MOUNT PEEL ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1119, 16 June 1883, Page 3

MOUNT PEEL ROAD BOARD.

The annui.l mt eting of the ratepayer* of the Mount Peel Road District was held in the Ro id Board office, Mount Peel last Thursday* Mr J. B. A. Acland accupied the chair, and tiiere were about 20 ratepayers present. MIOTTXS The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed ANNUAL BBPORT The Chairman then read as follows : "Annual report of the Mount Peel Road Board. •' Geutlbmen,—Tbf annual meeting of ratcpiiytiß which is usual to take place rfurirgihe first week in January is by tlie Road Boards Act «.f 1882 directed to be held during the first week in May but o*int r to unavoidable circumstances the meeting this year has beeu postponed until this day. A gen-ral t-lection also takes iil.ico. and 1 would draw your attention to an important alteration respecting tde elections, which is that half the 80-. rd retire i-ach year as formerly, but every third year the wholejwmber go out and "there is a new ant entire by fresh eh-ctii n of the wind* Board. "Finance—The balance sheet ootr to be Hibroit'ed to you extends over a period of 15 months. It will be as well to draw atttinioii to the principal We leyan tli« year with a balance of £23,989 12s oil ; received for interest, £959 2s Id; sundry small payments, £2l 12s ; from Gwaldm'B Board, ha >f cost of repairs of ,>ari boundary road, £76 15s 6d ; total, receipt*, £25047 2-<. [j\ ~te— r i be half cost of ihe road was £7B Jss 6d, there is therefore still a sum of £2 tine from the Genldine Board on thi* account] •• The expenditure has been as followx, showing the districts within which the expenditure has taken plac<* :—Peel Forest I iwtrict, £1417 8s 6d; Raincliff di*tri<t,£434l 13s lUd ; Sherwood Dowhb riit-trit t, £685 ; paid for matc-iial, salaries, etc. £1644 17s 8d ; total. £BOB9 0* 6d ; having tal.ee ere'iit, £16,958 2s 6d ; to al. £25.( 47 2s 6d.

'' I m»\ b» permitted to thaw attention to one item, r>ame'y, the expenditure ju that v«ry important district Raincb'ff, been use some \ earn ago, fears existed that tie iifney might be all spent and that Eaincl ff not havei's thare, and to secure justice beine done a sum of £2(00 was paid to a separate acountfor that spi-cial district. who reside i" that part of our Road District •will see from a g'ance a? the balance-sheet tba* at present the} have Mttio reason to complain. •' The Board who are now going out of office l ,( 'P e tnat ,ne ro » rße ,ne y nav . e pursued . iq llß ' n £ t,ie ,ar £ e BUln at tneir disposal in opening up the country by means of new roaCto » nd bridges m some cases very expensive, but they think not unduly so considering t.V* ««" will be approved by the general iS>dy of ratepayers. "The time will come whenraW *'° n . e will have to be depended upon, *nd it therefore seems the widest plan to mske . the large and necessarj works before that day ci-mes. " Tho extent of roads formed in the district is as follows :—Formed and meial ed, Raincliff, 59 miles ; Peel Forest, 42 miles ; Sherwood Downs, 10 miles ; total metalled, 122 miles. Formed but rot metaled, Raincliff, three miles ; Peel Foiest, three miles; Sherwood Dowub, 10 miles ; total, 16 miles. " J. Barton A. Acxand, " Chairman. " To the Chairman MouDt Peel Road Board. <« Sxb,—l have the honor to report upon the various works carried out by th<s Board from il>e Ist January 1882 to the 31st March 1883, as follows :- '• There has been 15 miles of now roa&R in various parts of the district formed and opened up for traffic, in the formation of tliese roids there was used 1050 feet drain pipes. 15 concrete culverts were built, taking 105 casks of cement 13 ndl< b of road previously formed has been metalled and completed, thecofct of which has been heavy, owing to the greater part having been don* with rock metal. Sfcwral miles of old roads have been renu tailed .nd repaired. Several wooden cuivertn had to be taktn up, and bav* been replaced by concrete. '• Bridges—At the beginning of 1882 a cotier, te bridge across the deep ravine at Peel Forest was satisfactorily completed —est £475 15s. A ftock bridge ban lias bem elected over tho north branch ortl.eOpuha rht-r at Clayton, of eight spans of 20ft each, at a cost of £IH 10.

