3d. The Chairman asked if the ratepayers wished to exprots an opinion on tho accounts as placed before thoin. It wan proponed, seconded, and carried unanimously—" That the accounts of the Biccarton Road Board, as submittod, be ttooepti'd and passed." It was proposed by Mr Wilson, and eooonded by Mr Taylor—- " That the manner in which the duties of tho Board hare been curried out during the past year entitles tho members to tho thanks of this meeting." Carried unanimously. The Chairman stated that in acoordunco with the resolution passed by the ratepayers at tho last annual meeting, tho distnot had boon brought under the Regulation of Local Elections Act, under whion Act tho elcotion for two members would bo conducted tomorrow. It was proposed by Mr Wilson, and aooondod by Mr Claridge—" That this meeting beg* to record a vote of thanks to the retiring members for their past sorvicee." Tho meeting then terminated. KYRITON. The polling for tho elootion of two members took place yost-rday, and resulted as follows : Ohoka. Eyreton. K. Island. Tl. Wilson ... 98 5 54 167 Pashby ... 61 8 85 154 O'Callashan 54 24 65 143 Tho Returning-Offioer then declared Messrs Isaac Wilson and Thomas Pashby re-eleoted members of the Board. A polling booth was opened in due course at fclwannanoa, but no votes were recorded there. SOUTH KAKAI I. The following are the returns of the voting in tho South Rakaia Boad Board election : D. G. Holmes, 225; Leonard White, 223; John lambio, 221. The first two were returned. WABANUI. The following is the result ol the poll taken at Wakanui on Thursday last, for the two Boad Board members :—James Brown, 74; Joseph Megson, 74; Thomas Walsh, 69; David Wilson, 54. The first two gentlemen were returned. BAKAIA.

A meeting of this Board was held on Jan. sat the Board Boom, Hororata; presentMr B. Westenra (in the chair), Messrs J. Dilloway, A. D. M'llraith, and W. Bollitt. Mr Kiohard Westenra was eleeted Chairman and Treasurer, and was authorised to make arrangements with the manager of the Bank of Now Zealand respecting the Board's fixed deposit account. —It was decided that Messrs Fountaine, M'llraitb, Bollitt, and the Surveyor should inspect the locality of the proposed drainage works near Thome's corner, and endeavour to find some way of relieving the storm-water at this point without cutting the drain objected to by Mr Napier.—A letter was read from the Selwyn County Council, with estimate of cost of erecting tanks as a public watering place on the Hororata water-race. It was deoided to allow this matter to stand over for the present.—A letter was read from Mr W. Bmart, asking the Board to place wing rails at the two large culverts on the Steven ton road, and to erect a bridge across feteventon creek.—The Surveyor w»s ordered to erect the wing rails at the culverts, as asked for, and to report to the next meeting on the necessity for a bridge over Bteventon creek, and the probable cost of the eame.—lt was decided to defer the consideration of Mr Aitken's application for the metalling of 40 chains of Aitken's road until the next meeting.—New works, amounting to over £BOO, were authorised on the upper portion of the Wairiri Valley and other roads on the main line between Glentunnel Bridge and Brockley coal mine, and the Surveyor was ordered to call for tenders by the February meeting, so that the work can be commenced immediately after harvest.—After settling some minor business, the Board adjourned, BPBING9. A meeting of the Springs Road Board was held at the ofiic?, Springston, on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 11.80 a.m; present—Mr Gammack, chairman, and Messrs Herrick, Hurst, and Marshall. A statement of receipts and expenditure for the year 1881, duly audited by the District Auditor, was presented by the Olerkand adopted.—The Board adjourned till imccediately after the result of the poll for the election of two members to serve on the Board in place of Messrs Herrick and Marshall, should be deolared.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Springs Boad District was held at the Boad Board office, Bpringaton, at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 3; Mr James Qammaok, Chairman of the Springs Boad Board, presiding. There was but a small attendance of ratepayers present. The Chairman read the statement of receipts and expenditure for the year 1881, printed oopies of which had been circulated among the ratepayers; ana he gave a short report of the work done during the year, and which showed that the sum of £2817 19s 9d had been expended, and that a balance of £10,748 6s 6d remained to the Board's credit, with which to commence the new year. Mr W. B. Andrews asked a few questions explanatory of the items of expenditure, logal expenses, Springaton Domain, Lincoln pound, &0., and the explanations given were considered satisfactory. Mr James Gorbett exhausted the patienoe of the meeting by a series of complaints against B. Boyle, a contractor under engagement to the Board; and stated that it was his intention to revoke a permit which he had given to the Board to enter on his land, for the purpose of making an embankment to protect him from i the overflow of the B<*lwyn,and on the strength 1 of whioh permit the Board had become parties to a contract for the construction of the embankment. A discussion then took place with regard to the late petition to have the district subdivided into five Wards, in whioh Messrs Gamraack, Uerrick, Hurst, Andrews, Duke, and F. Wright took part, but did not result in any resolution on the subject being ? reposed. The meeting then adjourned till .30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Boad Board office, Springaton, when the BeturningOfEcer expected to be able to deolare the result of the poll, to bo taken on that day, for the election of two members to serve on the Board in place of Messrs Herrick and Marshall, who retire by rotation, and for which Messrs William Herbert Alington, John Bruce, and Joseph John Herrick had been duly nominated. KOWAI. This Board met on Jan. 5; present • Messrs 0. Ensor (Chairman), Mathers, Coleman, Bruere, and Brtitow.—Messrs Coleman and Bristow reported that, together with the Engineer, the; had inspected Tobiu and Kennedy's contract, Holland's road, and found that the oatchwator drains were not up to oontraot, In other respects the work was satisfactory, fiesolved that tho matter be left in tho hands of the Engineer, for him to settle with the contractors in a way ho thinks best. The Board considered under the oiroumstanoes that it eould not interfere with the Engineer.—lt was resolved—-" That the fixed deposit of £IOOO, which will como to maturity on Jan. 26, be re-deposited for 12 months."—An application was made from various societies in the district for assistance toward destroying sparrows. It was resolved that a subsidy of £1 for £1 collected bo given —the reoipionts indemnifying the Board from loss if the grants cannot bo legally sustained. rnbsidiee to cease on Deo. 81 next.—The Board then adjourned to the annual meeting.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Kowai Boad Board district was held at the Board room, Baloairn, on Jan. 5, 1888.

