MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 62, 2 August 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Thttesdat, July, 31, 1879. Present : — Messrs. Dalrymple (chairman) Bruce,. MoKenzie, Farmer, MoEwen, MeP&erson, and Bioek'ell. , MINUTES. On the minutes being read by the secretary, one or two corrections were made, and they wei'e thereon confirmed. OTERDBAFT. Before the reading of the correspondence the secretary stated that the bank had d?awn his intention to the very beavy overdraft, and m timftted that it should have to be considerably reduced. Mr. Fabmbb after going into figures eaid the matter wn* quite the reverse as instead of an overdraft there should be a credit of £190 I4s. sd. Itwas resolv-ed.. that the secretary prepare a statement of the various accounts of the wards against next meeting. DBPUTATIONS. Mr. Alexander McDonald, of Awahuri, interviewed tne Board with regard to a road which it was- making thi-ough his property to the Douglas settlement. He pointed out that when leave was asked from him to mpke the thoroughfare, it had been granted upon the distinct understanding that at leant one side, of the road would be fenced at tbe expeace of the Board. The work bad been gone on with, but no attention had been paid to fencing, and : the consequence Wfts that m self -prea&r ration to protecthU lainbiag ewea. Ha had also about 100 acres ploughed, And had been forced to erect about sixty-fire chains. There were about fifty chains more necessary, and he would ask the Board to keep faith with him and hftva thn,fc.done at once. The Ohaibkan said that the Board were fully aware of; the conditions upon which the ground for. the road had been granted, and Mr. McDonald might reply upon its promise* being carried out. ". ". . Mr. M'DosAii) stated that m odnsequenoe of th« inctfeaied traffic upon the road, the bridge which had been used had given -way, and as a. consequence all conveyances had to make a divergence, "and cross one of his paddocks. As matters were then he scarcely knew what part of the land to call his. own. He thought that he was fully justified m asking the Board to have the bridge re-' paired. The general feeling of the Board was with the. justice of the request, and it "was arranged that tenders should be called for immediately for the erection of the bridge qnd a wire, fence, Mr. D'Donuld engaging to supply the posts, and wait for payment until the Board was m funds, The Chaibhax drew the attention of the applicant to the fact that through' a clerical error he had been, rated 155,, instead of £15. He/ would therefore suggest that the work to be performed should be as a kind of setoff for the, proper amount of rates, Mr. M'DoiTAiiD' said he Txad rip wish whatever to take advantage of the Board's mistake, and, he was quite willing to have the rate*_stopp«d from the amount already owing to him from the Board' for fencing already, erected, Bcf ore ; withdrawing, Kbwevef, h» mighVihform it that it had taken about twenty chains more' for rofed purposes than had been originally asked, or leave, given. It had been designed to carry the line one- waj, -hut. sufficient., pressure had been brought to have the intention altered «nd it was token another ; however, finally a second road was carried as at first proposed, and that made a difference of about twenty chains* .;;,.■: "^ ' : T'":' '.'■"' ; : ;: "'■' ? " : \ The engineer having been then instructed to call for tariders at once, whioh were to be submitted, to Mr. Rockell, the Warden, Mr. M'Donald thanked th« Board and withdrew, Mr. Fritz Jensen next interreiwed the Board with a request to be allowed to fall about seventy chains of bush on the road line. Le^ve having been granted, upon the usual .terms,. Mr. Jenssen drew the attention of the Board to {the danger incurred by the contractors pUing up : inflammable material' close to settlers' fences, .Upon disouspion however, it appeared that thy contract work being performed was fop the County Coun? c'il, and consequently a matter over whichthey had no jurisdiction. ' WOBlt XS THB XrWITBA; Messrs. Taylor and Perry, appeared as a deputation from certain settlers m $he Kiyrifcea to draw attention Jbo the wretched state of \ix\». Jt appeared from, the Engineer's.reporfc, which dealt most exhaustively with the matter, that the road m question, was m a monstrous state and simply irapMsahle. T}iesWard<m fop .the district, Mr. McKem zie, stated that every penny of the rates, collected m the Kiwitea had bean expended \ipon the road m question. He admitted that the work applied fop was most necessary, but it was simply impossible, a» the cuttfng required would cost at least £160. The Gbaibican said he was afraid under .the ciroumatancei the Board was powerless iff the matter. Their funds w#rs very low at present, and from the statement of their warden it uppeared that (;hey had the lion's share oil? 