DRURY ROAD BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 254, 8 December 1914, Page 3

DRURY ROAD BOARD.

Monthly Meeting

At the -usual monthly meeting of the Drury Road Board, held on Saturday last, in the I'ublic hall, Drury, the following members were presentMesrs W. H. C. Glasson (chairman), J. Quinn, A. McNaughton, G Bremner, T. Brooks and S. Fielding (secretary). ROAD EXTENSION.

Mr M. Keady, Papakura, waited on the Board in cotirection with the unfinished portion (21 chains) of Argyll road, which was furveyed some 13 months past, lie asked that it be extended from Mrs Clarke's property through his own, and ofered to grade and drain it according to specifications, on condition that the Board would take it over after the work was completed. The chairman proposed that provided the road be formed, graded and drained to the Bjard's satisfaction that it should be taken over. The Board decided as proposed, the secretary to supply necessary plans. BREACH OF BY-LAWS.

Correspondence was read from Constable Waugb, Papakura, stating that the amount claimed by the Board from Mr Bridge for breach of a by-law nad been paid into court, along with coßta, at Papakura, and that the amount, £lO 2s 4d, would be paid to the Board after the end of the quarter (31st December). GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

A schedule showing the unauthorised balances of votes for road and bridge works, the expenditure of which it proposed to entrust to the Board, was received from Mr J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, who stated that he was prepared to authorise expenditure of any grants which required immediate attention. He also invited the Board (o submit to the Department's engineer, plans, etc., for the expenditure of grants for such works,. When thai had been done, provided the proposals were satisfactory and funds available, authority would be duly issued. It was decided that the unauthorised balance of vote for Sutton's road (£1 for £1) of £6O be taken up, and that Messrs Walker and Mclntosh'ds tender of 8a 6d per yard for shingle deliveied in heaps on the road be accepted, the order to be for 100 yarc's. McLENNAN'S HILL.

The Board's attention was drawn by a letter forwarded from Mr H. W. Geissler, clerk Papakura Town Board, to a subsidy of £IOO, on the Estimates, for McLennan's hill. The writer hoped that the Board would be prepared to provide a share of the cost (£SO) for that work, and also mentioned that assistance had been asked for from the Franklin County Council, because the work would help the traffic on Walker's road. Mr McNaughton thought that funds could be spent to better advantage at Kiri Kiri. The chairman Baid there were no funds available for the work. The secretary pointed out that if the Franklin County Council assisted financially with the work the cost would work out at £33 for each body concerned. A proposal of Mr McNaughton's, seconded by Mr Bremner, that the following answer be forwarded to the Papakura Town Board, that in view of the expeuditure on Dominion road, £67, and also that a large sum is required for expenditure in Kiri Kiri, that the Board is not in a financial position to help the work, was carried. \ CLEARING A CREEK.

Mr Geissler also wrote the Board in reference to a Mr MacCormick not having fulfilled a promise to have his creek cleared, and aiiked the Board's views on the matter, so that he could put them before the meeting of the Board he represented on the 7th inst. It was decided, on the chairman's proposal, to write lhe Papakura Town Board and sdvise them to act tn the Road Board's suggestion to employ a solicitor in the matter. A FAULTY BRIDGE.

Mr French, who atte/ided personi ally, informed the Board of the unsafe condition of a bridge across the Waihoehoe creek, in front of Mr Hawkins' property. He considered tbe planks in the bridge . rotten, and. said that only half a ' dray load of metal could be taken across it with safety. Mr Bremner suggested repairing tbe broken parts of the bridge with new planks, but Mr French thoought the bridge was in far too bad a condition to be patched. The end of the road where the bridge was, the chairman said, had been most expensive to the Board, but he did not want to leave the bridge unsafe for traffic, ar.d if the decking was replaced new stringers would h£ve to be put In. Mr McNaugbton considered what was really wanted was a bridge that would stanl two or three tons passing over it. The chairman it would be necessary later to replace tbe present bridge with a concrete one, and it would be a pity to spend, say, £3O for jarrah timber for repairs to the present structure. It was decided that the Board ' should do what they could in a tair way for the bridge, and in the meantime erect a notice on the bridge notifying the public that any persons using the bridge did so at their own risk. STONE CRUSHER. The clerk was instructed to arrange with Mr Smith, Clevedon, to bring his stone crusher to Drury ' to crush stone for Boa»d. KOA1) METAL.

l'he chairman said that Mr W. Bremner'e offer to supply ar.d spread metal on the Kama Kama road at lOa 9d per yard would be a good proposition to accept. On the motion of Mr T. Bfooks, seconded by Mr J, Quinn, the offer was accepted. Another otter of Mr Bromner'p, to supply metal in heaps for spreading on a side of Waihoehoe road at 7s 3d per yard, was accepted. Mr Bremner asked the Board to supply two pipes to take the rain water away from the cutting in front of Mr Hamilton's property, Waihoehoe road, so that mstal would remain on road instead of being washed off as had been the case. The chairman moved that the necessary pipes be supplied, Mr Hamilton to do tbe work. Xbe proposal was carried, Mr

Brooks seconding.

