MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 328, 9 December 1875, Page 4

MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Satubdat, December 4. Present : All ihe members except Messrs A. Drummond, Guy, and Tal* bot. After the confirmation of the minutes the Secretary and Overseer read the following report :— , The Superintendent has approved of the bye-laws as amended by the Board, the same have been gazetted, and advertised in the Colonist and Evening Mail newspapers of the 30th November, and will be in force on the 22nd ofithis month, After consultation with the members of the Board for the subdiatricte of Upper and Lower Moutere and the Chairman, I have given instructions for the gravel from the pit opposite the Bridge Inn to be put on the road without screening, and have employed a man to strip the gravel and wheel the top stuff away. I have also employed a man to procure manuka for the road by day work. The cost per 100 bundles is about 12s, delivered on the side of the road. The Messrs Hyland have stripped some gravel on the hill side near Cook's Yailey, which I think will turn oat to be of fair qaality. All the ratepayers, with one exception, who were summoned last Court day, either paid, or made arrangements to pay, without coming before the Bench. The defendant in the case that cams beiore the Beuch, on judgment being given against him, ex* pressed his determination not to pay the rate, whatever might be the consequence, it will bo for the Board to instruct me what steps I shall take to enforce payment. A notice has appeared in the New Zealand Gazette to the effect that all Municipalities and Road Boards, in order to participate in the vole of the General Assembly for these bodies, were required to send in a statement of the amount of rates received during their last financial year, eucb statement to be made on forms, to be had at the office of the Provincial Auditor, and to be verified by a solemn declaration made before a Justice of the Peace by the Chairmau of the Board. On the receipt of the form, for which I applied to the Provincial Auditor, I made out the required statement, which embraces the whole of the receipts and disbursements for the past year, and the Chairman having made the required declaration and signed the same, I forwarded it to the Provincial Auditor for transmission to the Colonial Government. The wharf at the Riwaka landing will (should the weather continue fine) be completed by the end of next week, or the beginning of the week after. The men who tendered for gravelling the cross road to Neudorf at 30s per chain, have agreed to do the required work for 25* per chain, but it is doubtful whether sufficient gravel can be got, until there is less water to contend witu. A bridge across the Company's ditch on the road to Messrs Brotntnoad'a and other property has fallen in from the banks being undermined, and it will now be necessary either to drive piles, or have a span of thirty Jfeet. I think piies will be preferable the banks being likely to continue to give way. I have not communicated with the Government respecting the road about which Mr Sutcliffe had an interview with the Board last meeting, not having had time to prepare a tracing shewing the new and old roads, without which it would be impossibe to lay the matter clearly before the Government, but I have baJ an intimation from the Provincial Secretary, that he intends visiting this district shortly, when I will take the opportunity of explaining the difficulty to him' The Government will be glad to have the earliest possible information accruing from the contemplated exploration, for a track between Riwaka - and Takaka, with a view to the most beneficial disposition during the summer months of the funds available for the expenditure on the proposed road. During the last week of fine weather considerable progress has been made with work on the roads, nearly forty men having been engaged thereat. A letter having been read from the Pn-vincial Auditor, haviog reference to the payment of members' necessary expenses in attending meetings of the Board. Resolved, That the Secretary write to Meßsrs 3?ell and Aikiuson, solicitors, asking for their opinion in reference to the payment of members, and forward to them a copy of tho whole of the correspondence that has taken place , between the Board and the Provincial Auditor, and that between the Board and the Board's solicitors, in respect to the same. ! Resolved, That the Overseer take such steps as may be necessary to explore for a route for a road between Riwaka and Takaka, and employ what men he may cequire. j It having been shown that the maps of the different parts of the district are not to be relied on with reference to many of the roads laid down thereon, Resolved, That the Secretary take an early opportunity of taking the mops to the Land Office, Nelson, in order to have them rectified. Resolved, That the Secretary write to those persons who have fenced in certain by-roads for their own private use, directing their attention to No, 2 of the by -Jaws, which will be ia force 9H (be 29ai inalu

Several applications having bean received for assistance in makiog and repairing by-roads, Resolved, That the Board will assist when their means will allow in the improvement of such by-roads as may be deemed beneficial to the district on the following conditions :— (Ist.) By having contributions placed in the of the Secretary of not less than one half of the estimated cost of the work, (2o'd.) By the applieaota undertaking the work, and receiving, when finished, the amount promised od the assessed value of the Overseer. The Secretary having reported that his notice to certain persons having land adjoining public roads to trim their hedges, had had no effect in some cases, it was Resolved, That the Secretary take proceedings against such persons as may refuse to comply with the noiice within the prescribed times. Resolved, That the Secretary write to the Superintendent, asking him to direct k the constables of the district to attend to the carrying out of the byelaws recently passed by the Board. Resolved, That the Secretary cause an information to be laid against the owners of any cattle that may be found destroying the willows planted on the bank of the Company's ditch, Lower Moutere, or destroying any other protective work alongside the trunk roads i throughout the district. Resolved, That the Secretary take the necessary steps for atopping-up certain roads not required in the district, and also for legalising certain other ro&da io use, but not legalised. Renolved, That the Board will defray one-halt the cost of a new bridge across the Company's ditch on Drummond's road, provided half of such cost does not exceed the sum of £10. Resolved, That the consideration of Mr. William Askew'e application for opening a ditch (to take awny part of the water which he alleges has been thrown on his land through the erection of a dam by ihe late Riwaka Road Board), be postponed until it is ascertained what amount will be contributed by persons interested iv the required work. Resolved, That the further consideration of Mr. Lloyd's application for assistance in making a road to his land in Oriooco Valley, be postponed (or another month in order to give other persons interested in such road an opportunity of stating what gum they are willing to contribute towards opening the same. Resolved, That the earth thrown out of the ditch on the road by Mr Loddei's be removed into the low places, and necessary culverts made for carrying oil the water, also, that men be employed to clear the (alien timber off the Sandy Bay road, and that the Overseer inspect the said road, and report to the Board at the next meeting what work is required to be done. Resolved, That the Secretary receive the road rata offered by Mr Godfrey Thomas, and that the necessary steps be taken to compel 6. Painter to pay the rate for which judgment was given last Court day. Resolved, That tenders be invited for the following works by next meeting, viz, in Riwaka sub-district, work on Swamp Road, and far connecting eaid road with the valley one, also, for a Store House by the new wharf, end forming a footpath on. Cook's land leading to the main road near Goodall's. In Motueka sub-district, work in various parts of the district and on new road between Herrick's and Waiwero. Resolved, That a sum of money not exceeding £6 be granted for making a, footpath outside sectioa No. 72 Riwaka. Warrants were signed for £236 ' 12s lid.