•' A fo it bridg« has bten built over the Opihi river on the Allandale road. This bridge being over the river funning the boundary between this district and Mount Cook, th* work was carried out by the Mount Cook Board, tbi« Biard paying half the cost. The total cost of the work was #385 14s 6d. During the year application was made for buiMing a bridge over the Opuha river near the Gorge. The Board entertaining the application, Mr T. W. Marchant « as asked to prepare i a plan, of which the Board approved, and [ the work is now being carried out. The estimated cost being under £IOOO. " Receipt* and Expenditure. The balanc- to credit on the let January 1832 was £23 989 12s 6d. The receipts since that date were as follows :—lnterest on fixed deposit £969 2s Id ; other sources £9B Bs, making a total of £28,047 2* 6d The expenditure in the different parts of the district was- Peel Forest District £1417 8s 61, Raindiff. £4341 13« 101 Shwrwood Do urns and Clayton, £685. Materials, cement, drain pipes, and timber, £1193 14*. Salaries and insurance £176 4* Bd, making a total of £BOB9 leaving a balance of £16950 23 6d to the Board's credit.. I have the honor.to be, Sir, your obedient servant, •'ROBEKT iRViNB, " Clerk to the Board.

«< ftote—lt must be mentioned that part of this material is still on hand ready for use when required ; especially 90 ironbark piles, coßt price £3 each. Afterreadjng these reports the Chairman said there is a subject upon which 1 must make a personal statement, inasmuch as it has been referred to elsewhere, and a letter of mine not inteudad for publication, but containing a proposal which I was at that time (10 months ago) willing tosupporthas nevertheless been published without my consent in a newspaper circulated in the district. You will understand, doubtless, that I am referring to the road from here to the Rangitata railway station. The history of that road is this. Under the provisions of an Act passed in 1875, and nowrapealed, the Geraldme Board and the Mount Peel Boaid entered into the agreement which has been referred to elsowhere as to tho formation of this road. It was a mistake from the first, and has been a trouble ever since. If the road had been divided by the District Judge into two portions under the 4th section of that Act the residents her* from knowing from what our roads are can judge what one portion of the road would have been and make a fair gueaa at the other. It is hardly to be supposed that the Act intended to empower a body of men to bind their district for all time, and through all changes which might take place. The Board of 1876 was in fact dissolved by proclamation in 1877; a new district formed, and a new Ro-id j Board elected. The members of the present, or perhaps I should say late, Board are not identical with the members of the Board of 1876.- I waa, I know, and do not wish to shirk the responsibility for the act dona by that Board. It appeared at the time the be*t course that oould be adopted, but the sfote of the road when made and ever since has been the source of such dissatisfaction that the Board at last, in February of last year, 1882, sent a notice to the Geraldine Board declining any further responsibility, and there the matter rests. The ratepayers present wil I no doubt express their views upon the question, and it is to be hoped that they will do so in such a way as to enable the new Board and the individuals whoever they may te to take such measures as may produce a satisfactory result, without resorting to expensive law suits, the worst method of spending the money of the district. THE RAINCHFF DISTRICT. Mr Tripp said he wished to make a few remarks about the Raincliff district, as it wppeared on the balance sheet that a large sum had been spent there. They who lived on the plains ought to feel for those who lived on the hills. The roads were difficult to make, there being no shingle, and broken matal had to be used. £2OOO had been set aside for that district, but it was not expected that so many roads would have been applied for. Still h« felt confident there was not j a ratepayer present who would have refused aDy of the roads that had been made, They had their Overseer's report on them, they were let by tender, and the work was done cheaply and well. MrR. Thew considered that a great deal of money had been spent in Raincliff district. He did not think it a good policy to give work to the lowest tenderer always. It kept good men out of work, as it M'as taken too cheap by persons who n<*ver paid storekeepers and others. The Chairman thought the Board would get pulled over the coals if they did not. The work was not always given to the lowest tenderer.

Mr Dennistoun said that it would be light if there was only about £1 difference but when there was several pounds difference it could not be done. THE RANGITATA ROAD. MrThew wished to know something about the dispute with the GSaldino Road Board concerning the Raogitata Road, The Chairman again read that part of the aeport dealing with the question, and said that if the road had been divided by the District Judge, he would not hesitate to say four miles of it would have been good ; what the other four miles would have been he he would not say. Mr Ihew did not think the Board ovght to have backed out of an agreement if it existed.

