WAIROA ROAD BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 20, 12 March 1915, Page 3

WAIROA ROAD BOARD.

Monthly Meeting. The usual monthly meeting of the Clevedon Road Board was held on Monday last, when the following members were pres nt, viz., Messrs A D BeII (chairman), W. Duder, H. Walsh, J. Luke, J. McConeughy and the clerk, Mr A. E. Bailey. THE BLACKBERRY PEST. In answer to a communication received from the Board the secretary of the Ness Valley Land Co., Auckland, wrote tbat the work ef dealing the blackberries from the company's property at Nets Valley was in progress. LAND BOARDS' PAYMENT. The Receiver of Land Revenues, Auckland, notified the Board that be had paid the Eum of £5 13s 5d into the Board's account in the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, being the amount of "thirds" due as per the scheme of rxpendituie approved by the Land Board.—The communication was received. GRANTS FOR ROADS. The Public Works Department, Auckland, advised the Board that £75, part of the Government grant fur the Maitaitai-Hauraki Plains ro?d, had been paid into the Board's credit at Auckland, and that a further sum of £SO had been banked to the credit of the Board, in Auckland, for works on the Ness Valley - Otau Road. ROAD WORKS.

Notification was received from the Public Works Department, apptoving of the plans and specifications for the widening and metallina of 24 chains of the Maraetai-Clevedcn road, for which there iR a Government grant of £432, £ for £, and also approving of the plans and specifications for the widening of two miles of the Nesa Valley-Otau read, for which there is a Government grant of £l5O. It was decided to make application to the Government for the following amounts out of the Government grants voted for the works: £52 for the Maraetai-Cleve-don road, £64 13s for Kauri Clump road, and £56 8s for MaraetaiClevedon road.

Mr Luke reported that the formation work on the Maitaitai road had been finished and that 160 yards of the road, practically half, had been metalled. He was of the opinion that the metal laid on the road ccst the Board lsss than any other lot of metal laid on any road in that part of the district. The chairman reported that Mr Paton had finished the widening of the Ne-s Valley-Otau road and erection of water-tables on the road. He (the chairman) had been ' unable to measure the width of Brook by road, but the secretary had attended to it. He had roticed that the timber had been taken to where the proposed watering trough was to be erected, so he had concluded '• that the erection of the trough . would be started shortly. The ■ chairman added that he had been '■ infoimed that the Papakura Town ' Board had accepted a tender for work • on the Papakura-Alfriston boundary • road. " : NOXIOUS WEEDS. In connection with the clearing of ; noxious weedi from the Ardmore | Range road, the chairman reported i that with one exception the settlers ( responsible had . eradicated the i pests..—lt was decided to again < communicate with the settler who , had failed to comply with the , notice sent him. i STRAY CATTLE. It was reported that the Board's racgar had been cut after sunset hunting up straying cattle, and had made a good impression on the owners of the same. A DRAINING DIFFICULTY. • Mr Fausett waited on the Board j in connection with &cme pipes in a , drain on his property, Brookby road. He considered that the pipes were too high in the drain at low water, and in consideration of the drain, . which he termed as being "a public waterway," carrying water away from the township and properties adjoiring his own, he thought it ' would be the duty of the Board to t lower the pipes. The pipes were 1 laid across the road in front of bis property and continued through his j property to the creek mentioned.— i The chairman said the Board would i not oppose his lowering the pipes, > and if necessary would provide him , with larger pipes.—Mr Walsh said that the pipes had been laid in the first place by a Mr Wilson, a previous owner of the property, and he therefore considered that it was Mr Fausett s duty to do the work.—Mr Luke was of the opinion that the work should be carried cut by the | Board.—Mr Walsh S3id that j although the Board had been fight- ! ing against lowering drains across roads for settlers, the BoarJ might j take tbe matter up. —lt was decided to give Mr Fausett permission to lower the pipes and culvert, at his own expense, the Board to find new j pipes if necessary. METAL WANTED. Mr Fausett also asked if the j Board could supply settlers with metal from Fausett's quarry. —The chairman said that Mr Fausett was entitled to obtain metal from the quarry before any of the other settlers because he had placed his, order first.—The foreman said that | if settlers wcuKl let him know the j quantity they required he would j then be in a position to advhe if and when the orders could be fulfilled. ABSENTEE OWNERS' SECTIONS. Mr Fausett asked the Board to | take action in connection witti the ; rabbits on absentee owners' properties in the Hunua district.- The i secretary was instructed to write to the Franklin County Council and to point out that settlers in the Hunua district l-art complained lo the Board re the blackberries and ruLbitH on ybsentee owners',propertics in the Hunua district. NESS VALLEY ROAD. Mr Luke asked fur authority to ] arrange for 50 yards of metal for ; patching work on the NeEs Valley ; road. -The matter was left to the chairman to arrange. ARHEAiiS of KATE:'. Mr Kennall, a settler of Ness Valley, waited on the Board and complained of what 1;h termed as ' the ten per i cut i! penally charged in rate." wlmli he ! had hnkd b p.-; l' r -' ur '- "'- - ! liiuulhu c 'Ma; c i l ' l '- ' lie ! ; t.Nplaitied that lii 3 ui;!i< iio; lir.l ; j inatruutfd him to bind over all t?X% nbtic'efl to bi J, acß '*he'n bS

had received the first rate notice, on which the additional 10 per cent had since teen charged, he had hacdrd it to his solicitor without havicg perused it; hence his pre-dicament.-The Chairman explaintd that the cleik had fnrwarded a notice along with the first rate notice that Mr Renall had received, notifying him that in the event of his not paying the rate to fore the allotted period of six months, tbat he would te responsible for an additional 10 per cent. It was not nee ssary for OK cleik to send out those notices but he did it as a matter of courtesy. In conclusion, the chairman said the H.aid could not help Mr Rennall in the matter. Other ratepayers had complained, but the Board did not have authority to rescind the charge. He also informed Mr K.nnall ttat the rate notices hsd been adveitissd in the Auckland papers. MIdCELLANEOTJS. A ter.der waa accepted for the clearing of the Board's drains on the reserve, which forms th« boundary between the Board's property and a Mns Thorpe's prcperty, subject to arrangements being made with her to defray half the cost of same.-The chairman and Mr Duder were appointed to attend to the matter.

It was decided to give ratepayer 3, owning properties nn ceeks in the district, one month's notice to clear the growths and weeds from the creeks.

Mr Walsh repurted that he had fourd a plank broken on Tourist's brid?e and had employed a man 'o place a new plank in its place. As the bridge is orr the boundary between the Wairoa road district and the Franklin County Council it was decided that the clerk should write the Council and inform them tnat the bridge would in tbe near future need repairing.

It was d-:cid:d to put the Board's team and man to work on Riverside road.

The quarry foreman, Mr Peterson, reported that quarrying operation had been started at Thorpe's quarry and were progressing satisfactory. The chairman reported that the Board and the Manukau County Council would be requiring about 300 yards of metal shortly. The foreman reported that 129 i yard* of metal had been got out of the quarry and spread on the Parish line.—As there was only £2 remaining ot the Government grant for work on the Parish line it was decided to expend the money for banking up purposes on the road. It was decided that 100 yards of metal should be got out of Messrs Brown's ar.d Burgoyne's quarries for patching purposes on North road, and arrangements made for carting of same by teams of bullocks.