The Chairman, Mr Knior, tiler reading the advertisement calling the meeting, laid the balance-sheet and a atatemenfc of tho expondituro on various works on tho tablo, He congratulated fcho ratepayers on tho prosperous state of the funds, and explained that during tho past tear tho Board had studied economy, preferring to have a good balance for contingencies at the end of tho year. Ho icgrotted to state, owing to increased calls upon Jill lime, ho must now sever his connection with tho Board by resigning his membership. For •even consecutive years ho had hold office, and during all that time tho Board had worked in harmony together. Ho now begged to call upon any ratepayer to ask tiny quos* lions portinent to Boad Board matters. Mr White asked the cost of tho breakwater ou the Upper Kowui. He was informed that tho amount was £3O. Mr Honna complained that tho Hurvoyor was repairing a bridgo near his house at a mont inconvoniont time, as the traffic of machines, &»., was just now very considerable, and tho width of tho temporary bridgo narrow. He asked that extra hands might be put on. Mr M'Adam complained of hardships some of tho ratepayers hod boon suffering from being summonod for rates, when at the same timo thsy held receipts. Tho Ohairman explained that all who held receipts had boon asked to produce them before summonses were takon out. In no instance hav this been oomplied with, the coiifloquenco being that it was impossible to distinguish between those who hold and thoso who did not hold receipts, but that in any caso where injustioo had been done, the Board had endeavoured to make reparation. Mr Robinson thought that partiality had been shown in serving gorso notices. Mr Huesoli askod if a legal opinion had been taken re depasturing cattle on the roads whilo in chargo of a care taker. Tho Chairman staled that an opinion had been taken, and the Board had been advised to sue under section 99 subsection 9of the Public Works Act. Boveral ratepayers spoke of the great annoyance the boys tending tho cattle caused, lhn meeting almost unanimously advised, that a teßfc case should be taken before tho magistrate, and tho outgoing Board promised to advise the incoming Board of the wishes of the majority. Mr White thought that tenders for the yearly valuation roll should have been invited, instead of appointing a person without that preliminary. The Chairman explained that the office was one of great responsibility, and tho Board considered that a selection of the beat man would more likely happen under the plan adopted by tho Board. Several ratepayers bore witness to the care the present Valuer was taking in making personal visits to the different farms. Mr White expressed himself satisfied. Mr Bobinaon asked what aotion the Board intended to take re the sparrow nuisance. The Chairman stated that the Board was willing to subsidise any sums collected by contributing one-half up to Deo. 30,1882. Mr Thomas Hanna asked tho cost oJ the land taken for road purposos out of the propertioa of Messrs Brodie and Bowman. On being informed, he thought the price was too high. . The engineering also would cost fully £SOO. He spoke advisedly as his lay knowledge of suoh matters was, at at any rate, equal to that of professionals. The Chairman explained that for many reasons the purchase was an absolute necessity. The only other way of obtaining tho land was through the prooess of the Public Works Aot. The Board had already experience of the expense, delay, and annoyance of closing roads under the above Act, and therefore determined, as a cheaper plan, to pay so much per acre under private valuation. He also thought that those living in the centre of population, where good roads were the rule, should not begrudge expenaiture on the out districts, where settlers had other difficulties out of the common to contend with besides bud roads. Mr M'Adam spoke oomplimentarily of the good work done in the district by the Ohairman and members, and moved a vote of thanks. Mr Bobinson seconded, and spoke highly of the Chairman. Mr Thomas Douglass moved that the balance-sheet be passed, and in doing '«o took the opportunity of publioly testifying to the energy and impartiality shown hv the Chairman during a seven years membership of the Kowai Board. He thought that the future Ohairman would be at a great disadvantage in following Mr Enaor. Mr Whyte seconded the adoption of the accounts. The resolution being put to the meeting, was passed nem con. The other retiring members thanked the ratepayers for their confidence. The meeting then adjourned.