At the request of the Chairman the clerk slated that £2403 Is bad been spent

on tae road, of which £l2Ol 6s had been p»id by Mount P«:el. Mr Tripp said that in the early dayshe did not know whether the land along this road was then sold or hot but it was

not occupied-—they tried to get the

Geraldine Board to spend Borne money in making the road, but could not as it then would benefit Mount Peel ratepayers The only way they had out of it was the agreement referred to, and so they were forced into it. That was the position in the eaily days and they had until now paid half the cost of it, although it was not in their district. They got no rates from the district, and it was only fair that a compromise ehould be come to. Although they had boon compelled to take the course thny did in the begining, still he was not one who would shirk his responsibly He for one was ready to do anything that was just and fair. Geraldine ratepayeis were using seven miles of Mount Peel road every day in coming to the bush, and if they wern to place atoll-gate there how would it nurt them 1 They did not like a toll, but such a thing might be done. As Mount Peel paid for forming the road and Geruldine ratepayers used the road to the Peel Forest bush he considered a compromise ought to be come to. Let the Geraldine Board put it in thorough repair now and Mount Peel would pay half the cost, and be done with it. He was aot one for grasping, and would deal fairly with all men, and would act honest and boncrable in this transaction.

The Chairman said as to the question whether the agreement was binding or not, they might take the Board that made it as if it lived in the last eentury. The question was whether the Board of 1876 had power to bind tbem for all ages themselves, their children and grandchildren. He thought that although driven into the agreement, as Mr Tripp stated, they exceeded their power in making such an agreement. Their lawyer had given the opinion that it was not binding, but it was Btated in the Geeal dine Guardian that Mr Postlethwaite had said he had gone to the same lawyer, and he told Mm it was.

The speaker then related the history of the illegal proclamation. The district referred to thinking themselves neglected, got up a petition to be joined with Mount Peel. Tho petition was sent to Wellington, and Mr Postlethwaite went to Wei* liugton also. Of courso he would not say what Mr Postlethwaite did, but at any rate Sir George Whitemore joined on to th« district that wished to be attached to Mount Peel another district which would have entailed on Mount Peel the expense of keeping the Orari Bridge, and issued he proclamation. The Mount Peel Road Boa d then dissolved, and a new Board was elected That was the way they were thwarted by Geraldine, and after obtaining legal advice they resolved not to have any more to do wich it He agreed with Mr Tripp, however, that the matter ought to be settled amicably.

Mr Heney asked whether it was true that Mr White, who was acting for Mount Peel, gave tho Geraldine Board an opinion adverse to them. If so, he would move that the Bur>port of the Board be dr»wn from Mr White.

Mr Tripp said he met Mr Flatman at Woodbury, and said to him " Pretty men these lawyers ; they gave you one opinion and then gave the Geraldine Board another opinion." On bearing this Mr Tripp wrote to Mr White, and the following correspondence passed between them :

" J. W. White. Esq, '•Dear Sib,—l was told yesterday you had advised the Geraldine Road Board in reference to the road the Mount Peel Road Board consulted you about, and the Mount Peel Road Board had no case, and that the agreement between the two Bo?rds was binding on the Mount Peel Road Board We gave you our version and it appears you have told Gerald ine Road Board our points. Is it true ? Are you taking up the Geraldine Road Board and throwing over the Mount Peel who consulted and retained you first.— Yours faithfully, "C G.Tripp.." "Orari Gorge, Woodbury. 12th May, 1883. " Tiraaru, May 18th, 1883.

"C. G.Tripp,Esq, "Dear Sir,—l received yours of the 12th inst, and was very much surprised at its contents especially as I had no knowledge whatever of the matter until I received your note, when I immediately made enquires from my managing common-law clerk, from whom I received the statement enclosed herein, and from which it appears that he saw Mr Postlethwaite who called one day when I was absent on business in the Waimate. " Of course, I act for the Mount Peel Road Board in the matter, and my clerk being fully aware of my having advised your Board declined to take any instructions from Mr Postlethwaite, and handed him back the agreement which Mr Postlethwaite produced without giving or charging for advice. I am exceedingly surprised that that gentleman should circulate such a report as your note men tions (supposing that he did do so) as if true it must necessarily have the effect of damaging me professionally and privately, especially as he had no reasons or ground for doing so. My clerk's statement speaks for itself, so I will not say any more. As to your question whether I intend throwing over the Mount Peel Road Board in this matter, I am sorry that you should have thought it necessary to ask, seeing that during the sixteen years practice of my profession in South Canterbury no foundation has been laid through or by any act or deed of mine for such or a similar question being asked, ami as a i matter of fact this is the first time such a question has been put to me by any one •'1 do not understand what the latter portion of your letter refers to.—Yours

Mr White's managing clerk's statement was as follows : "Memo, for Mr White.

