ROAD BOARD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume 1, Issue 9, 30 November 1872, Page 3

ROAD BOARD.

0 November 9, 1872.

The Board met at 11. Present —All the members except Major Westrup. The minutes of last meeting were read. Mr. Johnson apologised for the absence of Major Westrup. Letters —The following letters were received and read from the Provincial Secretary :— 1. Informing of the desire of the Government to propose a stefltn subsidy to Council, and a request to know what assistance the Board will give towards that object. 2. Informing that vote of Council, £250, less £3O for ferries, will be placed to the credit of the Board at-the. Bank of New Zealandon the 14th November. 3. Requiring Board to select a, section in Gisborne for office accommodation, and the Government will recommend its - reservation by the Council, 4. In' further reference to appointment of a Sheep and Scab Inspector and Quarantine ground. 5. Relative to roads through lands under grant by Native Land Claims Commission. 6. Informing that he has urged the Colonial Government to locate immigrant! at Poverty Bav.

7. Further reference to Road Board grants. 8. From Dr. Nesbitt, suggesting notices about surveys apd roads be given in Maori. 9. Frofn Superintendent's Clerk, requesting names of ferrymen for publication. Mr. EifjSe and/MM SkußT . attended the Board to complain of letters having been sent to them by the Engineer, requiring to be furnished with a schedule of prices, etc., comprised in their tenders for contracts E and D 1. •'

" The subject having been discussed, the Board came to the conclueipn that under the circumstances of the conditions not having been mentioned in the specification signed by Mr. Eiffe, the Board do not consider him bound by them ; but as Mr. Skee't signed a specification, agreeing to* be bound by the general conditions of the Board, the Board considered that they could compel a performance of them, but would not do soj inasmuch as they wete not shown to him by the Engineer. The Engineer laid on the table Mr. Cuff’s opinion relative to the validity of the form of bond now in use by the Board, and was instructed to provide a form for general purposes of contracts. On the question of amounts of deposits to be paid by tenderers, the Board decided that they should be fixed by the Engineer, ibut that in no case are they to exceed £5 in amount. Mr. Harris and Eparaima attended the Board relative to the Opou road. Eparaima ultimately agreed for himself, and on behalf of his hapu, to accept the line of road as originally laid out, and signed a memorandum to that effect- lr,o;t

Mr. King brought the attention of the Board to a fence which had been recently put across a culvert erected by,the Board on the road at Espie’s corner ; instructions were given to level the fence with a view to prosecuting the parties obstructing the road. Tenders were received and considered for maintenance of roads as follows Contract No. 1, T. Gilmore, £llO, rejected ; No. 2, T. Gilmore, for £9O, rejected. No. 1, L. Dunne, £7O, accepted; No. 2, L. Dunne, £9O, auPPpted: ... Mr. Eiffe’s agreement to move and re-erect fence for 30s. was accepted. The Secretary was instructed to write to the Provincial Government informing that the Board recommends the reservation of either section, No. 50 or No. 120 in Gisborne, for Road Board purposes : also to draft letter to the General Government relative to the exercise of Governor’s prerogative in obtaining leave to take roads through lands ceded to Government and returned to Natives under Land Claims Commission. Mr. Poyntrh moved, in consideration of Dr. Nesb’tt’s letter, “That any person found removing or. injuring surrey marks, or interfering in any way with any person employed by the Road Board, whilst in the discharge of his duty.

or obstructing any thorough fare, will be prosecuted according to law, ana tliat it be translated into Maori, and printed and posted up in several of the most public places in the district.” Carried. The Secretary was authorised to obtain a translation of an advertisement relative to taking road under Empowering Act, into Maori, and to insert it with the English version, twice in the Standard.

Mr. Skipwobth’b offer to do the ordinary translation of the Board at the rate of ss. a folio of 90 words was accepted. The Board adjourned to Saturday next.