Manawatu Road Board.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 54, 5 February 1885, Page 3

Manawatu Road Board.

THIS DAY,

Present — Wardens Snelson (chair) Edwards, Sly, Mathieson, Pratt, an;l Akers. Engineer and Cleric m attendance. The minutes of last general and special meetings read and confirmed. The resolution re summoning for non- ( payment of dog taxjbeing altered from the words " any care " to " a care by consent of meeting. . Warden Pratt was informed that Messrs Wilkie Bros.' name did not appear m mmutes as having applied for slaughter license. Report of Engineer on Milson's Line read. The chairman remarked that he had m conjunction with "Wardens Edwards and Mathieson when visiting the Bunny-thorpe-Kairanga Road also inspected this lino and agreed with the engineers proposal as stated m the report. It would be objectionable to widen the present ditch or make one m the middle of the road and for shifting the earth some 40" chains an extra outlay of JllOwas advised by the engineer, and he considered such necessary and would move the adoption' of 'the report. Carried. Correspondence between the Board and Mr Botherarn, Bailway Department re clearing drain on tho Foxton road read. • The Department notified steps would be taken to remove the obstruction. An application oi the Board to the Bailway Department for refund of monies paid to the hospital for patients forwarded who had been injured on the j line whs replied to by the Department to the effect that a refund could not be recommended. The Board decided to write to the Manawatu Railway Company as it was believed the patients referred to had received their injuries on this line. A letter of no importance was received from Mr Hamilton. A letter was received from tho Clerk of tho Court re election of Taonui licensing Committee. . Decision of the Board m this matter deferred till later on during the sitting. From Alfredtown Road Board suggesting co-operation of boards m. tho matter of selectors capitalizing value of purchase on deferred paj'ment sections. Board decided not to proceed m the matter. From J. H. Anderson, contractor, instructing the Board to pay oil monies on account of Awahuri bridge to Messrs Richter and Co.

Mr Sly before going further wished to know whether the -contractor had placed sufficient timber on the ground equal to amount of deposit cheque to be refunded. lie the timber used, lie thought that it should be seen that all timber to be used should he new. He believed that some of the tenderers for this contract bad understood that the old timber of the bridge could lie utilized and others that everything must be new. The engineer cxplaiue.l hero that only m the staging used wluu erecting the new piers, could the old timber be used and m one portion. of the bridge specified m the conditions. Mr Sly thought it would be advisable .to have all the timber placed on the ground thorougly examined before being used and that as the engineer had his time fully occupied a man be employed by tho Board for the purpose, to act under instructions of engineer, he would recommend for this work that the Board , secure the services of Mr Bow, ot Karero, a man fully competent arid possessing the required ability. The engineer agreed with Mr Sly and also believed Mr Bow would bo as good a person as could be secured. A Ions; discussion took place over the advisability or otherwise of accepting the I order to pay Bichter and Co. On the Chairman pointing out that the Board would be justified m complying with this request as it would according to the conditions always retain 25 per cent, of the authorized payments, it was therefore on the motion of Mr Sly seconded by Mr Edwards decided to accept the order, but no transfer of the contract to be recognised. From J. T, Stewart (Public Works Department) re increase of grant applied for under Boads and Bridges Construction Act (Awahuri Bridge) and stating that same had been forwarded to Chief Engineer. The Secretary to the Board informed the meeting that Government had been written to. re this, and that it had been pointed out to the Department the reason of the application, viz., on account of the raising of the bridge 2ft as required by the Government. From the Public Works Department re letter received protesting against al-. location of grants to the district, Oroua County, and requesting larger amounts. The Department could not consider the application. The return of poll for Clevely's line and middle Aorangi were read.

From Public Works Department re grant of £823 required, by the Board to be amended. The department had no objection to granting the application, but the Board would require to find £20 thereby reducing the grant to .£BO3. Mr Akers here asked the chairman quite innocently if this amount was for the Fitzherbert wards, and was informed m the negative. Mr Akers further wish- j ed to know why the Board at its last meeting when both the Fitzherbert war- | dens were absent, had misappropriated | the grant of £361 by allocating it to 3 wards only, leaving out the Fitzherbert ward, and also why was it necessary to take polls for the work a poll had already .been taken for the £5000 applied for. He believed the Board was acting on information supplied by secretary to the , effect that such proceeding was necessary but he might inform the Board that this was utterly wrong, no such thing was required, the poll once taken was quite sufficient and he would like to repudiate this action of causing unnecessary expenditure. The chairman explained to Warden Akers that a poll had certainly originally been taken for the £5000 bus all the money had not been received an.d. that I whenever further sums w.ore required it was necessary to take a poll for such. The secretary also explained to same effect giving details of course pursued m each case that money granted by G(v verftm.ent-. The Chairman informed Mr Akers that it wnsthro.jgh the Fi(zlierb.erUml another ward the Board was m financial difficulty, [ eulty, and they (Fitzherbirt) were now going to get a largo amount spent on (heir bridges through the generosity of the No. 1 and G Wards m allowing them to draw on their bank credit to obtain the necessary, grant from the Government thuiifown bank account being overdrawn. Mr Akers still maintained that the money had been miesappropriated frqm what it had been originally intended to spend it on. Mr Edwards : : You should have been hero when it was divyled. I novor complain when J, did absent, and they allocate and leave my Ward out The chairman here rose and addressed the wardens on the subjacti he said there had not been any misappropriation. . The original application was for £5000 an entirely new application was made (amended). The Fitzherbert Roads wore put down for a certain amount amongst the other roads, but the Goyernment,through he. supposed, iinpecuniosity, could not give any such amount as applied for, m granting any amount bridges fjake precedence and m this case after s.u.ch'<.leduetion only £3£l remain,ed fojp the red;

of the district. No particular roads got any claim and it was for the Board to decide how the money should be spent. The Government had* given the local body latitude as to how it should be expended. After the Board had received instruction from the Government they had adjourned four or five days, so that members for the Fitzherbert district might be present and take part m the arrangements for placing the very small amount left. The Fitzherbert Wards are getting spent some £80 m eacli Ward to obtain which, tho other Wards, in credit were advancing tho money necessary from the general fnnd, these Wards have also received every consideration m the past and the money granted this time is so small that there should not be any discussion over its distribution. Mr Akers still was of opinion that the matter had not been fairly earned out, and if he found the Government had made the grant with the opinion it would be distributed aboriginally intended he would expose the action of the board at its last meeting. The slaughterhouse Inspector reported that he had visited the several slaughter yards during the month and found them m good order.