MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 96, 1 August 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

— . «- Yestehday. The BoarJ met at li a.m. Present — Messrs Dalryinple (Chairman), Uacphorson, M'Ewen, Farmer, M'Keuzio, Bruce, aud Rookel. The miuutoß having been confirmed, A long discussion took place iv reference to the state of the accounts of ihe various Wards. Ultimately, it wa9 resolved that the Clerk should prepare a statement for next meeting. The Boii'd refused to accept any tenders for works, on account of the shortness of funds. No accounts except for salaries, were passed, for the same reason. Mr l{ockel' s motion re readjustment of representation fell through. It was se-

conded pro forma by Mr liruco, ami a short discussion ensued, when " the previous question " was moved by Mr M'Ewcn, ond curried. \fter some di-cussion, the following resolution wna passnd :— " That as the Board fimis itself in ii peculiar position with regard to the Douglas Speoial Settlement, in No. 2 Ward, and in order to do justice to the ratepayers, it is necessary that the B:>:ird make full enquiry if the road in question may be legally taken over or not." The above are the most important items of business. The full report will appear in ext issuo. Engineer's Hf/Pout. 1 beg to furnish you with the following lvporfc for July. lam sorry to say I have not been able. to do the amount of work I should have wished through the number of wet days we havo had smco last meeting. No 1 Ward. Together with Mr Fanner I visited SpciMJy's lino of road. Contractor for clearing mad is progressing satisfactorily- I have called for tenders for an additional 15 chains of bush felling and clearing on same line. Pagan's Line. — I did not stake this line for formation as directed, as I found it would take 3 or 4 days to clear a line for same. Mr farmer thought with myself that it was advisable to call for tenders for stumping and clearing before any formation was started, for two reasons— l, that contractors could see the actual amount of earthwork required to bo dono ; 2nd, that the work would be done cheaper by being put tiff till the spring, as this linb is a very wet one, and contractors w ill charge more through it being covered with water in places. No. 2 Ward. I have.according to instructions.prepared plans and specifications, and called for tenders for formation River Bank road, Carnarvon, and other short lengths of road, ie., Campion's line and near leaser's ground ; also, for log culverts on Campbelltown road, bush felling on Blunden's and Frecklhigton's line of road. I beg to call your attention to that part of my report for June 25, re roada in Doughs Block. The work of bush felling and clearing Taipo aud Wait>hi road is finished, mil I gave instructions to ihe contractor to build temporary culverts over the creeks on same line of road. Mr M'Donald has spoken to me about the fencing of these road lines, stating that tliß Maoris are ploughing.and that through this the roads should be fenced off. No. 3 Ward. I have been over nearly the whole of this Ward since last meeting, and must say the late flood from Mauawatu river has done some damage to that part of Moutoa road that was covered with sand by this Board's instructions. The said damage will necessitate a further outlay for repair*. I have on two occasions called at Mr 0. Symons' residence re the matter of drainage near his property. Upon neither occasion wa3 he at home, and I therefore cannot report as to said drainage. When I last visited Moutoa road, the contractors for repairs were pushing 1 on with the work There are several pieces of work require to be done directly wo get fine weather, which, if undertaken now, would cost quite as much more, and not be so good a job as if let in summer time.