MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 186, 5 September 1878, Page 4

MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

The monthly meeting was held on August 31sf. Present, all tha members but Mr Grooby. Affer the confirmation of the minutes the Secre(a r y made the following report: — As instructed, I cocvened a meeting of ratepayers iv ihe subdistrict of Riwi.ka (o supply the vacancy in the Boon! cau&od by tha resignation of Mr. A Druraraond, when '.Mr Wm. A6kew wna duiy elected. The choirman and myself also met seven of the flettlers in Riwakp, who have laud adjuiuing the Swamp rcaJ, on the grouud, when lh<3 following resolution waa agreed lo ba submitted to the Board : — " That tho ditches ou the Swnrap ro=ul should be cleaned out once a year, half the cost to be defrayed by ihe Highway Board, and th« oiher half by the the occupiers or' land adjoining the roada ; end that fho boundary ditches of ench section of land runnim: at right angles with tbo rood dilcbes be opened, end a low dnm placed nt the end of each ditch, so ns (o relieve the main ditche3 in time of flool. I think it would be well Jhnt the western ditch in front of Mrs Wright's house, Highstreet, Motufcka, should be relieved of some of the water iv time of heavy raine, by putting draining pipes across the roa.l. This would be a belter plan lhan forcing all the water down ihe western ditch to the culvert at Buchhola'a corner. 1 have invited tenders for grubbing gorse on the road in Misaiocary Valley, Moutere, where the floods have brought down the seed. There can be no question of the Board's liability to clear this road, as the owners of the adjoining land have never planted eny yoiee. Mr Askew pnd myself visited Sandy Bay, when we met the residents there, who complain very much that there is no cariroad to the landing-plact', and consider tho present bridle-track Bhould be made into one. A passable road might be made for £20, if tho settlers interested provide horses aud carts free of cost, which 1 understand tbey are prepared lo do. From ihe termination of the new pieco of track on the Riwaka side to tho flit ground at Sandy Bay requires more or lesa repnir the whola way; about tho month of .November would probably be the best time (o do {his work, the cost of wl.ieu will be about £11. The rate book has been made up, and is open for inspection tt my office. Copies of the parla relating to the various sub-districts have been deposited at convenient p'a^ea in each, aud due notice gicen of tho same. Owing to the uneettled weather, the new road in P;;ngatctura is progressing very slowly, Mrs Gascoyno has signiiied her williDgness to accept the price offered for the laud rtqaired for the new road through the Bungalow Estate at Pangatotiirfl. I made arrangements to have some of the worst places ou tha main road repaired. This work was just begun, when the wet weather put a atop to it. Reßolved, That the Board approves of the resolution submitted to it by the occupiers of land adjoining the Swamp roads, Riwak«, and that the Secietaiy prepare a memorandum of agreement and obtain the signatures of ihe persons interested. Resolved, That with reference to the Sandy Bay Track, it is advisable the Secretary should again visit the locality, when tha track ia sufficiently dry for the repairs to be proceeded with, and report to the Board. Resolved, That the Secretary, when laying off work at Sandy B^y, keep in mind the application made by Mr McNabbto have a road kid off to his land. Resolved that a general rate of Is iv £ be made for twelve months, dated from the Ist day of April 1878, to the 31st day of March 1879, such rate to be payable to the Secretary at his office on the 23rd day of September or afterwards on demand. Letter from Messrs Senior and Gifford read, asking for the Old House Road to be repaired, and offering to contribute one half the cost. Reßolved, That the Seoretary leaped the road referred to, with the view of the application being granted. Resolved, That the Secretary take the necessary steps for having the following workß executed, inviting tenders for such of them as be considers it expedient should be let by tender, viz:— Repairing the road from Saltwater Bridge road to Manuka Bush road; repairing the main road from the Lower Moutere bridge to the Motueka new bridge; cleaning; out the ditches in Stafford Street, Motueka; rounding up the road nenr Mr C. Pattie'a gate; gravelling the road where lately made up by Stevens & Co., and opposite the Traveller's Re3t, Riwaka. Resolved, That tenders be invited for delivering gravel at per yard, per mile, depositing it at such places as the Secretary may consider moat advisable for repairing the roads. Reßolved, That tenders be invited for the following works, viz : — Gravelling road from Chamberlain'B flax mill creek to Creswell'a; gravelling road by Herrick'a about 5 chains, and gravelling about one mile of the Moutere Hill road. Resolved, That the Secretary take note of hedges on the aides of roads that require trimming, with the view of enforcing the law respecting the came. The following tenders were accepted for road work, viz : — Work by C. Green's upper land, Ngatimoti, W. Satherley and R. Goodman, £24 per lot; grubbing gorse on road from Missionary Creek to North of Church

Swamp, Moutere, W. Sipglegow, £12 10s per lot; culvert on Lodder'a road, Riwaka, H. J. Stevens, £4. The following tenders were accepted for making a valuation of the rateable property in the district. Motueka and Riveka sub-divisions, Robert Pattie, £15. Lower and Upper Moutere, Pttng&loiura, nnd Ngntimoti suh-divi-vieions, D. Horatio Jenoings, £20. Warrants were eigued for £207 9a 2d.