MOA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 78, 19 August 1912, Page 7

MOA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting' of the Moa Road Board was held on Saturday at Inglewood. Present: Messrs. H. Trimble (chairman), Bishop, Bridgeman, Chard, Corkill, Hudson, Laurence, and Williams. HEAVY TRAFFIC. Mr. T. Chamney waited on the Board with reference to the Board's decision to prosecute a traction-engine owner for taking extraordinary traffic over an unmetalled road during the prohibited months. The chairman suggested to Mr. Chimney that his remarks had better be reserved for the court. Mr. Chamney said that the Board had no right to prevent farmers farming the land. He had promised to indemnify the contractor against the claims of the Board, and that was the only condition on which Tarry would go to his farm and cut his chaff. So it would be seen that he himself was responsible, and not the contractor. The by-law had been passed whilst he was on the Board, but a proviso was made that settlers could have their chaff cut by the tractionengine people, but they were not to bo allowed to employ the engine to cart the chaff to the railway station. He drew the attention of the Board to the fact that whenever the traction plant traversed the road he put on labor to reinstate the road. Mr. Hopson thought it hard if the Board was going to prevent the settlers , from cutting their chaff. Wouldn't it suffice if farmers paid for damage done to the road? The chairii'.nn said the Board had been unable to collect anything in this -way. The only way' was for the settlers to pay a fixed sum to liquidate the estimated damages. Mr. Hopson suggested that the Board might adopt the system in vogue by the Tarana-ki County Council. No action was taken. OVERSEERS' REPORT.

Surfaceman Williamson reported having repaired Lepper South and Dudley roads.- He had' taken up the pipes at the 'junction of Lepper and Egmont roads, and found half of them broken. On Dud(:ley'rTda;d about ten chains required a good' de&l'fif attention near Broadmore's and' Gyde'sy and repairs were also required higher up. He complained that ■'a big 1 quantity of earth had been buried in one of the heaps of stone on the Dudley road,' arid many of the stones were not hajtyeu*. m ; ■ . Mr. Ward (in charge of the pipe-mak-ing plant) reported that moulds for pipemaking Were being made by Mr. G. H. Taylor. : _■ ' '' Surfacerhairi -Bennett reported that his 'time had' been principally occupied during' the : month' in attending to watertables and patching. He noted that a good deal of work in that direction would havte to be done in the coming month/ . . ' ' Surfacieman Knofflock reported himself 6n'the sick list. ", " >" 'GENERAL. : The' Stated Guaranteed Advances Office wrote' tha't tihe Ratapiko road loan of ■£llo had been remitted to the Board's 'account. ''"'' J. T; : Hug]ies : -asked permission to erect 'a gate -across the Ross road. —Agreed tb.-:;. ' ' ■."'"' "-'lt 'fra.s'decided to raise the ten per cent, additional (£150) on the Upland rfo'aec }ban:' :!; ' ■'-'

"'•'Norfolk;'"road 'petitioners -will be infpnned that tlie/ road can be formed and metalled'dr#y: : by' raising a loan. ■''TW'TarWria'lci'County Council's reso--I<lutio'ii!'re' 'tfte'-Mbturoa-Te Roti railway - I waS'eridor£ed :i by the Board. The' (Miaifrhari's action in engaging W. 'Lightfoot to prepare metal in Hursthouse road- pit-was confirmed. •;■ : ' " l ' 'TOURIST TRAFFIC. ''•' Mr. Williiirn's' said the settlers -were 'pdtltib'mng'.'tlie; Government for a grant towards'the'upkeep of the Egmont road. 'on' ; aeeo'itfit : oT the increasing amount of tourist -traffic" 'to the North Egmont Mbuhtoin IT'o'use. The petition had been sVrtt ; sorward' ; f<> Messrs. Okev and Hine. He thought the , 'lMM : sH6^ilfl l 'assist, an<l he had been ''given : to- understand that the towns;ppffple were prepared to give their supfort to-the - movement. -' The' : B'o'aVd'passed a resolution in support ' of trie -petition. •'' :; AVCCfMPETENT OFFICER. '"' ,'TW'c'hairrnan.- before passing on to the 'a'cfoufft's. said that the district had been' rif-valued.-' The, valuation books 'piilv 'reached" Inglewood on July 12, but still the 'clerk,-' by working long hours, had worked out all the general and 'special'rates, made up his rate-books, 'and, got all the rate-cards out before August ]-— si yery creditable performance, lie move'd (hat the eterk receive a bonus of, £.V although he was not really entitled ( to ; it under the terms of his 'agreement; By the extra work and promptness of'the clerk the Board would no\v be able to collect its ten peT cent, penalty on the ordinary date. Mr. Laurence seconded. .'Mr. Ilopson opposed the idea, saying .the clerk was already well enough paid. 'The motion was carried.

Accounts were passed for payment .amounting to £383, of which £l9O was ori. loan! account.