MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 59, 9 March 1877, Page 2

MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Montht-y Meeting — March 3rd. All the members were present except Mr M'Donald. After the confirmation of the minutes of the two previous meetings (ordinary aud special), the Secretary reported as follows:— lv accordance with a resolution passed at the special meeting of the Board on the 17th ultimo, the Chairman, Messrs Dencker aud Burrell, and myself, waited on Mr Curtis with a copy of the report on the injury done to the public works of the district by the late flood, aud urged upon him the necessity of a grant being made by the Colonial Government to defray the cost of reinstating the roads and bridges destroyed. Mr Curtis undertook to forward the report, together with the copy of a letter on the subject, to the Colonial Government, and to strongly recommend the Government to comply with the request of the Board. I invited tenders for bridging over the place washed out on the road to the beach where the late flood had removed the Saltwater Bridge. The members of the Board appointed for the purpose met and agreed to accept a tender from Mr Coombs for the required work for the sum of £110, the highest tender being £137. I need scarcely agaiu point out the bad state of the roads occasioned by the late flood, for unless special funds are obtained for the purpose I see no possibility of improving them. I flnd that the stone dam at Riwaka has stood remarkably well, and is now perfectly tight, a large mass of debris having accumulated in front of it, but a few chains higher up the river has broken through, and nearly one half of the water is escaping. The opening at present is not very large, but steps must at once be taken to make up the bank, otherwise what will now be a trifliug cost may become a very expensive work. A few days work is also required to be done at the wharves. The proposed new road in the Riwaka Valley, on the bank of the river, has been destroyed in places by the late flood, and will require further examination before being proceeded with. Ido not think it will be advisable to make a fordway across the Waiwero river where the bridge has been washed away. I believe a bridge on piles, properly driven, would stand any flood, and I estimate the cost of such a bridge at about £50. Letters were read from Messrs Turner Bros., requesting that the road in the Dove Valley should be made passable for carts as far as their house, and offering to do the work on certaiu conditions; and from Mr J. Salisbury, pointing out the impassable state of the track to the table land, and applying for assistance to improve the same. Resolved— That no further assistance can be given to open up roads injured by the flood until the Board is in receipt of information respecting funds. Letter read from Mr Wallis, stating that Mr Hale had dug a ditch across a road adjoining his property and altered the course of the water, doing considerable damage. Resolved— That the Secretary ascertain what has actually been done, and report to the Board at the next meeting. Messrs .Jenkins, Ccderman, and Starnes, had an iuterview with the Board respecting the damuffc done to their land by the Swamp road ditches in Riwaka being blocked up, causing the whole of the water to flow through their laud, half of which they contended should be taken by the road ditches. Resolved—That the Secretary inspect the road ditches complained of, and report to the Board as to what he considers the best plan of remedying the difficulty. Resolved— That with reference to the application made by Mr John Chamberlain (through the Secretary) that the Board would purchase land for a road leading to his property, Mr Chamberlain be informed that Messrs Drummond Bros, are not willing to sell any land, and he must therefore endeavor to make an arrangement with them for passing through their land. Resolved— That the Secretary set qnt Mir remainder of the Oronico Rosedale track, and invite tenders for the work required to ppen the same. Resolved— That the Secretary convene a meeting of the ratepayers in the ilotueka Sub-District, for the purpose of electing a duly qualified person to fill the vacancy in the Board caused by the resignation of Mr James M'Donald. Tenders Accepted. lv. Fry, forming road toward s. d. Little Sydney . . .12 6 per chain E. Dodsou, widening ditch on New Mile Road . . .36 „ J. Fowler, jiinr., gravelling swamp road, and road near S. Fowler's and Pound .23 Q „ Resolved — That as no eligible tender' has been received for ditching on the road by luglis', the Secretary employ a competent man to do the work by the day. Warrants were signed for £148 19s lid.