'tis e rales. S „- ':,\ . ,'. Mif. Tayiob asked, if iff the ease of the settlers advancing the mohoy, or doing the wcrfc, veouldv the Board afterwards recompense them. • The .C.UAiBMAsr said that' the same members might riot be m office next year, and their successors -might repudiate that course. Mr. M'Ewbit suggested that the deputationists should make application . to the County Council as Chat body received exactly half the money for the rates, and appeared to do ' nothing, in return. ,:>.. Mr. BRtfCB inf armed J the Board' N that owing to- the very heavy weather whieli'HadJ been experienced, he had found it hecesßaryto put a man on to repair the damage done

now ask the Board to endorse that step, and to give authority for the same labor, whenit was found necessary. . The leave applied for was given. THB GEMBTBBI DEPJJTATION'. Upon .resuming after the adjournment, the Chairman said that at the last meeting of the Board a deputation had waited upon it, asking that a donation should be given I towards the Palmerston Cemetery. Aa one of the three Wardens interested — Mr. Bruce — was absent on the occasion the matter was adjour.ied until the present meeting. Mr. M'Ewbjj said he believed m the doctrine ef being just before generous, and as it appealed that the funds of the Board would not allow of it, he could not support the application. Were the funds m a different position, he would have been happy to 6econd it. Mr.* Bbucb said that he would not support the application for the samejreason as that given by Mr. M'Ewen. But he would go farther, and assert that even were the funds m an overflowing condition, he should, be compelled to oppose it. The Highways Board was instituted for. the express purpose of making and maintaining roods, having nifio functions with, drains, and consequently he held that a diverting of its money for any other purposes, would, be. •gross misappropriation, fojr which, the members themselves would be peraonably responsible. He fully recognised the right the Cemetery had to support, but that *hould be of an individual nature and hot from a corporate body, constituted m the manner of the highways board. Before leaving the question he might refer to some remirks^whien had been made by the local paper m dealing -.with the question. »It had been there argued that the Board had just as much right to vote a sum for. the purpose named, as it had to vote, a honorarium to its members. The logic was certainly good, when the question was settled whether or not they had a right to vote a honorarium. For his own part he knew nothing of the provisions of the Act, upon the particular point. '. „ Mr. Fabubb— The Act does not say yea or nay. . Mr. Bbttoh— Well, for his part he thought if they were hot entitled to » honorarium, they should not get. The Chaibmak said that members did not receive a honorarium, but merely the oxpenses they incurred m coming to and going fpom sittings of the Board. Air. Bbucb said when he received his ■ honoiarium he had been taken completely by surprise. He hod ■ been under the impression that the Board was one of honor and! that the services of its members were purely honorary. Mr. McEwbs said he had a great number of years' experience m public matters, and he had always made it a point to ignore all that appeared m newspapers. Those gentlemen were at perfect liberty -to* write 'what they chose, but it would not altar hie opinion. With regard to the question m debate he would be sntisficd to leave it to two of the first lawyers m the Colony to prove that it was perfectly right and perfectly legal. COBBKSP OVDEHCS. From Mr. Maclean, and others, tf*o owners and occupiers, of land m the town-' ship of Cheltenham, drawing attention to. the necessity of constructing a culvert over the drain m Mills street, at its junction, with the Kimbblfcon road ; and also the approoohes to the same. — It was discovered that the road m question was the boundary between the two Boards, and it was pror posed to bear half the expense, if the Manchester Board would boar the other. From Charles Wordsworth, applying for permission to fall the road line alone the boundary of his section 250, 252, 254, -Fitxherbert Block ; and also to fall the;' road line dividing Section 254 from the Manchester Block. — Agreed to, upon the condition that applicant waited for refund until the Board were , m a better financial position. .