ANNUAL MEETING OF RATEPAYERS

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 188, 18 July 1874, Page 2

ANNUAL MEETING OF RATEPAYERS

Thb| following documents were unavoidably held over from our last:— engineer’s report. Gisborne, July 13th, 1874. During the Insjyear ending June 30th, 1874, a considerable amount of works have been undertaken by the Board. In the item of roads it was found' necessary to reform the worst portions of the main road, viz., from Espie’s corner to King’s, a distance of fifty chains, and a distance of sixty-nine chains along that portion of the road leading to Wai-renga-a-hika; also to recut the side drains. The total length of formation made during the year is 386 chains or about 4f miles exclusive of 172 chains (or little more than two miles) of roadway cleared of scrub, flax, &c. There has been 475 chains ot new drains cut, or about 6 miles ; and 320 chains, or 4 miles, deepened and cleared. 16 bridges and culverts hove also been erected. The question of metal has received the attention of the Board; samples were obtained from different places. The best was found to be that which could bo obtained from the hills behind Wairenga-a-hika; but the land belonging to the natives, the negotiations for the same have hitherto entirely failed. Good material could also be obtained from off the beach on the Kaiti Block, but there would be great difficulty and expense in obtaining the same, besides the probability of having the same difficulty with the native owners of the block. 'lt is to be hoped that this difficulty may shortly be surmounted either in the one locality or the other, so soon ,as the General Government take the matter in hand for the construction of the main roads. In the absence of metal, I might be allowed to suggest to the new Board the ad visibility of obtaining a heavy roller which might be used to great ad vantage on existing roads, and would also be useful when metal had been laid down. With reference to the material already used by the Board, it‘was the best that could be obtained with the means at the Board’s disposal. R. M. Sheet.