TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1156, 4 October 1883, Page 3

TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of the above Board was held last Tuesday. .Present—Messrs J, Talbot (Chairman), Barker, Quinn, and Austin. J‘ ? * MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of L 276 3s were passed for payment. In passing the accounts Mr Quinn objected to so much being spent on paying a clerk of works, the amount being L 8 3s for 16 days work. He said that he * did not think his services were necessary. The Overseer had very little to do and ought to look after the works. It was waste of the ratepayers’ money to pay so much for a clerk of works. Mr Talbot said they could not do without one when concrete works and pile driving was going on. Mr Quinn after having elicited from the Overseer that only ten piles had been driven in the bridge said it was monstrous to pay L 8 3s for a clerk of works while driving that many. He did not object to a clerk of works being employed while pile driving or concrete works were going on, but he objected to employing him in looking after the superstructure of foot bridges and other small joins like that. Mr Barker said the difficulty could be got over by instructing the Overseer not to employ the cleik of works whenever he could avoid it. Air Talbot said he had given that instruction before. ' After a warm discussion the matter dropped. \ DEPUTATIONS. Mr Bissett waited upon the Board to urge that as he could not get the road heiwanted a.couple of cuttings might be made in the road running parallel with the river. /The Board promised to see into the matter. -Mr Scott complained that water from the Ohapi creek was overflowing on his land.

Messrs Barker and Austin were appointed a deputation to report on the matter.

Mr M. Dunn waited on the Board to complain that the sum of L 5 15s allowed him for extra work on the road near Mr Barker’s was insufficient. He had beefed 18 days with two horses and two men working there, and if the Board only gave half what he claimed he would be satisfied.

The Chairman said ho had sent their Overseer to value the work done, and that the L 5 15s was the amount he awarded.

Mr Barker said they would have to go by the recommendations of their Overseer. If he was not competent to judge he had no business there. Mr Quinn said it was most extraordinary that there were so many complaints and so many claims for extras coming in lately. Mr Dunn was informed that nothing could: be done for him, so he withdrew. Mr Clark waited upon the Board in reference to a road through the Arowhenua estate. The Chairman read the solicitor’s opinion l on the subject, and after some further conversation it was decided that the road should be dedicated on Mr Clark paying all expenses. ,SORRpSPONDBNOB. The following correspondence was read and dealt with :

From Mr J. Gregg, calling attention to the drainage on the road opposite his section and stating it was impossible to pass out of his gateway. From Mr W. Hawke, calling attention to the cutting near his place, and strongly objecting to it. The Overseer said the cutting was made against his orders. He would like to see it before anything was done, The matter was left in his From the Treasury, Wellington, intimating that £126 9s 5d on account of land sales in Sod Town, were lying to the credit of the Board.

From Mr Cross, stating that be had given up the reserve in the Opihi riverbed.

From Mr Raine,of Newlands, asking that the road near the Woolshed should be repaired. From Mr P. Friel and others, asking that Campion’s road should be metalled. THE BOROUGH COUNCIL. A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary, acknowledging receipt of the resolution objecting to the boundaries of the proposed Borough, and stating that unless a counter-petition was logded before the 17th October the Colonial Secretary would deem it his duty to advise the Governor to proclaim the town a borough. Mr Quinn said he understood there was a counter petition receiving signatures, and the general impression was that the officers of the Board were mainly instrumental in organising it. Mr Talbot denied that he knew anything about it until he came into town, and heard there were about 80 signatures to it.

Mr Quinn would not like to accuse the Chairman of but he thought it very strange that it became generally known throughout the town that the 1 7th of October was the date appointed to proclaim the Borough. Ihe Koad Board had received the letter containing that information, and it looked as if the information had been got from the Road Board Office. Without it came from the Road Board Office, where else was it to come from ? He had had ten years’ official experience, and he would say that the letter had no right to: be made public until it came before the Board,. The Clerk said he had given no in-

formation to those getting up the petition any more than to others. He had nothing ta do with the petition whatsoever. He did not care whether the town was a borough or not. Messrs Austin and Barker said they had heard the rumor that the Chairman and Clerk were instrumental in getting up the petition. Mr Quinn said it was the general impression throughout the town, and gave some names to show the Clerk had used his influence. The Chairman vehemently challenged Mr Quinn to prove it. Mr Quinn protested against the Chairman jumping upon him in that way. He had said nothing only what Messrs Austin and Barker had also. After some further very warm discussion, the matter dropped. THE overseer’s REPORT. Ths Overseer reported that the contracts on hand made good progress, but the bridges had to be stopped for want of timber. The clearing of Mr Greenaway’s drain would not improve the road. The creek complained of in Sod Town would do no harm to Mr Bourk, but Mr Douglass bad some little to complain of. This, however, would be remedied by removing the wheel lower down. The hole complained of by Mr Austin might be filled up where the road is formed. He would recommend the street asked for by Mr Brown to be done, as there were some bad holes in it. He. had let privately some of the drains ordered last Board day. TENDERS. The following tenders were opened Contract —No 81 Formation and Shingling, Waitohi: F Mulloy, £125 17s (accepted) No 82—Footpath, Temuka : F Poff, Ll2 ; M Dunn, L 7 (accepted) No 83—Footpath, Winchester ; No tender received No 84—Shingling, Swamp Road : E Counihan, Is o|d per yard (accepted); F Poff, Is 2d; M Dunn, Is 2|d; F Mulloy, Is 5d No 85—Shingling, Temuka: F Mulloy 2s 3d; M Dunn, 2s 3jd ; F Poff, 2s lOd. Fresh tenders to be called No 86—Formation and Drains, Milford: Davis and Co, LlO (accepted); M Dunn, Ll 5 ; T Small, Ll 6 5s 6d No 87—Formation and Drains, Milford: T Small, L3B 19s; M Flaherty, L 43 17s, none accepted. No 88—Drain, Orari: Davis and Co, L 9 15s (accepted); M Flaherty, Ll 75s No 89—Maintenance, Milford, 1 year: W Lewis, L6l 17s; Lynch, L 9 9; J McGrath, Lll7 19s 6d ; Taylor and Latimer, L 165 ! M Flaherty, L 148; W Lewis, L9O, No tender was accepted either for this or for contracts 90 and 91. In the case of contract 80 it was discovered that the Overseer had made a mistake in the specifications by omitting the maintenance of the fords, and the contract was let .subject to the lowest tenderer agreeing to maintain the omitted ford. In the matter of contract 85, the reason why no tender was accepted was this: having examined the specifications found that it was required to put screened metal on the road. As this greatly increased the cost, Mr Quinn submitted that it would be useless expense, and pointed out several roads which had been done first-rate with shingle proposed to be screened. The Overseer insisted that the screened metal would be the best; Mr Austin said that his experience was that screened metal would not bind as soon as shingle taken out of the pit add put on the road it was. He was opposed to screening.

After some further conversation it was decided not to have the metal screened, aqd to Call for fresh tenders The meeting then adjourned