-.:'. From the secretary of the Wangaaui Harbor Board, m demand for rates qf its land m Eiwit»a, stating that the land m question' was exempt from, rates;- being the property of Her Majesty the Queen, and. that the Harbor Board had no right of ownership or occupation oyer it, nor.; was it under contract for sale, leasing, or licensing from- the Crown. , ," From Edward Irwin, applying for leave to fall the bush by the side of Section 178, agreeing to dp the work at ■ the price usually allowed.— Referred to the Engineer. . From Robert Milson, intimating that he had he completed falling of the. road line on the Seotions 532 and 533 to 534,' on the Bunhythorpe line, running east from the said line the work consisting of seventy 'five chains. ' • ""* ■•■■"■ -v-- > r: -':^- '•'■■• '" ; ■} ' From J. F. Bismarck, asking? for ftn ex-tension;-of time (for fifteen days) for sgme work which he had in* hands, the' nature of which, however, -did ■ not appear m the letter. — Left m the hands of the Engineer, From Peter; Jenssen, asking permission forSNannestad and Co. to taking away any timber useful for sawing purposes from road line A.— Left m the hands of the Enjineer. from Mr. J. T. Stewart, m reference to the application from the Board for a bridge over the Mangaone on. the Nov. 5 road line m the Kairanga survey district, and stating that he would writ* to Wellington about the matter, the cost of which according to the Engineer's estimate would be £112. From Christian Valdimir, asking the Board to call the attentida of the Manchester Highways Board to the disgracetul state of the rood" known as Mackay's line. It was stated that the road m question was situated m the most populous part of the Eiwi^oa, and several settlers had left the district on its account.— Order for letter to be se.n.t to Manchester Highways Board, ;.'.•;'.. - ■__, ■'•>?■..'. :i%-~\'''. ■•■■'-, i 1":■" :■ . From Mr. Waldegwre,, askinf permis-' sioutofall the bush opposite his vection .239, 24.2, 244, and 249 at the usual allowance—granted on usual terms. From J. «T. Wilson, requesting certain works- to be done near his property .—Work to be carried out as B.OQR as possible; - Petition, fvoxa the inhabitants m the neighborhood of Bunnythorpe, asking for the metalling of the roqd,.TT-Qrdered to be held over. ' : From Alfred Tanner, asking for a right to put a fence across the road leading from Jackey town rood- to Mr. . V, Monrad's western boundary.— Application granted. the same, asking for payment of bash-fd^i^ which had been authorised by the Board.— Engineer to report upon at next meetiiig. ;_ , , v From Andrew Cajmphell, offerinj-to f»H the road line on his property at the tisual rate.— Agreed to, providing applicant- waits for a refund until the Board is m •betterfinancial position. ■-. ' From Mr. W, J. Swainson^ asking that the Engine we should visit his district, and inspect the. Halcqrabe and Feilding road.r— . .Thf Engineer wa«. iiistructea to ITare the necessary work done. . EN^INEBB'S KBPOB*. Hayns, the Boards Engintvr, su^' : mitted the following report :—. I. beg to furnish you .with the. following report foh. the month of July. I"*ni Laoxvy t-o say I have* not been abb to dp the amount of work I should have wished, though the, number '.of wet, days we haye had since lasf meetings, - r ■ Together with M*; Farmer* I visited Speedy'sline of ' road. The contractor for clearing thjs -^^'-^ l . ; j^gre|s^^ ? ila^j^^.:'

torily. I have called tender* for an additional fifteen chains of bush falling and clearing on this same line of road. Fagan's Line— l did not stake out this road for formation as directed to do, as I found it would. take three or four days to dear a line for same. Mr. Farmer thought with myself that it was advisable to call tenders for stamping and clearing before any formation was started. This was thought bett for two reasons— fifat, that contractors could see the actual amount of earthwork required to be done, second, that the, work would be done cheaper bj its being put off till spring, as. this line is a Tory wet one, and consequently the contractors will charge More through its being covered with water m places. ■ ' xo 2 WAfcD, I hare, according to your instructions, prepared plans and specifications, and called tenders for formation " Hirer Bank road." Carnarvon; und. others short lengths of roads (»«., Campanion's lone, and near Eraser's Ground) also culverts on Cainpbelltown road. Sush falling on Blunders and Freckington's line . of roads. I beg to call your attention to that part of my repart for June 25th re roads m .Douglas Block. The work of bush felling and clearing Taipoand Waitu road is finished, and I gave instructions to the contractor to build temporary culvert* over the. creeks on same line of road. Mr. M'Donold has spos;en v to me about the fencing of these road lines,, stating that the Maoris arrploughi«g, and through this the roads should be fenced oft' ;■..