PARIHAKA ROAD BOARD. GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 230, 17 February 1913, Page 6

PARIHAKA ROAD BOARD.

GENERAL.

MONTHLY MEETING

T'm; ordinary monthly mooting of the Pa: iiaka Koad Hoard was held at llnlio i on Thursday, when there wore pr sent: Messrs Jas. Young (chairman), T. llavvev, (100. Holmes, T. lliekey, -las. Ducker and P. Willcox. ill'. O'Brien, returning officer, announcod that Mr. Holmes had hoou elected to the extraordinary vacancy for the Opua ward, and the chairman duly welcomed him to the Board. FURE.UAN'S REPORT. The foreman (Mr. J. P. Kennedy reported that nine chains of drain on the Opourapa road had been cleaned by Mr. C Penwarden, as instructed by the Hoard some eighteen months ago. Forming and metalling a cutting by Mr. Ealock's. on the Kahui road, had been completed, as well as repairs lower down. Sonne blinding had been attended to, and a wooden culvert replaced with pipes. He had let Hie contract for re-erecting a fence on the Pungarelm road to Mr. Campbell at 5s per chain. The drain on the Te Pok'n road had been widened and deepened at a cost of 4s per chain. This would prevent any further scouring. Repairs were now in progress on the Upper Kina road. On the Newall road a Maori was now going to fence oil' the road, so that a new track would be required. He asked for permission for the work so be done. Repairs had been satisfactorily completed to the Cape road, where damgaed by the county contractors. The Ngariki, Upper Kahui, Upper Arawhata and Lower Waiteika roads had been repaired. Five pounds is to be expended on the track on the Newall road.

PUNGAREIIU ROAD. ilr. A. [L Johnstone. solicitor. New Plymouth, wrote that Messrs .Symons Bros, refused to >■ i;j;n the consent to the Board taking tin: land through their property on wliich the present road ran. It was resolved that Mr. .Johnstone lie instructed to take steps to take the same under the Public Works Act. CATTLE ON THE ROADS. Ihe chairman stated that complaints had been made of cattle wandering on the Opourapa road, with the result that it had been necessary to clear out the drain a second time. Mr. Holmes remarked that there was the same trouble on the Ihaia and Wiremu roads. The latter, he considered, was under the Government's charge. Mr. Willcox understood from Mr. Murray that the Road Board had jurisdiction over that portion of the Wiremu road. The chairman did not think the Board had undertaken any liability over the Wiremu road. He thought it should I be a county road, as it was a main road I running from Opunake to New Ply- ! mouth, parallel with the Main South | road. Returning to the straying cattle nniI sance, it was resolved to write to the 1 ranger and draw his attention to the sraying cattle in the Parihaka road district. ROAD REQUIREMENTS. The position of the various roads from a financial point of view, and also in regard to their metal requirements, formed the subject of considerable discussion. Since the previous meeting members had motored over the principal roarts and had familiarised themselves with their requirements. Many of those which most needed attention were shown to have considerably overspent their rates. The chairman did not think they should be allowed to have a heavy overdraft at the expense of roads which were not overspent, Moreover, the latter might ask to have their money expended, then whore would I lie Board get it? Probably they would have to give a personal guarantee at the bank. The Opua road was the first discussed. Application had been made for 200 yds of metal for the lower portion., This road was shown to be £ I€2 in debt, and with the present year's rates ( £94) credited, that left it £O7 in debt. The road had gone in for a separate rate, the state of which was not available. After consideration, it was resolved to grant 100 yds of metal. Ngariki road--Application for 200 yd* of metal. After crediting this year's rales, £lB in credit.—Granted.

I Iliaia road—Application to open fresh I metal pit. The road is £ll2 in debt.— Granted, not to exceed .£lO. | AI'I'LT.CrATrOX. [ The chairman reported on the motor | trip which several of the members, accompanied by the foreman, took over various roads. They had visited the Parihaka, Warea-Newall, Kahui, Cape, Arawhata, Opua, Iluiia and Baylcy roads. He was surprised at the state of all of them. They were much better than they were two years ago. The Opua and Iliaia roads were then in a particularly bad state, and it certainly reflected great credit on the foreman (Mr. Ken nedy) and his staff that th« roads were in such a state, when one considered the small amount of money they had to expend and the fact that wages had increased so much lately. lie considered that members should know the state of the roads by personal observation. They could then judge whether the roads could he kept up on a halfpenny rate, or whether it was necessary to go in for a separate, rate. Mr. Willcox said there was no doubt that a halfpenny rate would suffice. The roads were not going hack. Mr. Diu-ker differed. The roads were wearing out, and were' not kept up to the standard that they were in when taken over from the contractor. Roads, he considered, had a certain lifetime, and during that time they had to put the same amount of metal down to replace that, and a halfpenny rate would not do it.

Mr. Wilcox: You will bring a swavm of bees nbout you if you increase it!

Tin' chairman considered it was a mistake in fry and do will) a halfpenny rate if thai were insufficient. Tt would only lead (o disaster, and a special rate would lie required. Messrs Harvey and ITiekey both referred to the improvement in the roads since broken stone had been used in place of pit metal. The chairman then moved that the Board express its appreciation of the foreman's services by voting him a bonus of £lo.—Vive pounds granted. The members of the Board were allowed 15s for the day's 1 expenses. DEPUTATIONS. Mr. IT. Bartlc, of Bartle Bros., sawmillers, asked the Board to relieve them of the responsibility of the upkeep of the upper portion of the Arawhata road. He pointed out that three years ago the Board had agreed to take it over, when they had repaired it. They had kept it in order si• -e then, besides paying royalty on timber carted over it.—The foreman is to report, at next meeting. Messrs Campbell and Watson asked thi' Board to repair 2% chains of bogbole on the Upper Ihaia road to enable them to g"t, their cat,tie up safely. It would cost about £ls. They would donate £3 towards the cost and had a promise of £3 more. Mr. Holmes offered the settlers the use of his bullock team, and the Board resolved to grant £O.

It was decided to forward the map of the load district to the surveyors to be brought up to date. TJie .secretary reported that he had made up the cost of the year's horse Feed, which amounted to £4o.—Members were satisfied, as this covered two horses most of the time and three at some periods. The chairman and treasurer were authoiised to sign the new debentures foi tlie Pimilio road loan, which hears interest at 3%d per cent, as against 3% per cent, previously. In reply to the Hoard's application for a loan of ,£4O. bcinn additional 10 per cent, on the Turn road loan of £4OO, the Advances Hoard notified that the resolution to grant no loan for less than .€SO was still extant. As, however, the road is slightly in credit, the additional £4O is not required and the loan will not be gone on with. The secretary reported that rates were not coming in too freely, and it was resolved that all rates unpaid by the end of the month be sued for. Accounts amounting .to £]s(i 4s 9d were passed for payment.