" With reference to Mr Tripp's letter re Mount Peel and Geraldine Road Board dispute, I have to state that 1 saw Mr Postlethwaite on this matter list Saturday fortnight (you being in Waimate), under the following circumstances : -Mr Postletliwiiice brought in an agreement between his Board and the Mount Peel Board, and stated that ho wished to «ee you in reference to this agreement. Before he told me anything further, I said that some time ago you had the agreement—or a copy of it—laid before you, and that if his Board were going to take a position opposed to the Mount Peel Board you would consider yourself bound to the latter Board and would act for it. I was aware that you had been consulted by t'.e Mount Peel Road Board, but did not know that you held a retainer from it. He (Mr Postlethwaite) then (apparently surprised) said, ' Oh, they've beeu to you have they ?' He continued—referring to the agreement —' This is a good agreement, and the Mount Peel Board is bound by it; we are going to spend £6OO on t';e Rangitata road, and will look to the Mount Peel Board for its proportion.' He went on to say that the members of the Mount Peel Board thought they had no connection with the Board which had entered into the agreement, but they were wrong, the only difference between the Board as it stands at present and as it then stood was that the members had retired from office in rotation a 9 provided for by Act of Parliament. He further said that there had been an endeavor on the part of the Mount Peel Roact Board to take a part of ihe Geroldiaeßoard's district, but that the Gazette proclamation was de fective, and that the whole proceeding was invalid.' c He stated that he knew more about this matter than any of the Mount Peel members, as he hud been to headquarters—meaning, I presume, Wellington—and that he had looked into the matter thoroughly, and had seen the head officials and made a close enquiry into the whole case, and had been advised fully on the subject." " Mr W Flatmao, '•Woodbury. "Dear Sir,—ln consequence of your informing me that your (Geraldine) Board had received a different opinion from your lawyer to that which the Mount Peel Board had received, I wrote to Mr White, and he informs me that he had never B«en Mr Postlethwaite himself on the subject, and further, although tiiat gentleman had some conversation with his managing clerk he received no opinion or expression of opinion from Mr White's office. You are welcome to state oi show the above to your Board. —Your'e faithfully, "OG Tripp. "Orari Gorge, Woodbury, "24th May, 1883."

«JW White, Esq. " Dkar Sir, —I «end you a part of the Geraldine Guardian of May Bthu You will see under the beading' Rangitata-Peel Forest Road,' Mr Postletb write aays that he has obtained a legal opinion from you on the subject. Ha stated that the Mount Peel Board represented. Please to show to your clerk what'Jtr Postletbwaits eaid, and ask him how is it ho can any he had little or no conversation with him, and that Mr Postlethwaite did all the ta'king. My attention was drawn to-day in Geraldine to this paper. Please to write to toll me if your clerk has made a mistake. It is a very serious matter.— Youi'b truly, "CO Tripp

'' Orari Gorge. Woodbury, " 24th July, 1883. "Please return ma the paper." "0. G. Tripp Esq. •'Orari Gorge, Woodbury " D ar Sir,—l have your letter of the 24th inst. with the enclosures. My clerk insists that the statement already made by him, and forwarded to you is correct, and he emphatically denies that he gave any sort of advice to Mr Postlethwaite at all. Is it likely that a client coming in with a large case, involving difficult questions of statute law should obtain a legal opinion from a clerk without stating the facts of the case, and without showing the proclamations and documents relied upon, or giving any time for looking into the matter at ill. This is not th-3 manner in which olients generally ack for. or obtain an opinion from me or my office. Mr Postlethwaite kne<v your Board's grounds of defence, and informed my clerk of tha Geraldine Board's answer thereto, who replied that if the information was correct I would wiite to you asking you to look into the matter and so save needless expense to the two Boards. Mr Postlethwaite said that his reply was good, he d'd not Bay that he required any opinion as to the goodness of his reply. His production of the correspondence with the Government at ihe meeting in Geraldine bears out the view that he was thoroughly conversant with the subject. My clerk did not keep a copy of the statement made by him and forwarded to you. Would it be troubling you too much to either let me have a copy or send the statement in, so that I can have a copy made. I return you the extract from the Guardian herewith, and enclose a further statement made by my clerk since the receipt of your two letters above raoutioned. Yours faithfully, ' J no. W. White " Since writing the above I received your note of yesterday'a date"

Mr White's managing clerk again : " Memo, for Mr White re Mount Peel and Geraldine Koad Boards. " In reply to your enquiries re these Road Boards disputes and Mr Tripp's further letters, I can only reiterate what I stated in my former explanation to you; it is not at all likely that I should make a mistake when making an explanation of that sort.

