Manawatu Road Board.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 12, 12 June 1885, Page 3

Manawatu Road Board.

TjaUBSDAY. . I (Continuation of Report.) Letter from Audit Department, read by the Chairman. 27th May, 1885 :— Referring to the accounts of the Manawatu Road Board received for examination and audit on the 16th inst., it is observed that the balance sheets (3) furnished only embrace the period from the 31st December 1884 j to the 31st March 1885, three months instead of twelve months as required by law. As the accounts and vouchers were exaniiuoJ up to 31st December last, it was not necessary to submit the same document to the Auditor a second time. Tho balance sheet, however, should luivo been furnished, showing as ' usual, the transactions of the Board for the yearly accounting period. Having memo m this office of the transactions of the Board from Ist April to 31»t December 1884, a rough sheet has bcon inado out of the General, tho Imprest, and the No. 3 accounts, which will be found to include the whole of the year's transactions. It is requested that the Treasurer will, without any dela) r , furnish the Auditor with complete yearly accounts, as required by law, and thus enable the balance sheet for the last year to be disposed of. Six forms of balance sheet (blank) are enclosed herewith, also rough balance sheet above referred to. Please return the latter with the printed forms when filled up. Signed J. Carley, for the Provincial District order. Warden Pratt wished to know if any report had been received from the department since the accounts had been audited. The Clerk informad Mr Pratt that no report had been received other than the letter just read by tho Chairman ; the books had been inspected by Mr Carley of the Audit Office and the various accounts initialed as being correct. The books were then produced and placed on the table, but Warden Pratt had no interest m such things and again wished to be assured that no report had been received. He at last managed to say something about having heard m Wellington that a report had been forwarded- from the office arid he evidently wished the Board tojbolieve so too, bat he Chairman informed the anxious warden that all commuaicatio • sent to the Board had been before them. The Chairman also* stated that when Mr Macalister was last m Palmerston pn business m connection with the Board's affairs both he (the Chairman) and the Engineer and Clerk had been bearded by him m an insolent and imperative manner and that as far as he (the Chairman) was concerred he had and always mould reaent such overbearing officiousriess and dictatorial style of address. Mr Macalister -was a civil servant and as such had no right to insult the officials of local bodies with whom he had to transact business. The communications received from this department -were invariably couched m language of scant courtesy, and as long as he (Mr Snelson) was Chairman of the Board he would resent such contemptible preceedure. He hoped that a system of local audit would soon take the place of the present arrangement and until then he believed they would have continual annoyance and disatisfaction. j Applications for grants under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. for main and district roads : — Maim Roads. No. 1 Ward. — Karere No. 1, bridges, £550 ; Karere Road No. 1, £50 ; Karere Road No. 2, £300. \ No. 2 Ward. — Awahuri bridge, extension, £250; No. 2, BunnythorpeKairangi Road, £1050. j No. 3 Ward. — No. 5 Bunnythorpe to Palmerston along railway line, £800; No. 4 Bulls to the Georee via Sanson Awahuri, Bunnythorpe and' Palmerston, £500. Nos. 4 and 5 Wards. — Fitzherbert Block on -east side Manawatu both up and down river* iSOOO. Total £5000. District Roads. No. 1 Ward.-~2vU Nos. 2 and 3 Wards. — Newbury Road, £600. No. 4 Ward.— Nil. No. 5 Ward. — Sorby Line (continuation Millerick's line), £1000. No. 6 Ward. — ■ Longbnrn-Kairanga Roal, £500. Taonui to Oroua River, £1000. Total £3100. Deputation. Mr L. R. Bryant waited on the Board m reference to the Longburn Road, the poll for the contraction of which had resulted m the proposal being lost. Mr Bryant urged that the. settlers, at the Taonui end of the road should be relieved from payment of the l£d rate to which they were at present subjected. The road was Iryni the Foxton Line to Taonui, but was only made as far as Bunnythorpe ; the settlers at the Taonui end had voted m favour of the construction attheFoxton Line end believing that when the poll for their end was being taken they would receive the same support from their neighbouring settlers, but instead ot this they, it would appear, selfishly opposed the scheme, having their own road they thought was quite sufficient, more especially as th« settlers at the upper end were helping to pay the rate. Mr Bryant, representing the settlers who were under this hardship, wished to have the rate levied on the Foxton Line end of the road only, and then the settlers at the Taonui end would apply for a grant to have the road continued through their district. After considerable discussion it was resolved to grant the application of the deputation.