The Grahamsfcown Star of Saturday says that the larrikins there have become so great a nuisance that five constables in plain clothes are required to parade the streets in order to protect wayfarers from insult and annoyance. "Female beer jerkers" is the name giveu to barmaids in Pittsburgh. By a local ordinance the employment of barmaids was interdicted. Thereupon the saloon keepers advertised that they had engaged " lady conversationists" to entertain visitors. Sonic idea of the extent of the rabbit nuisance in Southland may be gained from the following statement of facts:— Mr ,T. Cowio, assisted by his brother-in-law, killed duriug two afternoons the enormous quantity of 180 C, and by Saturday they had reached the round figure of 2000. Several hundreds were likewise destroyed on almost every adjoining farm bounded by the river. During the flood they are described as being " piled on top of one another in the bushes by twenties and thirties." Mr Cerrard is confident that he has, during the past year, destroyed rabbits on his farm to the extent of nearly 20,000. A singular and most unpleasant adventure (says the Auckland Star) befel an unwary plumber at the Lunatic Asylum, Whan, yesterday. One of the men in the employ o Mr W. J. Marks was sent out to repair the spouting on the roof of the building. While so engaged, mounted on a long ladder, a patient walking round the building came along to take stock. Seized with a sudden freak of his wild fancy, he caught hold of the ladder to take it away, no doubt imagining it would be high old sport to see the luckless wight at the top come suddenly down. The victim did not see it in the same light, and shouted for him to desist. But the patient was iuexorable, and began to draw the ladder away. The workman was now in very imminent peril, but instantly comprehending the situation, and seeing that ! to attempt the descent would mean almost certain death, he seized the spouting, trusting to hold on until assistance could arrive. The ladder was drawn clear away and the plumber | continued thus suspended in mid-air for some time, calling lustily as may well be supposed for some less crack-brained fellow than the one who stood grimacing and capering below, apprently in a state of inexpressib'e delight over the fun. A warder fortunately came on the scene at this juncture in time to present the ccci-rrence of any more serious consequences and the ladder was restored to the intense relief of the almost exhausted workman. In his address to the electors of Rodney County, Mr Join Burdctt, of Tauhoa, compared the Counties Act to a ferocious dog which is kennelled but not chained, inasmuch J as a mere majority of the County Councillors could bring the Act into operation to the detriment of Road Boards and the distvicts. He condemned the mode of cumulative voting, which he declared to be an ai'slocratic franchise, placing too much power in property holders. He maintained that the present Road Boa-ds were fitted to do all the work that was required of local bodies, provided the Public Works Department of the General Government were properly upheld by an income tax, or a tax upon animals. Were this done, the proposed county taxation and the Counties Act itself might be sent to oblivion, and then he said, "the b'essing of the Lord would make us rich." Mr Burdett interspersed his remarkable address with various poetical outpourings. What, quoth he, do the oppressors say — Bless the Lord, bless the King; But, bless the poor man— that's another thing And he closes this with something of a non | sefjuitur—" If you elect me I will maintain your rights and liberties; and From taxation you'll ever be free As long as salt water makes a sea; Ah, then, that will for ever be. The world was made for you and me; You may bear your doubts and fears, These will pass with the light of years." These are specimens of the address, which certainly has the merit of originality in both thought and expression. — Herald. At a banquet given in Deniliquin to Sir 11. Robinson, that gentleman amongst other appropriate observations, said:—' During my stay in Victoria I have had an opportunity of seeing some of the richest portions of that great Colony, and the resources of a good deal of the country which I have traversed on my way from Bowning to this town are unsurpassed by those of the best parts of the old country. Curiously enough my wanderings have been confined within the area concerning which Mr Oxley, the sui-vcyor-geueral of Australia, made in 1817 a somewhat extraordinary prediction. In that year he explored, from Bathurst a considerable distance south along the river Lachian, and stated in his report to the Governor that he had demonstrated beyond a shadow of doubt that no rivers could fall into the sea between Cape Otway and Spencer's Gulf, at least none deriving their waters from the eastern coast; and that the country south of the parallel of 30deg. and west of the meridian of I47deg. 40min. E. was uninhabitable, aud useless for all purposes of civilised man. How dangerous it is to prophecy. The whole of the waters of the Darling, Lachian, Murrumbidgee, aud Murray-in short, the drainage of the whole of that part of the country is discharged into the sea between Cape Otway and Spencer's Gulf; and within the boundaries of Mr Oxley 's wilderness are situated the whole of Riverina, nearly the whole of Victoria, and the southern part of South Australia, comprising, together, some of the richest and most valuable lands in Australia. His useless and uninhabitable country is now covered with flocks aud herds and waving cornflelds-r-is dotted over with busy, bustling townships and homesteads— and is inhabited by thriving communities of British citizens striving to aitain a high moral standard, eiijoying to the utmost degree constitution^ liberty, and proving by their loyalty and good order how well they appreciate its blessings. (For coilinuation of IVewg see fourth page)