KNAPDALE ROAD BOARD.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 309, 30 November 1883, Page 5

KNAPDALE ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting of this Board was held at Mr Morris' Chatton, on Tuesday last. Present — Messrs Chisholm (chairman), F. Milne, M'Kenna, Cruickshanks, Baird and Barclay. offices. - ••- Pursuant to notice, Mr Milne moved tne rescission of a motion previously passed authoming the erection of an office for the Board. Mr Cruickshanks seconded the proi position, which was carried. i COKtESPONDENCE. From W. Morris agreeing to provide suitable office accommodation for the Board at JA per annum.. Mr Milne moved that the offeree accepted. Mr Barclay seconded the motion which was.cariied. From W. Barron drawing attention to the impassable state of the road on Waikaka fork", the only outlet to all the land on the the forks towards Gore. — Consideration deferred until iext meeting to allow members of the subdivision to inspect the roadj which led over a steep ridge and could not be made passable without considerable expense. In the course of the discussion Mr Milne spoke deprecatingly of the action of the authorities in laying out roads in straight lines, no matter whether they led over hills or through swamps. From Wm. Nichol pointing out that the road line on block VIIL, Chatton; required the Board's attention ; and that the PyramidWai pahi Road from the Waikaka river to the Clutha County was in a very dangerous state. Mr Nichol averted in the course of his letter tcr the amount -by rates-in the district, and the moneys the Board would have received for land sold on deferred payments;— Mr sMilne was disinclined to spend money on the roads 'in question in view of the straitened circumstances of the Board, and he took occasion to say that the deferred payment". mopeys "spoken' bf ' by 'Mr "Nichol never reached the Board, because 'they wcro for land sold before the Act entitling Road Boards to share in them came .into operation. Seeing that Mr Nichojl had been: a member of the Board he wondered he had not looked ! after these roads in times past.— Mr Cruickshanks . was. favorable to something being done if funds were available.— Mr Milne,' moved that the matter stand over to allow of the Inspector of Works furnishing . a report to the Board. Carried, WORKI. The Inspector of . Works reported oh' the . .road brought under, the notice of ,th« Board by Miss Mclri tyre—from ' County road to., Pukerau to the^jOtekarama bridge., The road was very steep, and it was recommended, that a deviation be made. To make the road then would involve, a, cost of only LlO. It was , agreed that Miss' Mclntyre should be written to, to ascertain if she wa9 agreeable to a transfer of road-lines, and as .sue would be a gainer in land and her fields would be squared it was expected she would bear a part of the cost of survey. The Inspector also furnished a report re road from section 6, block 8, to section 21, east of Waikaka river. The amount allocated for this road out of deferred-payment moneys would no more than bridge the Wai« kaka, and then there would b.e.,no approach, to the structure. Deviation would" -'-Be* too" expensive, as the land through which any new.road must go had been sold. To use • the surveyed road would be a costly job, and | under the circumstances he could not recommend the Board to take any action. — Received. THE SUBSIDIES. The Lindhurst Road Board brought under notice the fact that the withdrawal of subj sidies had placed local bodies in an awkward ! position, as oii the strength df these being continued they had borrowed on debentures at high rates of interest, and were now traable to; pay- more than, interest, and sinking fund, leaving pnly . a. niere trifle for ESiutSff-*" ahce and improvenisnt -' pt "roads. Under . *^ e sej;ircu.njstances i they suggested that the Knapdale JBoard should join, with other Boards in Southland m urging upon the Colonial Treasurer that the subsidies ' should be re-^ranted to help local bodies out of their difficulties. — The chairman had faint hopes of ever ; getting the subsidies again; but to sign the memorial the Lindhurst Road Board, proposed to send r would do no harm.— Mr Milne moved ' that the Board co-operate. in, the direction indicated:— Mr McKenna seconded, the motibn^C^rried.! accounts'; were passed for payment as follows : — J. Lynch, L 3 5; H. Jones, ss ; C. Falconer, L 2 15s; W.WaddeU^LS. In the' case \of last named,' whose 1 account was for'exchange. of land, it. was. resolveji that the 'cheque could not be legally handed over until : the transfer was completed. The clerk Was' r instructed to have the maitter pushed forward at once. . « ■ , ; ..,- , MISOHLLANEQUB. A ratepayer— Mr Mi.lnes^-wrote, 'stating that as the contract for cutting on Symes Hill had not been carried out, and as the Board had recently voted L 25 for expenditure pnJSarginson'sroad — which was likely to be made a county r<sad, in. which case/ ex. penditure onjitby the Board wouldbeunneoes-sary-—he suggested that these amounts should be spent on road south' of Vmniible school., — Consideration deferred until next meeting* no intimation having yet hoen received "as to the Council's determination' regarding Sarginson's road, • . ' ■'; "• '■ _■■ ■'■'.'■ Tendeis were accepted as follows :-^Con« tract No 68: Jas. Keith, L 49 ."' Contract 'No 60 : G. M. Lynch, £52 15s. ' In- the' Tatter case there ilvere three other tenderers^Ameat L 42 10s — but in no case had they complied with the Board's stipulation expressed by advertisement and otherwise that cheques should be marked by a banker as gptod. They were consequently informal. Mr Milne wished to again- bring . forward the letter of MrAyson, who, at last meeting "had somewhat sharply been referred to the County Council. That, gentleman held a letter from a former chairman of the Board pledging his successors to be at the expense of shifting a fence erected at the time for the convenience of parties and to avoid the necessity of practically closing the road; . Mr Milne proposed that Mr Ayson be again written to, to the effect that the Board would be responsible for the cost of removing tha fence to its proper boundary. It was pointed out that when the fence was moved, the road would practically be closed,, but that the opening of a, new road, would; rest .with the County Council. ,Mr Cruirkshank?" seconded "the motion, which was carried, and it waijftn instruction to the clerk to write to, Mr r< T. Mac Gibbon, member for the riding, regarding the road in question. ' • - 1 • Mr Barclay moved that, the Inspector endeavor to arrange with the contractor for Otama Flat road to do further formation at a cost not exceeding HO.— Carried. Mr Cruickshanks moved that the Inspector make arrangements with the" contractor for Cjold Oreek road to expend the whole sum voted, Ls> being available on completion of the present contract, in extra formation, etc. —Carried. Mr Baird succeeded in passing a similar resolution re contract 58, let that day; to M* Keith, whose tender wai for a less ambunt than that voted by the Board. , Mr Key appeared before the Board, and asked that he be given, betteringress to and egress from his property near Otama Creek. — M rM'Kenna moved that the Inspector examina and report on roads available in that^ locality, and interview proprietors of adjoining land to ascertain if they would sell the land neces« sary for one. This was agreed to. Theamending Road Boards Act, providing l that'half the members should go out of v offio© one year from the last general election, a ballot was taken, with the following result : —To retire : Messrs Baird, Barclay, M'Queen, and M'Kenna. The Board then adjourned for two months, unless the Chairman deemed it hecesfjaiy to call members together in the interim.*'. Arrangements wer£- made for contractors, obtaining progress payments, on the certificateI bf the Inspector of Works, until the Board again met. „-•_..