-. : ;.. ■„.■■ .-:■■■• - '•■-, ■ . .-■ .-'..■■ "-, • ■ -■• iro 3 ttaed. -•'.'.. ■ - 1 I hare been orer nearly the whole of this, ward sine* last meeting, which has suffered from the flood of the Mahawatu. The consequence is that the water from same is outting the road way. I have placed** dam across the aide ditch so that water must go its old natural course. I also intend to manukau scrub the part of road thatr has be«n carried . away if . this ' work ' had ; not, been done, the road m time would hare been out right through, as at present time, it has gone too new the of the road. ■•;.;-• /.'•,■ ■■ ■■' .:. ■ ■ ■.*'.. ',■ ..' '- „ 1 hare had a man on repairing m this ward during tot month, and also cutting a fresh bridle, track of some three . or four chains m lenth, leading towards Newcombei. I find there are a number of sm«ll slips down on the first side cutting over Manawatu Bridge which I hate instructed A. Stewart to clear away at once {for this work the money will be refunded by the (general Government, as Mr. J. T, Stewart now holds some £15, being part of unexpended vote for approacheV to Manawattt Bridge. '■•' ■ ■• ■r:;f:':- : rO*p; < 0----ir4Kp. > .: .y .- .■..-■. >„;-.; According to instructions, I have called tenders; for bush felling on Jjoherts and James' line of road. I nave also had a few slight repairs done to roads m the Ward, . ■'.■''."'■■ '■'. wo *J wabd. •/];]■ ; ■^'- ■' I visited CurreenY road, and went at far as M'Beths line. Hocking has finished' *is work, of bush fellingand clearing Inasatisfaotory manner. This road, although oleared is quite useless to the settler, as 4her» are two very steep and high. leri»c«B to g*t u^ and down. One m particular being almost perpendftular, and about forty to fifty feet high, tilFcuttings are made on these and some four and five other placet (crteJts) have onlverts fixed and covered over the. road is. almost oseless, at present time settlers have to travel through private: proptrtjr. . ''" ' ' .' ■. -- - •:■■■ ■■■' \ ■■■ Bismarck and Co, have applied for extension of time, but I wrote to them I could not recommend any extension, as they have been doing other work, and neglecting the urgent work of this Board. - Mr. Dalsiel} at Cheltenham, has asked that a culvert should be placed m side ditch at junction of highways and county roads ; this said- culvert would not b« costly as there are- totara trees belonging to Board, near the spot. I may say it is a thing that is badly required as a number of people are settling at Cheltenham; and the culvert required it on a Boad that will be used very much. . ■ ';.■■.. l' : -'' [ -' - : . . -'■•■■' ■''■■ / •■■• ' ■• ■■ ->- : -. : TEHDEBS. ~ :'*; :-'- ■' ; . : Owing to the difficulty of getting m the rates; it was docided tha,t no tenders should be accepted; ' -. ..:•'.■.■•• ■'' "c ..:,j.;..-\. : • It was decided to allow all th« accounts to remain over until next month, with the exception of the Board's officials, . '..Mr. Eockkli asked what posjtion the Special Settlement was m with regard to the Board, The settlers m that locality had to pay rates, they had no roads, and if the Board were to make the necefsary road; Doug?*s & Co, could, if they pleased, place a gat* across it, and take possession of it. In ordflr, therefore, to bring the natter bo an issuej he would move— "Itjsthe. opinion of this Board, as the Board finds itself m a peculiar jwsit ion m regard to th» Douglas Special Stttlament No. 2 Ward, and m order to do justice to the ratepayers, it is necessary that , they Board make a full inquiry if the roads m the special settlement can be legally over or. n»t.? -'. v :.■:'■:■:. ■-■, „;■:■:.;,.;-.■ Before the motion, was put, Mr. Bbttoi suggested that it would bis better, tdrliave correspondence with Douglas $ Co. upon the (matter, , It seemed to. him an anomalous state, of affairs, where settlers had . rates to pay and the Board had no control over their roads. -,-- : j ...-.,■ .'. . ; - ' -;■ - ; . ■-.-..••.;■ . The motion was seconded by Mr. FxitKEß, and carried. . .... .. ■ . : '..' '-.^.-^ ..-, '■;..'; .. jilß. BOOKBll'a HOTIOW,' . Mr. EopKMi said that m rising to/speak to the motion which; was standing m his nanu», he wished it >to be understood that he was not actuated by the feeling that his ward had, been ,unfairly dealt with. Nothing was fucther from his inteotion, but\ he thought that im matter, of extent, acreage, and rateable, it would be conctdtd he had value claim for what b,«. asked. One matter had. cropped >up attliat very sitting Which showed the justness of his demand, and that wm with regard to the ..'tender*. ThV^Car-. ■narron-yVard^/wifchoßly'a'debitpf'^^-fid.