OTARIA ROAD BOARD

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 409, 14 November 1884, Page 5

OTARIA RO AD BOARD

The monthly meeting of the above Board was held on Saturday last. Present. — Messrs "F. M. Dawson (in the chair), Smail, Quaker, Elliott, A. M'Kenzie, Eadie; and D. p. M'Kenzie. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. j The secretary stated that tlie accounts as against each subdivision had not been posted previous to his appointment. He therefore suggested that a sub-committee be appointed to confer with him and adjust the accounifij'.'as it was impossible for one unacquainted with the expenditure to do so. He also submitted an estimate of the position of the Board. The Boai'd. was overdrawn about LSO. fThe limit fixed by the bank was LI BO or thereabouts. To meet the interest debentures of LI 12, due next July, ther ; e. was LllO of good rates. The Board eouJd spend Ll5O without encroaching od the interest. The amount due from the Tuturau Boad Board of L 54 would go to meet the sinking fund. . Mr Elliott moved that the sums of JAS for Pukerau subdivision, L 45 for Kaiwera sub-division, and L 65 for Otaria sub-division only be passed at this meeting. Seconded'by Mr Eadie, and carried. Moved by Mr Eadie and seconded by P.P. M'Kenzie that the money due by the Tuturau Road Board be put ,to. the credit of the sinking fund. Carried. It; ! was resolved on the niotien of Mr iEadie,seconded by Mr A. M'Kenzie, that the trustees of the sinking fund be asked to resign, and that the names of Messrs J. M'Kenzie, F. M. Diiwson and Elliott be submitted for approval in their place as being more acces- j sible. Carried. Correspondence was read from John j Hunter, stating that he had ceased to occupy sections 8 and 9, block, 10, and therefore claimed exemption from i rates L* 13s 9d. • . . ■. jYora Mr Meeking, enclosing cheque : — Clerk Ofcaria Eoad Board. Sir,-r lnclosed is cheque U 13s 9d in discharge of road rates, and I beg at the same time, to protest against the false principle of ' the Board's laying a tax upon industry, and letting the land of lazy/ drones and speculators off at a nominal rate. • The tax should foe exactly ; the other way. Adjoining my Saudis ;a 200 acre section of very fine land, Tbeloflgfiog to an absentee.' The land is lying waste, 1 and is. a mere rabbit warren; a perfect* • » nuisance to all adjoining settlers. Bought .'at a very low figure, the owner is reser,yiag it. until he can get L 5 per acre. In the meantime his rates are nothing or next to it, ; he <£oes not trouble himself about the justice of repairing half the march fence lines, or anything else. Now, you would ! bring;' him quickly to his senses if you levied 'a. rate of'6d or Is per £on such land. Suc'h'.H step would help' greatly at once to put olowii' rabbits and speculators— both dreadful nuisances^ in. New Zealand — and the Board could- .then afford to deal more mercifully witHi those, who .spend money, brains, and labor i»o of ten, alas, unsuccessfully, in culUvat&njg their lands, and advancing the ©olony tfiezeby, the drones then to step in andreap' the 'bebefit. It is hard to see what equivalent is to be rendered lo me for paying'L9 7s 6d to the County Council and 'Boad Bpard for -road rates, unless it be the p-rivUcge of again wading a fo#t . deep in pukerau mud next winterr-anythiag bgtter Puker.W,; 28th Oct., .1884. . the viewer' was . addressed fco the clerk, and it was presumed that it should come before the Board, Alsp, ! complaining of the bad state of the road through his section. AU it wanted was three or" four day's work of a couple of men. , . iVJr Qualter corroborated thd gtatements made as to the nuisance caused by- the vacant section.' The owner ■was, always, absent when wanted. It was resolved to jput a man on for the work asked for a week. 3Trofn "Watson Shennan, Conical Hi 11.3) complaining that no money had been spent on the roads in his districtsince he had been rated. Held over. ■From. D. Andrews of a similar nature '.'re .works at . Burkes corner, Bl^iwera, and * asking for another week's work of a man. It was ; agreed otL the motion of Mr Qualter, seconded by Mr Eadie, that a man be put on for |our days,

| From D. Dean, complaining about i the road near his place at Slopedown. 'Held over. From Mr Keith of H similar nature re road along eastern bank of Mataura river, also requesting influence with Gordon Town Board to get the road i made from the Waikaka river to the j rail way. Mr Gardiner also represented the bad state of the road. Resolved, to expend L 5 on work there. It was resolved to asjain ask the Southland County Council to take over the road, Pukerau-Waipahi, the Clutha County having taken over the continuation*of it 'within their bounds ; J^lso, that p?rt of the Pukerau-Kelso road lying along Shenuan's property. Accounts were passed for payment as follows : — W. Drennan, L(3 2s Cd ; P. Dee, L 6 0 6d ; T. Scott, Ll Bs. Mr Lucas attended and asked the Board to so something to the roid through a creek near his place. He said a "bloomin' bird could not fly over it in safety." Tho matter was fold over. Tenders were then opened as follows : — GSa — Embankment and cutting at Stewart's Pinch : J. M'Loskie, L2i 10,s. Accepted. 76 — Formation oE roads and works at ?Ir Reid's and Mr Williamson's : Held over till next meeting. 77 — Jitetalling near Mr Bowmar's : W. Nelson, LlO 15s. Accepted. 78— Metalling, etc., at Mr Quertier's : Left with the engineer to spend available balance. 79 — Maintenance, etc., at Mr Weatherburn's : Declined . 80— Improvements to road in block IX. Waipahi :J. Eadie, L 24 7s fid. Accepted. SI — Stone and timber Bridge, Taylor's Creek : No tender. S2 — Formation and culverts at Mr M'Kenzie's : R. Rusha, L 7 10s. Accepted. S3 - Formation of road at sections 1 and 12, block 13, Waikaka : It, Susha, L 9 10s. Accepted. 81 — There were three tenders, but as they did not cover the usual deposit they •were not entertained. For contracts 85 and 86 there were no offers, as the County is now doing the work. The Board then adjourned,