'* If Mr Postlethwaite statements are correctly reported 1 cannot uuderstand what he mains by saying that he received a ' legal opinion.' I distinctly and positively deny that I gave him the least reason to imagine that he was receiving an opinion ;he would be rather surprised if he received an account for an ©pinion fee, I think. " I did not represent to Mr Postleth uvaite what the Mount Peel Board had represented to U 9. but I can easily see that he could naturally infer that that Board Lad made the representations he stated they did.

"Mr Postlethwaite let ma know at once that he knew what the Mouut Peel Board's case Wi»3, and he want still further by informing uie of the Geruldine

! Board's anticipated reply to that defence This reply fo.isisted of the defective pro clamation being insufficient to dissolve the Mouut Peel Board. "Mr Postlethwaite referred to his communication with headquarters; th««e communicationa evidently constitute the the Government papers mentioned in the Geraldine Guardian as having been rend at the meeting bv Mr Postlethwaite. This bears out as showing that Mr Po»tlethwaite was quite well aware of the Mount Peel Board's point, and had fully enquired into it himself. " I did net deny to Mr Postlethwaite when he stated that the Monnt Peel Board were relying upon a supposed dissolution of the former Board that such was the ease ; how could 1 ?

" When Mr Postlethwaite told me that the Proclamation was defective I did not tell him that it was not, I never heard of any Proclamation in the matter before this, and have never seen any Proclnma (ion. 1 t)ld him ' I knew nothing; of the facts, but if he stated what was correct there seemed to be really nothing to fight about.' I did not attempt to conceal, nor did I voluntarily tell him that I knew nothing as tn the Proclamation, I quite well imagine that he could see I knew nothing of it, and would therefore know that the Mount Pael Board had only told us that it was a different body to the one which hid made the agreement,

In conclusion : Mr Postlethwaite ob tained from me the following information : " I—That you were acting for the Mount Pwel Road Board and could not advise or act for his Board.

•« 2 — That you had advised the Mount Pael Board adversely to the G«raldine Board.

"3 (Inferentially)— That the Mount Peel Board had not informed you of the defective Proclaimtion. " Mr Postlethwaite informed me :

" I—That he was fully cognisant of the Mount Peal Board's defence. '• 2—What the Geraldine Road Board's anticipated reply to that defence was." Mr Tripp also read several extracts from the report of the meeting published in the Geraldine Guardian sho'vinsj how Mr Postlethwaite represented the matter to the Geraldine meeting. The reading of these created a great sensation.

Mr Button said he presented a petition to the Geraldine Board with regard te the road which waa signed by Geraldine ratepayers. Ho did not care whether the road waa repnired or not so far as his Mount Peel property went. There waa hardly any traffic from Mount Peel on the road at all. The traffic had gone on the Geraldine road. Re had not sent one inch oi timber that way for the last two years. He said this because it was asserted that the road had been chiefly used by Mount Peel ratepayers. . Mr Dennistoun said he had the grain of 700 acres of land to go on that road. This did not include one inch of his property in the Mount Peel district, it was all in the Geraldine district. He simply mentioned this because the idea hid gone abroad that it was Mount Peel ratepayers who required the road. He had refused to sign the petition because he was a member of the Mount Peel Board.

Mr Heney said he had declined to sign it for the same reason.

Mr Thew said he had petitioned the Geraldine Board more than once and they did everything he had aßked them. He thought they could not get out of the agreement until it was cancelled. The Chairman said the question was whether it was binding. He noticed from tbe repot t in the Geralbinb Guardian that Mr Sherratt had said at the Geraldine meeting that no ggreement which was not stamped would be good after three yaars. Mr Tripp suggested that a deputation of the two Boards should try to settle the matte rand named Messrs Dannistoun and Heney to represent Mount Peel. Mr Thew proposed—" That the ratepayers recommend the new Board te try and amicably settle the dispute between this Board aud the Geraldine Rcid Board respecting the Rungitata road between the traffic briilge ami the lU'uitata station by offering to ioin in putting the said road in as good a state of repair as possible, and if there is an agreement that the same be cancelled " Mr Biair seconded the motion.