MISCELLANEOUS.

In connection with two broken pipes in Filz?erald's road, a matter mentioned by Mr Bremner, it was decided that the Board's surfaceman should report on them, and he was also instructed to case the bank at the side of metal on Beach road. The secretary was instructed to write and ask Mr Horton to clear the firs and blackberries growing at the corner of his property, in preparation of forming road. A NEW FOOTPATH.

The chairman asked the Board to decide which of W'aihochoe ro:d the footpith woulJ be mnde. He mentioned that authority for expenditure of £SO for the work had already been granted. Mr McNaughtcn said it should be left t3 the ratepayers to decide, seeicg that they would have to use the footpath. The chairman remarked that nothing elaborate was wanted, only a walk, and £SO should cover the expense of making it from Drury to Messrs Appleby's corner. It was decided that members of the Board should visit the locality ar.d decide as to the side.

CUTTING UP A ROAD. Mr Bremner mentioned that certain metal carters bad failed to repair damage caused on Waihoeboe road through their waggons of metal passing over it, and they were still carting on the road He mentioned tbat the ratepayers living on the road had a grievance against the Board for the road's bad state. Money derived from rates had been spent on the road but it waß just as bad in the summer as winter, through the heavy traffic passing over it.

Mr McNaughton said the best thing to do in the matter would be to enforce the by-laws.

It was decided to defer tbo matter until the next meeting of the Board.

SHOULD THE BOARD MERGE? Mr McNaughtun stated that he had been approached to take a petition round for signatures to try and bring about the mergiug of the Board into the Franklin County Council, and would like to know the feeling of the members of the Board on the question. Messrs Quinn and Brooks favoured the idea of the Buard merging. Mr McNaughton said that i( mtmbers of the Board were unanimous that it would be preferable for the Board to merge the secretary could take the petition round. The chairman did not want to see the Board pay the clerk for taking the petition ruund. He considered that they could not expect the same attention to the Drury district from the County Council as from the Board, but nevertheless he thought it would perhaps be better lor the Board to merge. After a lengthy discussion, the matter was dropped, no decision being arrived at.

FINANCES. Accounts totalling £3O 14s wero passed for payment. ,

PAPAKURA.

The individual, who aa stated in our last issue developed symptoms of insanity whilst being motored on Wednesday last from Waiuku to Auckland, and who made a sudden exit from the motor car in the vicinity of Papakura, had been lodged In the Avondalc asylum, After the incident had been reported at the Papakura Police Station, Constable Waugh went in search of the eccentric one and found him in hiding in some dense scrub about a mile from Papakura Railway Station, tor the little time he had been at large he bad adopted the simple life and had accordingly discarded his clothing. He violently resisted bis capture, but the constable was assisted by Mr M. Keady, a local farmer,"and after an exciting Btruggle the man was secured and taken to the Papakura Police Station. The next morning he was conveyed to Auckland and brought up before Mr Gutten, S.M. he was committed to the asylum.

For riding a bicycle on a footpath in Ranfurly road, Papakura, on tha 30th October, J. Godkin was fined 5s and 9s Court costs and 10s witnesses' expenses by Mr Frazer, S.M., at tbe Papakura Court, yesterday.

The public hall was filled to overflowing last Friday evening, on the occasion of the performance ot the operetta "The Wishing Cap," by 37 juvenile uerformers. The entertainment was an unqualified success in every way, and reflected great credit on Mrs W. C. Wood, who carefully trained the performers during the last three month?. The accompaniments were played by Mrs H. Walters, who also during the intervals assisted a small orchestra with various items. The principal characters were sustained by Miss Wood, Gipßy Queen: Miss Turner, Dame Durden; Misses Westwocd and Cave, Dairy Maicfo; Miss Claire Wood, Dame Durden's Daughter, and Master Selwyn Wood, who ably played the part of "Jane," the maid. The dressing in each character was well carried out Other sc3neß worthy of recall were "The Will o' the Wisp" and the "Fairies," who ably performed their various parts. Encores for their principal solos were obtained by the "Gipsy Queen" and "Dame Durden," the latter having a charming clear sweet voice which delighted tbe audience, who hope to hear her again on another occasion. The operetta waa so successful that it is to be hoped it will be repeated later on. The funds for the Sunday school should benefit considerably from the gathering.

The local tennis club visited Pukekohe on Saturday, to play an association match, which resulted in a draw. A very enjoyable day was spent, the players being hospitably entertained by the Pukekohe players. The Kev. D. Madill and Mrs Madill returned from a trip to Dunecin to-day; the parish will welcome their return, and hope they have benefitted by the change.