THE WAIMEA ROAD BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 192, 12 September 1878, Page 4

THE WAIMEA ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting was held on the 7th instant, when all the members were present except Mr Fowler. The minutes of last meeting having been confirmed, The Overseer reported :—" According to your instructions, all works during the past month hive been suspended, excepting contracts and urgent repairs. It may De p ernQ pg needless for me to inform you that all the clay roads have been and still are, in a bad state. lam attending to those first on which there is the most traffic The cost of repairs of roads complained of by Mrs. Higgs is £5 7s The breakwaters at the Appleby bridge are being proceeded with. The rivers, I am afraid, will prove a constnut expense to the Board. At Bell Grove a channel is required to be opened in order to protect both ends of the footbridge; I Bhould recommend both ends to be done at once ; estimated cost, £20, which will include gravelling the road with the stuff taken therefrom, which gravelling was ordered as soon as the funds would permit. The same may be said of the 88 Valley stream ; the course cut and purchased some years ago from Mr Feary is silled up and covered with gorse ; after pointing it out to the surveyor, he considered the same should be cleared and opened without deiay in order to save the road. The water complained of by Mr Drager can be got away by sinking existing ditch to culvert. I have made up the road at the lower end of Bridge Valley, which was partially washed away, and was dangerously narrow; cost, £5 14. Complaint have made that Mr Q. Hill hee fenced in a portion of the road on the Wairoa bank, and requesting the same to be thrown open. Mr Painton bae removed his fence, &o. according to agreement. Th9 expenditure during the past month is bs follows:— Stoke, £8 2a ; Waimea East, £17 3s 7d ; Spring Grove, £22 4s ; Waimea West, £20 7a 9d ; Wakefield, £34 4s 6d ; Dovedale, £23 2s ; Waimea Bridges, £77 18a 4d."

Resolved, That, if absolutely required, the work recommended at Bell Grove be done, and that the Surveyor ascertain whether Mr Hill has encroached as alleged.

The Secretary reported bflviug forwarded copies or draft Bill iv the matter of Gors3, to the Eoad Boards, as ordered, aud the replies received : that from the Motueka Board proposing a proviso that when property has been let with gcrse growing on the adjoiniDg road, the owner shall be the party liable to clear the road.

Resolved, That should any further important suggestions be received, a special meeting be held to consider them ; otherwise that a Bill embodying the above proviso be prepared and sent forward for presentation.

Letters were received from Messrs Niemann and Knijpp stating their terms for the corner proposed to be purchased to widen the road.

Resolved, That the Board cannot entertain their terms, and that an offer of £5 in each case be made.

Tbe plan and section of the Wei-iti river and adjacent bank, near the 40 Line, having been examined, whereby it appears that a footbridge, 8 chains long, would be required to reach the nearest point of thbroadon the western bank, and that, as this bank is under water during floods, it would be necessary to continue the bridge some way into Mr Simmonds'land.

Resolved, That the Board has not funds to construct such a bridge. A plan and section of road in Dovedale, and of proposed deviation, also estimated cost of lowering of certain steep banks, were considered, when it was resolved, That the alteration of banks be deferred, and that the Secretary ascertain the tsrms for proposed deviation.

A circular was read from the Colonial Secretary, requesting a return of the Board's annual income, expenditure, &c, up to March 31, to be laid before Parliament ; this, having been signed by the Chairman, was ordered to be provided.

Mr Rout applied, by letter, to have a road adjoining hia property at Spring Grove defined, he being about to fence the land.

Eesolved. That in reply, Mr Root be informed that the Board do not consider it a part; of their Surveyor's duty to define roads, except in cases where they contemplate spending money thereon. In reply to an application from Mr T. Hunt, as to the state of the roada in 88 and Quail Valleys, it wbb resolved, That the work there be deferred for another montb, for want of funds.

Reßolved, That owing to the low state of the Board's funds, and the uncertainty as regards their receiving the promised subsidy, the Board is reluctantly compelled to decline incurring any present large outlays. All present expenditure must be restricted to works absolutely required to prevent losa or danger.

Resolved, That the next rate be at one shilling in the £ on land valuation, and that the same be advertised as soon as possible.

Mr S. Baigenfc attended, and requested permission to lay down a tramway alongside of the formed road in Pigeon Valley, from his mill to the bush, about three-quarters of a mile. Permission granted on condition of there being no interruption of the traffic on the road.

Mr Harley banded in an estimate for making a cart bridge at the creek near Mr Stafford's afabie. Decision pn it was deferred for the present. :

Letter received from Rev. C, Moon, with a Resolution passed at a meeting of the Vestry at Wakefield:— "That the Waimea Road Board be respectfully BBked to remove the gorse on the back adjoining the church yard of St. John's. Wakefieid," tfae writer " having been asked to put the case more urgently since the gorse bad sprung from seed Bhed from gorge on the opposite side of the roadway." Resolved, That iv reply, the Vestry be reminded that on a former occasion they had stated that they woul 1 be satisfied if the Board would clear the road, and, that hnd the Vestry then performed on their part, what they agreed to do, the present demand need not have arisen, The Board cannot see | what liability can attach to them, from the fact of the gorse complained of having sprung from seed abed by gorse growing elsewhere. Two letters were received from Mr Marsden, one requesting permission to divert a portion of road running across bis land, the other stating that he was about to fence some of his land over which a public road was laid out come years ago by the Government, but never, so far as he knows legalized. Should thei Board wish to secure the exßcfc line of such road, he would wish them at once to take eteps to have it re-surveyed, the original pega being all decayed. Resolved, That the Board will take the necessary steps to divert the road named in Mr Mnrsden'e first letter, on condition of his complying with the requiremenm of the 96th section of the Public Works Act, and that the road in Poor Mao's Valley be at once resurveyed and pegged off. Letter received from Mr Jellymau, complaining that about three chains of the road in Poor Man's Valley is almost impassable, and enough to tear the horseB 1 ' legs off, having so loosened their shoes that the blacksmith had to take them off. Sesolvei, That the Board regret the occurrence, and are sorry they cannot do anything to the road at present. Resolved, That the necessity of erecting pounds for cattle, &c, at Stoke, B:rightwater, and Foxbill be represented to the Minister to the Minister for Public Works, with a request that a sufficient sum for the purpose bti placed on the Estimafe3. Resolved, That the Beard's daymen be instructed to take to the pound any cattle found trespassing on public roade .if within reasonable distance. Warranis were signed for £258 BJ.