MOA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 229, 21 September 1908, Page 4

MOA ROAD BOARD.

I'he Moa lload Board Ui-Ul i ls usual monthly meeting on Saturday. Present: .Messrs. li. Trimlili. (chairman i. Young, lioby, Capper, Sutherland. Chard, Lawrence, Chamncv and Corkill. KX(;INKKI!,S' liKl'llltT.

The Board's engineers. .Messrs. Orbcll I and Maekay. reported that the bridge on the Maua road should lie renewed. The present strueture, Imilt of hewn timber, was very rotten, ami unsafe except for light trallir. They also reported that a start had been made with the Bedford load drain contract. Thev had notitied the Wortley and Lincoln" road contractors that work must lie resumed as soon as the dry weather sets m. They had surveyed the proposed Ring road deviation and prepared the plans, giving an average grade of 1 in 10. THE BRIIXJK FI'XU. Messrs. Standish and Cameron, representing the Motukawa road settlers, waited on the Board and stated that it had been decided by the settlers either to rebuild the .Motukawa bridge, with the assistance of the bridge fund, or, failing that assistance being given uy the Board, they would lie compelled to content themselves for some time with repairing the present structure. The settlers could not rate themselves to raise the whole of the money required, but would do their,best.

Mr. Chanmey had hoped : the matter would be deferred for a month to allow of the engineer being present. He urged the Board to grant £SO from the bridge fund, and stated that £o'o was obtainable from the ordinary account of the road. He complained that the settlers there had been victimised in the past to provide funds for the main road and Iho district around lnglewood. In answer to Mr. Lawrence, the chairman stated that the Motukawa road had £SO la it year from the bridge fund. Mr. Lawrence said that in that case the settlers had done well enough for a year or two. Mr. Standish said the Board wits forcing the settlers to repair the bridge temporarily at an expenditure of £3O or more.

Mr. Lawrence said that the settlers were not being Breed. Thev had the remedy, as other settle;s had, to raise a loan. Mr. Chauiney thought that would be a hardship just now. with the present prospects of the s bcepfarming industry. He remarked that the settlers were already rated lor bridges that they did not use. Mr. Lawrence said that was not .in uncommon experience. The chairman said t'iie deputation had mentioned that they would make a cash contribution, hut it seenied that they were merely going to allow their rates to be allocated to the bridge work. There was nothing extra generous in that. '

Mr. Corkill would favor giving assistance if the settlers would decide on a permanent structure. The chairman said iJtat there were other roads and other bridges to be considered. The matter will he further discussed, at the next meeting. FOREMEN'S Rl', PORTS. Foreman Jones reported having metalled portions of the Suffolk road. At the point of its meeting the Junction road pipes were needed to carry off storm water. The County Council's share of the metalling was 4yds Bft. The Suffolk road bridge was very rotten, ami needed several new struts and stays. Mr. Marsden had finished his ditching contract on Norfolk road we-d. .Metalling on this roau was proceeding. Nearly aJI the broken -,toue had been put on the Durham west road.

Foreman Hoskin reported upon repairs required to various roads in eicirge. Foreman Ward reported having -e----paired the Mana, Ratapiko. Kuparaj and Kaimala south roads. Metal on the Maiigaone mad was required at the Rimuiatahi, and a slip should be cleared from the Kohete road. The unmeljlled portion of the Kuimata south formation at the Tariki end needed attention. The culvert at Kuklenski's needed renewing. BOUNDARY ROADS. The chairman and Messrs. Young and Lawrence were appointed a deputation to wait ii]xm the Stratford County Council to endeavor to secure some assistance in the upkeep of certain roads in the Moa district which were the only outlet for many of the sot tiers on toads in the Stratford county. EVERETT ROAD.

Mr. Kennedy waited on the Board and. asked that the. Hoard take into consideration the matter of draining the big pond on his Everett road properly, fifteen chain- long, a chain wide, and about ten feet deep, caused bv a culvert and filling backing up the waters of a small stream which inn from his place across, the road. He complained that he was continually losing sheep which got into the water.—ln the discussion it was pointed out that all over the district there were creeks which had silted up by several feet in the past few years, not necessarily caused by roads or culvert-, but on account ol* the swamp grass holding the silt and twigs. The chairman said that when a culveit backed water on to a property the owner had a claim against the Board for compensation, but only for a certain time, and Mr. Kennedy had allowed that period to elapse.—The matter was referred to the solicitor. GENERAL.

Mr. Morcine, Bedford road, was granted C 3 towards the cost of making a ford on the road near his house, the work to he done to tlie satisfaction of the. foreman. The foreman will be instructed to put in a couple of days in making a sidecutting on Upland road north. Tlie Commissioner «i Crown Lands. Mr. F. Simpson, wrote that the Board's expenditure of thirds had been approved. Xo action would be taken with regard 'to thirds accrued from section 29, block 1, Ihiiroa, lor twelve months, when tlie final instalment would bo made and t !ie money could be dealt with in one sum. Messrs. Quinton. Haylock. and Co. notified that they held the Board responsible for payment of royalty on stone carted through their property for the Board, and that the royalty was sixpence per yard. The Treasury advised that the spi>ci-,l orders making the special rates for the loans of ,C 350 for constructing the Surrey road and £IOO for constructing Johns road had been gazetted. It was reported that Mr. T. Jury had

agreed to do the necessary feneing and form the new road, and' Mr. B. Goldsmith to give a strip of 30ft of land, necessary in connection with the proposed deviation of the King road opposite sections tit! and 75. ' The -pecial order levying a sper-al rate on Xorfolk road was'conlirined. Accounts amounting to v. 133 lis |o,l were pa,--,,! for payment.