Mr Tripp said the road was always a source of annoyance, and it wis better to get out of it as well as they could.

The Chairman did not a<?mit that the agreement was binding on them, but at the same time he thought nothing better than to adopt the resolution could be doneHe read Clause 141 of the new Roid Boards Act to ehow that though it would be lawful for them to join another body in doing any publio work, the contnot could not be continued but from tiino to time.

Mr Blair suggested that Mount Peel Road Board should take the district over altogether. The ratopayerg were anxious to be joined with the Mount Peel district, because then they would feel sure of being lookad after. Mr Heney said if the dis* riot wore to join then about 50 mile* of road would have to bo made. The reasm they were anxious to join them was because they knew they would make these roads for them, but that if they remained in Garaldine they would not get them don* l , Mr Tripp said if they wished to join Monci Peel, it was their duty to help them whether they wanted 50 or 100 miles Mr Dennistoun did not agree with Mr Tripp. He did not in taking over a new district to make roads for it The Chairman s* : d that the County Council had the power to alter the boundaries now upon receiving a petition from the ratepayers, and raad Clauses 4 and 5, p and 30, iplutiog to the subject.

Mr Tripp stated that under S'icli circumstances thay would b* entitled to n share of the Geraldine Band's funds if they took ov.jr the district. Mr Button moved -««That Messrs Mackay and Dannistoun be appointed a deputation to settle the difficulty." Mr Mackay wished to give the ratepayers his views on the question before appointing him. He did not think they ought to have anything to do with it. The Mount Cook ratepayers used the Levels roads and wort not charged for it, the Geraldine ratepayers used the Mount Peel roads in coming to the bush, and were not chawed. He did not see there fore why thoy should pay for this road. The Chairman made an addition to MrThew's resolution to the effect that Messrs Denoistoun aud Mackay .should act as a deputation to meet the Geraldine Board with the view of arranging the matter. The motion was then put and carria d unanimously. MISCELLANEOUS. Tha Chairman iutrodueed the subject of increasing the number of members of the Board but no action was taken in the matter. In the course of tlu discission Mr Tripp said ho had heard it often stated that he was an advoette of rates. If ha had been an advocate for such a thing it was because he liked to ' grab' as much as he could get for the district. When Government gave large subsidies he liked to rite so as to secure as much money as he could for the district,but if there wus no subsidy he was as mach opposed to rates as any one else. He tried to get a share of the £3,000,000 loan for the Tetnuka and Oxfoid line. Why should they be afraid of a rate any more than people in the North Island. He saw no objection to subsidies. Teey encouraged people to pay rates, and he for one liked that when he put his hand in his pocket he would get something for it. He then moved- «' That the balance sheet be adopted, and priuted and copies of it sent to each ratepayer in the district." The motion was carried.

Mr Tripp said he had heard no complaints against the Bonrd. If they had done wrong he supposed they would have heard of it, and the fact that no one complained made him think that they had given satisfaction, The credit of this was entirely due to Mr Robert Irvine, their Overseer He had never heard a simple complaint against him, in fact he seemed to b« able to please all. He therefore had much pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to him. It was not easy for him to get on so well when he had maDy to deal wKh^g^

The Chairman in seconding the motion also bore testimony to the able manner in which Mr Irvine had discharged his dutio*.

Mr Thew said that it was because when Mr Irvine saw a thing wanted to be done he had it done that be had succeeded so well. The Board might assist him by letting work only to such men as woul d faithfully perform their duties, Mr Irvine thanked thera for the vote of thank*, He had evidently pleased them better than himself, for it was often that he waa not satisfied. He had some trouble with one or two contractors, butaß a general rule they worked well. Mr Heney proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and the meeting: terminated. Ann sal Election. The annual election of members resulted in the old members, Messrs J B A Acland, C G Tripp, G J Dennistoun,J Heney, and R Mackay being re-elected, there being none otltrr nominated. At a meeting of the :.ew Board Mr \cland was unanimously elected Chairmnn for the ensuing year. Mr Irvin« was also appointed clerk and surveyor. Lovely Climes.—There are lovely climes and places in which the evening sephyrs are loaded with malaria and the poison of fever and epidemics. To dwell thrre in health is impossible without a supply of Hop Bitters on hand. These Bitters impart an equalising strength to tht- system, and prevent ihe accumulation of deadly spores of contagion. Be sure and see.