MOA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 344, 21 March 1910, Page 7

MOA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the Moa Road Board was hell at the Board's office, Inglewood, on Saturday. There were present: Messrs. 11. Trimble (in the chair), Stead, Capper, Williams, Mundt, Lawrence, Jones, and Corkill. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received from the Treasury to the effect that its decision in regard to the 10 per cent, additional on the £6OO loan for Egmont North road was final, and suggesting that if the Board still required the money, application should 'lie made to the Advances Superintendent, who would submit it for approval. STATEMENT. The monthly statement as prepared by thp clerk was read and adopted. It showed that during the month £1122 13s 7d had been collected in rates. ARREARS OF RATES. The Board resolved to write off the sum of £lO4 3s lOd, being arrears of rates accruing for four years from 1903 to 1907. 4 ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer's report on the work of metalling the Wortley road was read and adopted. The engineer was authorised to obtain a man as spreader, so as to allow the surfaceman to attend to other necessary work. FOREMEN'S REPORTS. The reports of the various foremen were read and dealt with as under:— Dudley Road West. —It was decided to call tenders for 150 yards of maintenance metal. Ilursthouse Road. Fifty yards of metal was ready in Davis' pit for the settlers to cart out. Mr. Surrey is to be asked to remove all tram packing from off the Everett road. The foreman is to report on a siding and culverts on the Rimutautika road, and also on the state of the Mangaone road. Metal is to be raked in and watertables attended to on various roads. TENDERS.

Tenders were dealt with as follows: Supply of 75 yards of broken stone on Bristol West road: A. G. Stewart, 6.s per yard (accepted). MOTUKAWA ROAI). Several tenders were received for the supply of 200 yards of broken metal on the Motukawa road, .although tenders had not been called for this meeting. The chairman explained that at last meeting tenders had been called for the work, and one was received which was considered too high. One member oi tiie iJoa-rd had arranged to see a. contractor and get him to put in a price, which was also considered too high. Since then several other tender

been received (including one from the original tenderer at an increase of 9d per yard). All these were considered too high, and after some discussion it was resolved to call for tenders for breaking 200 yards of stone in the pit, ■and to do the carting by day labor; members considering that considerable money could be saved in this way. It was stated that an offer had been received to break 400 vards a! a very reasonable price, but the finances would not allow of that quantity being obtained. YORK ROAD.

Messrs. Yeates and Iloby waited on the Board unci asked that £SO of the £l5O Government grant to tlie York road should he spent in metalling Punga Hill near Mr. Hoby's, which was a dangerous and slippery one in winter. Mr. Yeates stated that both he and' Mr. Matthews were in favor of £SO being spent in the direction indicated. The chairman said that the plans had been sent in to the Department and approved for continuing the metalling from its present terminus, and it was now too late to alter it. Tenders for the work closed on the 30th instant. Mr. Hobv said the hill was a complete block and impassable in the winter. Instead of extending the metal on the flat, which could be got through in the winter, it would be far preferable to spend some of the money on metalling five chains of this steep hill. Mr. Corkill asked why the settlers interested did not wait on the Board sooner.

The chairman said it was thought the Waitara West Road Board should assist with this hill.

Mr. Orbell, the engineer, who was present, thought the Punga Hill was outside the Moa district. The chairman, however, considered it was just on the boundary. It was, however, too late to make anv alteration now. EVERETT ROAD. Mr. Bishop waited on the Board and asked that some metal be placed on the Everett road near his property. He was a heavy ratepayer on the road, and no work had been done except what he "had done himself. The Board promised to consider the matter. GENERAL. Tt was decided to pay Mr. Neilson. contractor on the Toi Toi road, the sum of £3 14s Od, amount underpaid on Tiis contract. The chairman is to arrange with the county foreman to place a pipe culvert across the Durham road. The matter of removing the fence on the Rohete road was left in the hands of the chairman. Messrs. Matthews and Bennett were granted permission to remove up to 100 yards of earth from a bank on the Dudley road for filling at their saleyards. The chairman reported that he had ■written to Mr. Curtis re rovalty on timber carted by him on the Board's roads.

ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £132 los !M (general) and £B7 8s Od (loan) were passed for payment. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Board will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 30t,1i instant.