WAIMEA ROAD BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 118, 18 May 1872, Page 2

WAIMEA ROAD BOARD.

Monday, May 13, 1872. The Board met at the Star and G-arter, Richmond; all the ; members present except Mr. Holland. Minutes of the last meeting read and confirmed. Resolved : That the Superintendent be

respectfully requested that (so soon as the Highway Bill now beforo the Council shall become law), the provisions therein contained empowering him to subdivide any Road Board district, and assign a certain number of members to each division, be put in force with respect to the Waimea, previous to the next election of the Board ; and that tbe said district be therefore divided into six sub-districts, each returning one member as follows : — Stoke, Waimea East, Spring Grove, Upper Wakefield, Waimea West, and Dovedale, and that the dividing lines of the said sub-districts be those indicated in the sketch attached. A letter from tlie Provincial Treasurer was read enclosing a voucher and cheque for the amount applied for under the provisions of the Payments to Provinces Act. The above were signed by tbe chairman, and ordered to be returned. Certificates for other works completed in terms of the same Act were also ordered to be transmitted. The Secretary reported that the examination of the roads in Eighty-eight and Quail Valleys had been unavoidably postponed, but tbat of the other roads ordered had been made and tenders called for. Mr. Baigent, as one of the deputation, reported having examined the road leading from Dovedale to the Moutere, and also the proposed new line, and considered the latter the preferable as being level and not necessitating any bridge or steep bank to cut cut down. A memorial, signed by residents in Dovedale and others, against the proposed new road, was read and ordered to be acknowledged. The Secretary was desired to send notices to Messrs. H. Tasker, at Richmond, and Trask, at Stoke, to abate. the nuisances caused by the smell proceeding from their respective slaughter-houses, of which complaints had been laid before the Board. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary, informing the Board that £500, voted for a road between Waimea-west and the Moutere, had been. paid to a special account pending the ascertaining by tbe Government of the proportion to be paid to the two boards respectively for making such road, unless the Government should decide oh" making the road, as may possibly be the case. The Secretary was directed, when acknowledging the above letter, to state that the Board will be prepared to assist, if required, in carrying out the work. A letter was also read advising that the

whole amount of £690 17s. allotted to the Waimea Board under the conditions of the "Payments to Provinces Act, 1871,' is now available, and will be paid on compliance with the terms of the said Act. The Overseer reported that the contractors have experienced some difficulty in procuring screened gravel for Greig's md Jenkin's Hills, but they are proceeding with the work; and have nearly completed their other contract by Mrs. Saxton's. Recommends inviting tenders for gravelling from the Turf to Greigs' Hill, as this part is cut up very badly in wet weather. Repairs have been effected from Richmond to tbe Wairoa River. The toll-gate and house require painting. In Waimea South, tho road from the Bridge through Spring Grove had been repaired, also near the Foxhill Bridge ; the attention of the Government should be called to the state of the Wai-iti River near the Bell Grove Inn, where some work is required to proFor remainder of news see fourth page.

tect the Waimea South road and also that leading to Wangapeka ; the repairs tc Pretty Bridge were 'completed, also some extra work to protect the banks below, the latter had' been washed away, as atec the approach to the bridge aDd one pile, but the whole had been made good at the cost of about £5. The contract of Parker and Wadsworth for gravelling iv Eightyeight Valley had been completed amounting to £56 15..,, also Mr. Cole's in Quail Valley ; some repairs are needed at the lower end of Eighty-eight Valley; in Pigeon Valley Mr. Currin has completed his contract for gravelling, amounting to £96 14s. 9d. but an extension of the work for about 6 chains is needful ; a new approach on the boat bank of the Wai-iti (necessitatedby the obstructions caused by last flood) requires gravelling ; the track from Pigeon Valley towards Dovedale proposed by Mr. B. Fairhall has been brushed and since ridden through by Mr. Baigent and the Surveyor and considered preferable to the present line, being; an easier gradient to the ridge which it follows until it meets the present track and avoids a piece of road much torn by floods, and it is estimated that a pack track could be made for about £25. A new top and hand-rails hove been put to the bridge near Forty-line leading to the cemetery, and I should recommend that a portion of the grant be expended in opening a ditch near Mr. Rioketts', and lowering a bank by the cemetery. In Waimea West a new culvert bas been made in Eves' Valley ; in Redwood's Valley Mr. Jordan has diverted the water from its original channel and sent it down the road, rendering it impassable ; in Dovedale one large culvert was washed away, and the large footbridge over the Dove requires some protective works, which have been ordered, and an extra day-labor man has been put. on for a month, there being some extra pressing work to be done ; the road formed by Mr. ,, Kiell has been rendered impassable, several large holes having been washed in it, which have been filled with logs and gravel; it was recommended that the gravelling, for which tenders have been invited, be deferred until the water-course, which caused the aforesaid damage, has been well cleared out. The Secretary was desired to write to the Government about the dangerous state of the river at Foxhill, and also to inform them of a dangjerous hole in the road near the Appleby bridge, which if preferred, the Board would repair if authorised to do so. Also to give Jordan notice to remove the obstrutidn and repair the damage. Messrs. Eves and Verrt attended and complained of the state of the road between : Ricketts' road and Mr. Bird's, through the partial filling up of several hollows during the recent work. A deputation from the Board was appointed to examine the place and report. A memorial from the residents in Pigeon Valley, requested that foot-bridges might be put over the several watercourses on the road. The Overseer was directed to get them done. A warrant was signed for £351 13s. 4d.