Manawatu Road Board.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1625, 3 February 1886, Page 4

Manawatu Road Board.

THIS DAY. Present — Wardens Sneison (chair), Edwards, Mathiesun, Akers, Pratt, ami Sly. The minutes of last meeting were read amended and confirmed. The pnendments being m the matter of dog collars tender informally made out and received at the last meeting. Before reading the correspondence the Chairman read complete and if not satisfactory^ at least true statements of the Board's finances dating from, the resignation of the late Secretary to the 31st January (full particulars will appear m to-morrow's issue"). Also statements of total assets and liabilities of the Board. Mr Akers remarked that at the time o Mr Clark beinff appointed Secretary accounts of some £300 of back rates were made out and only £30 of these had been paid, therefore a sum of £270 remained away and he imagined tin's item should be recognised as an asset. The Chairman pointed out that as a matter of fact this sum could only be considered as a myth and it was very unlikely they should recover any more of it. He further remarked that now the public were aware of the state of the Board's finances settlers would have a little more consideration and desist from continually importuning the Board when requiring works to be effected m the district'for their benefit. As soon as the Board was m a better financial position attention would be paid to necessary works of the kind, but until then they would have to curtail every possible expenditure. • Warden Sly remarked that latterly m his opinion the Board had been governed by deputations; the main works required m the district had been neglected m order to satisfy the applications made by the settlers to have small works constructed. The Chairman considered that during the past six month, the position, of the Board's finances had considerably improved notwithstanding the difficulties they had had to contend with, previous to that time they ha a almost been m a hopeless state of bankruptcy-; he was satisfied they had pulled up their finance • wonderfully. CORRESPONDENCE. From Public Works Department re application made for £260 for repairs to Awahuri Bridge stating that the required certificate had been forwarded to the Treasury Department for £188, the balance first to be found by Board. To the Chairman of the Mauawatu Boad Board :— Sir,— : l have arranged for some necessary repairs to the decking of several bridges. I would advise that a man be employed for a few days on both the Fitzh.erbert Roads, m cleaning out sid6 drains m cuttings, and repairing" holes m roads, before the. wet season sets m. As regards the Fitzherbert Road East, where fronting unfenced lands, it; is necessary for me to call your attention to the serious damage caused to the road through the unchecked roaming of cattleand sheep thereon, who churn up tlie formation and destroy the drams. This evil has been intensified since fences Were -brought down the to road, and gates erected across the road. When the bad weather sets m, the road will be little better than a bog, and the drains unable to remove the water accumulating. — I have the honor, &c, . E. .1. Armstrong, Engineer to the Board. To the Chairman of the Manawatu . Eoad Board : — RIVER*BANK ROAD. Sir. — In accordance with instructions from the Board I have been carefully over the first eighty-four chains of this road and . made an estimate of the post of the work. The first 48 chains to be trimmed up and metalled, the next 6£ chains will require to be formed prior to metalling, and the last 30 chains to be formed only. The Tiritea stream will require a bridge with one span poly.. This must be a truss ow-. ing; to its length, 36 feiet. My" estimate being m excess of the sum named (£200). I interviewed Mr Beale and he stated that a less width than 16 feet for the road formation would meet their requirements, and that a coat of metal eight feetwide by six inches m thickness would suffice. This modification of the work ? would, 1 believe, brine: -the "Work within the amount stated, (£200)1 I was also requested by Mr Prendergast to meet him on the Eiver Bank Road on Satnri day la3t. I went accordingly at the time fixed but circumstances, as he afterwards informed me, prevented his keeping his appointment.- I have the honor, &c., E. J. Armstrong.