PARIHAKA ROAD BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1916, Page 3

PARIHAKA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of Hip I'arihaka Road Hoard was held on Tliuixhiy. when H'«r« "ere present: Messrs das.' Young (chairman), T. Harvey, M. Hit-key, M. O'Brien, and W, 1!. Smith.

FOREMAN'S REPORT, The acting-foreman (Mr. M. Hill) reported that ill*. Julian had put in two days on Witiora Road, but that it would require a week's work with a two-horse team to put it in good order. Si., chains of metalling had been completed on the Bayly Road. They had patched the Warea Road and had done maintenance work on the Opourapa, Cape an 1 Kahotu Roads. The staff had now gone to the Kaiiiu Road, which was breaking up. Work to the value of £3O had been done on the Opourapa Road. He had inspected the bridge on the Lower Kaiiiu Road and found that the stringers were done. The bridge, therefore, required special attention. Culverts on the ICina Road required attention. COMPLAINT AGAINST THE STAFF. Mr. M. O'Brien, referring to some repair work that had been authorised on the Ihaia Road, asked by whose authority the men had been taken oft the work. The acting-fornran stated that he had given instructions for the road to be repaired and all the had holes to be filled up, to the extent of £3O, as he understood that was the amount of money the Board was prepared to expend on the road.

Mr. O'Brien considered that the foreman had 110 right to usurp the authority of the chairman. It was definitely understood that unless £SO was expended, it was useless expending anything. The chairman said there hsul evidently been some misunderstanding. Mr. O'Brien then made a. strong indictment concerning the Board's administration 01 rates on the lhaia Road. He considered that the work done was only worth .€lO. He asserted that some time ago the men had got out two loads of pit metal in a day, costing £1 per loud, which he was prepared to deliver lor Is Cd per yard. The overseer offered to take 300 yards from Mr. O'Brien at Is (id per yard, but admitted that the metal should -have been got out at 2s Gd per yard. Mr. O'Brien also protested against the men in wet weather filling in time on the lhaia Road, whicli many a time was charged half a day's time when only half an hour's work was done. There was no system of cheeking time. The men only worked six hours, spending one hour eaeli way going to and from work. He considered that it was scandalous the way in which the rates were administered on the lhaia Road. He moved that members of the staff in the southern end be dispensed with until the permanent foreman was appointed. This wa 9 seconded by Mr. Smith. After further discussion an amendment was carried on the motion of the chairman and Mr. Harvey, that the mat ter of retaining ot discharging the men be left in the bands of the overseer. DEPUTATIONS.Mr. Symons waited on the Board and asked permission to cart two yards of gravel per load in a dray witli five inch tyres, over the Pungarelm Road. —Left in the hands of the foreman to arrange with Mr. Symons as to placing the road in good order at the conclusion of the contract. The foreman was instructed to report I on an application made by Mr. Bowman to pay half cost of making a four chain outlet to a drain that was being made bv Mr. Tosiand. Mr. Bowman also asked that the Board' stall' should be instructed to re pair the Opua Koad as soon as possible. —The foreman is to report.

THE RATES, In moving the rate for the ensuing year, the chairman said lie thought that a slight rise would be necessary. This might be hard on those who lived 011 the Main Road, but the Board had its duty to the ratepayers in the backblocks to consider, and must keep the roads in decent repair. Moreover, owing to the .scarcity of labor, and the fact that the best men had gone to the front, labor would cost from '2O to 25 per cent more, that was taking into consideration the extra wages paid and the value of the work done. A 7-1 fid rate at present produced £2015, a y 3 d rate would produce £2300, and a 9-lCd rate would produce £2500. Mr. O'Brien thought it was time that the district merged with thccouiilv The chairman said that that was a matter for the ratepayers to consider. Mr. Ifarvey moved that the rate be 7-lGil.—Mr. Harvey seconded, i The chairman considered that ratepayers would sooner have an increased rate than have bad roads.

■Mr. Smith agreed with this. The Warea Road lie said was improving each year, but there was room for further improvement. Mr. O'Brien considered that the rate should not be raised. The Board still adopted the ' oi l mail and wheelbarrow'' system. They were not getting value for their money. The chairman pointed out that the lliaia Road was over £2OO in debt and if its representatives wanted anything done without raising the rate it would be necessary for that road to strike a special rate. The ward account showed that every road in the Opua ward was ill debt, whereas in the Oaonui ward there was a credit of £:!1S. The chairman then gave formal notice to move that a half penny rat* be struck, JiNERAT* As the Witeora Road 11 ad been destroyed 'by gravel being carted to the Oaonui dairy factory, it was resolved to put the road in good repair and charge the cost to the Oaonui ward. Repairs asked for by Mr. Claris on the Waiteaka Road will be attended to. Repairs to the Ka-hui Road bridge were referred to the overseer. The Egmont County Council is to be asked to have the outlet cleared at the

junction of TCina and Main South Roads. Mr. J. Lynch, the recently appointed foreman of the Board, attended and stated that lie could not accept the position as he was unable to make suitable arrangements re residence.—lt was resolved to appoint Mr. J. N. Harris, of Weber, Dannevirke, to the position. Mrs. Kennedy wrote thanking the Hoard for its resolution of sympathy in her recent bereavement. Mr. C. 'Jill asked that a culvert on the Waturoa Road should be put in order. — To be attended to. It was decided to revise the price list of pipes. Five members of the Board's staff asked for an increase of Is per day, making'lis per day.—The matter was held over for a month. It was resolved to notify a native to clear the gorse off the Pungarclm Road. Accounts amounting to £'Jl3 IDs kid were passed for payment.