^'. and a')ai^fe amount of rates to couie in,vras debarred fronlVaccepting tenders for most necessary work oh account of the indebted-' ness of Dther wards.' In bringing forward: the motion for a re-adjnstm*At % he felt the difficulty under which h» labored, b«caas* of the very short time which had eiapstd since, 'the various wards had been. re-bonY strncted ; and it would be urged that as it would not be long until there would b«, a readjustment; siioh a step was unnecessary now. He might t«ll Board that about fifteen months j^go there had been a vary; strong agitation for separation, and he thought hwcould say, without being charged -'with.9sotj[£m l .,tthat it^raa through hisr^fforts -tlmi the -step hiicl been frustrated. JLb was fchsn opposed/ and* he was still opposed t<i; it, but ho very much doubted -His ability, to resist it were another effort maide'.-. 'These wijre th* gu*unds, and not selfish ones, upon which lie brought forward liis motion, and he thought if three, wards were made put of Sandon| Carnarvon, and a" portion of the district around Palmerston, it ;.; vrowldibe a wiw step, and avoid whaV otherwise must necessarily follow-— -separation. A|^r : waiting; for somf , time,, no one seemed fa 1)6 inclined to secbQd' the resolution, when • • ■ i■■ ; Mk Bbttob said he thought "that *.eve.n if the Board 'did not agree with the; motion it wai only courteous for them to discuss it. WiSfe tfefV 9bjec<( W T«^ ho.

fcr

would second the resolution jro fo?wa* P« said he perfectly exonerated Mr. Botkell frem being influenced by selfish or interested motives. He had not been, present at th» sitting at which the notice had been given but had learned the feet from the local paper, and when he bad done so he fat**mined to weigh the matter calmly and dispassionately. The reason he wouM like to see the motion discussed was, first m -courtesy to Mr. Bockell, and n«tißb order to prevent' the people of Carnarvon from thinking the members of the Board wer» pigheaded, obstinate obstruotioniitt; Hov#>ver, after consideratiou he had come to the resolution that the step would npt by any mean* be a wise one, for without having any advantages, it would have many, disadv vantages. If the same party feeling existed m the Boarsl as unfortunately was exhibited m the County Council, and where one end .... of the County was pitted against the other, he could understand the request; if tli» ward was 6< such dimensions as. to Teouiro * m ß . eCol £ m « i nber; *or if Mr. Jtackell^wao afflicted^wilih such ajplethowo^ funds that ha did not know how to get rid of them. If the latter were the caea the remedy was an eaay one, and he (Mr. Bruce) would only be too happy to relieve Mr.jßockell m his dilemma and expend a little m the Fitxherbert. H« could not see how a great iojnaticebould fe« done to any ward;^ whtp separate aaiount* were kept foj ; each, and the rates raised expended therein. So far he thought hr had shown that the proposed change wolild ■*• • r effect no good, then he would give • fosr of " ■'■ the positive disadvantagea. It was only seven months since readjustment had tkk«n place and seven wards had been created. Mr, Bockell hatl suggested that the. cii.Dge should take place by the alteration of th» boundaries of three wards, but m his •pinion such a thing was net feasible. Analfceratiott of one would possibly necessitate: an altera- , tion of all i)he wards, and such action would involvf fresh election! and paralyse the - m&chineryjof.the Board Jwhich with the 'vtonv. bial circumlocution; of such proceedings would cause the affair* .f the Board to be at a standstill Another thing was m th*. " present state of . the finances, he | queationasl whether it wovld be advisable to incur ths addition of another htnorarium— or ratker travelling expenses, Mr. il'Ewßir considered that afl discus-' sion upon the matter was out of order- The adjustment had been made and gakeLted, ' and it was not competent for the Bockrd b/ a were resolution to alter it. . Mr. Rocxßii said that if such wer« tiio case, of course further discussion was uunecessary, and there was an e>d to the matter.. The subject then dropped. .: It was decided thai m future the sittings of the Board should be held upon the la»t-~ Thursday m each month. JIHAKOUI. STATBOKR The following is the! financial position of . th* various wards of tHe Soardup.to tha SOtK , July, : or immediately previous" to the y present meeting : — :" ■

No. 1 Ward, credit b*l»nc* of £246 1 11 „ 2 .: n ~ debit „ > A . l 6 „ 3• „ ' credit ti 106 17 10 „4 „ debit „ .102 1. 1 » 5 i, dtbit „ 280 5 3 „ 6 * dtbifc „ 217 » 8 „7' » er«dit „ 104 18 B