Waltoa Road Board.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42755, 1 August 1905, Page 2

Waltoa Road Board.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the above body was held .in the Coancil Chambers, Morrinsville, on Saturday last. Present: Messrs W P Chepmell (in the chair), W Taylor, T Hinton, arid T Bellamy. Transfers. —: The N.Z. Loan and. Mercantile Agency Co. advised the sale of the Lansdowne Estate, Walton, to Alex. Bell, of. Morrinsville; Wm. J. Arundell, part of Motumaoha No.il and No. 2, to CHas B. Buxton, Palmerston North; S. Bellamy, Waokaun No. 1, section 5, Waitoa to ltobt. Bellamy. , Removal of Trees. —The Trustees of the Morrinsville Methodist Church wrote undertaking to remove the pine trees on the road alongside the Church for the sum of £3. • Resolved on the motion of Mr Hinton, seconded by. Mr. Bellamy, that the offer be accepted. The trees tp.be cut level with the trees not to be left on aide of the road; work, to be done within two weeks.

Manawaru School Bridge. The Secretary of the Manawaru School Committee, wrote thanking the Board for forwarding certain information, and stating the Committee had decided to take no further notice of the letter from T. B. Leaman.

The Committee also wrote asking that a set of pipes be placed across the Diagonal road, so as to form a crossing into the school ground.—Mr Bellamy proposed and Mr Chepmell seconded that the Committee be given permission to put in a set of pipes at their own expense. , , . Government Grants.-—Letter received from Minister of Lands acknowledging receipt of Board’s letter of 28th ult., asking for a sum of £SOU for the formation of the road running-through the Crown Lands block in the Tauhei, Morrinsville district. The matter haß been handed over to the Hon HallJones, who has charge of the Roads Department. Letters received from Chief Enngineer, Hon Hall-Jones and Mr W. T. Massey on the same subject. Reports. —Foreman Parr reported on work done since last meeting, which has been principally repairs to the roads all over the district. He inspected the drains in the Matamata Road Board district with reference to the extra water turned into the Rotorua road drain. This road has been very much flooded since last report was sent in. Inspected the drain through Mr Borrie’s, which is in a a very bad state. The foreman did not think it right the rates should be spent to drain this private property. The Board are not turning any extra water into this drain. What the Board have done is they have stopped the water flowing over the swamp into the drain and confined it into its natural course. It is a matter for the settlers interested—-not the Board. The Board have done their portion through R. Burke’s, junr., and should not be asked for more,., There is too much water in the drain going through the education reserve, t0,,d0 anything to it at present. The roads are in very fair order, except a portion near Tattersall’s on McCabe's, read, which will be attended to as soon as weather permitted. To patch it up with tea-tree would only make morework later bn, as it is proposed to remove this road further away from the drain.. Metal Wanted. Attention was drawn to the disgraceful state of the approach to the railway station.—lt was resolved to write to the Minister for Railways asking for a grant of metal to put the 16 chains of Canadastreet in good order.—Also to draw the attention of the Railway Department to the bridge across the road leading to the school. This bridge is constructed in such a manner as to prevent the Board widening the road at this particular spot, which is consequently in a more or less bad state of repair, and a source of danger to the travelling public. Railway Crossing.—lt was resolved on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Bellamy, to draw the attention-of the railway authorities to the steepness of tho grade on either side of this crossing. Progressive Morrinsville.—Mr W. C. Pickett- was granted permission to erect a 28ft x 10ft verandah opposite his premises'in Canada-street. The present building is to be greatly enlarged. The permission was granted subject to certain conditions. Useless Pipes. The foreman reported that O’Donoghue had bloeked up the pipes laid in his property by the Board, in order to throw the water on the road,—lt was decided to take the pipes up. Te Aroha-Rotorua Road Drains In accordance with instructions Foreman Parr reported on these drains—in ♦he vicinity of the Hucga Hunga—as follows ’—-I have inspected the drains along the road in the Matamata district re the water that floods the road at Baker's corner. The Matamata Road Board have made a drain alonside the road for about three miles, and that they are making use of the Board’s outlet for that distance. They have cut across several water courses that have only one outlet drain, and that is about five chains bpyond this point, (Stark’s southern boundary). There is a block in the drain at this place of about 20 foet, apparently waiting for timber and pipes. If this is out through and tfie fall tuken up it will take the water from the only outlet and a considerable distance further, The Matamata Board have on the whole road about four miles. An objeotion ought to be lodged against this blook being out through The settlers all along three miles of road are all making use of the said road drain. Most of the water comes from a branch drain of about 50 ob&ins on the southern boundary of Sheehon’s BeotioD, loading toward the Waihekau. Tho drain is also bringing water out of its natural course. (The foreman explained the lay of the country to the members) Foreman Parr said he also I

went along the Waharoa road and found that the Piako Council had cut a large drain down the Waihekau fer about sixty chains and along Waharoa r« ad, and the settlers above this road j are making large drains into this road drain. The rush of water that comes down these drains is the cause of present trouble, it causes the Waihekau to flood and overflew its original course, and this overflow finds its way tnto the drain along Sheehon’s boundary and into the Boards road drain about forty cliaios south of the boundaxy. This would be stopped if the Waihekau was opened out from the Waiorongo* mai road to the Gordon-Waharoa road. The only remedy it seems is to askftfte Matamata Road Board and the Piako County Council to contribute £2O each toward scouring out Coleman’s drain. It seems to me after what I have seen -that it is useless* the Waitoa. Board trying to open this road if it is. to be flooded by the local- bodies mentioned, * GeneralJßate.— Owing to the absence of the book at audit office the rate -could nofobe made. 1 Lockerbie, Reids.—ln reply to Mr Hinton the Chairman said, that no further letter had been received from Mr Swarbrick re the Lockerbie roads. —Mr Hinton considered it high time something vfras done. —It •‘wap resolved that'the Chairman interview Mr Swarbrick at the earliest opportunity, and -if'he'is satisfied that nothing is going to be done on the part Assets Board, Mr Swarbrick be instructed to take Court proceeding's straight away. Accounts.—The following accouuts were passed for payment:—Public account, £45 2s j D Bell, £56 9s; P Baine, £2 8s; H and J Clifford, £5 7a 8d ; T Mannion £l2; G Rogers £4 4s; R Manuel £2 9s; A Bremner £8 14s j R P«rr £l2 ; P Hogan £1; J Timmins £2 ; W Neeve £2 9s.