GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1493, 15 April 1886, Page 2

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Geraldine Road Board was held at the Board’s office on Tuesday. Present Messrs W. U. Slack (Chairman), W. Postlethwaite, W. Deßenzy, Jb’, R. Flatman, and J. Holland. Mr Shiers (Clerk and Overseer) was in attendance, THE BOUNDARY GOAD. Before the reading of the minutes Mr Deßenzy called the attention of the Board to the fact that it had been stated by Mr Budd at the last meeting of the Temuka Road Board “ that Mr Deßenzy had asked to have the boundary road between the Temuka and Geraldine Boards thrown open for traffic, after hairing promised Mr Budd he would not.” He would like the Board to say whether he had done so or not. Some time ago Messrs Budd and flumar waited upon him to have this road thrown open ; they wanted it opened and shingled. He replied that he did not think it necessary. They said they wanted it, and after some conversation he (Mr Deßenzy) had said, “I promise you I will do all in my power not to have the road opened.” Now they came again and asked that the road should not be opened. He would ask the members : Did he ever apply to have the road opened ? The Board fully bore out Mr Deßenzy’s statement that be had never done so. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were then read and confirmed. TENDERS. Tenders for the following contracts were then opened and considered Contract No. 177- Concrete culvert near Patrick’s, Kakahu : Patrick Burke, £3O; Joseph Webb, £27 10a; Andrew Reid, £27; Timothy Sngrue, £25; William Fletcher, £24 19s ; Robert Rae, £22 4s (accepted). Contract 178—Carting, spreading, and filling !048 yards broken metal, Gapes’ Valley road - Andrew Reid, £75 ; Patrick Burke, £65 ; Joseph Webb, £62 10s ; G. Piskey, £6O ; G. Hammond, £59 ; R. Ray, £35; Mulvahill and Greagin, £45 (accepted). Contract 179—Reforming and Shingling Hyde's Road, Gapes’ Valley ; M. Lawlor, £26 ; A Reid, £25 ; James Bray, £24 ; J. H. Tagg, £2O ss: Joseph Webh, £l9 10a (accepted). CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was then read and dealt with ; From Mess's Miles, Archer and Co., offering to supply the Board with cement at 18s 6d per cask delivered at the Orari Railway station.—From Mr J. Jackson, offering to supply the same at 19s 6d per cask.—Messrs Miles Archer and Co.’s offer was accepted, the Overseer to see that the cement is in good order. From Mr Voting, asking that his name be struck off the roll for the section formerly occupied by Mr Brosnahao, Kakahu district. The Clerk was instructed to attend to the matter.

From Mr W. Bell and several others, asking that the boundary road between the Tetnuka and Geraldine Road Districts be thrown open for traffic, as the matter had been greatly misrepresented to the Temuka Board by Messrs Budd and Plumar, and the opening of the road would be a great convenience to the district.—A letter was read with regard to this matter from theTemuka Read Board stating that they hud deferred the mat er till the neit regular Board day.—Mr Flatraan referred to a letter which h d appeared in the Temuka Leader, written by one W. Bell.—Mr Deßenzy rend the fetter, and stated that what Mr Bell said with regard to being employed at his place was quite true. He thought it hard that a man should harp to walk for an hour to gat to his work when by coming across this road h* could get there in twenty minutes.—A very long conversatian took place among tiro members on this subject, and after Mr Budd had interviewed tfye Board it was decided to allow the matter to rem a >o ip abeyance till tbe Overseer had been oyer the road and made a full report, In the meantime he pas instructed to write to the Tf muka Road Board on the subject, asking them to reply in time for the matter to be considered at the special meeting,of the Board to be held on the first Thursday in May.

Mr C. E. Sherratt wrote informing the Board that the time for the election was close ft band, and asking them to give him the names of the polling places and the papers in which the Board would advertise the elections.—lt was decided that ths polling places be :—(1) The Board’s Cottages, (2) the Woodbury School, (3) Hilton ; and that the advertisements appear in the Gbraldinb Guardian and the Timaru Herald.

Frou: Mr Wigley, asking the permission of the Boa'd to hang a gate on the road between sections 27121 and 26417, snd also between sections 26581 and 28897.- — A deputation waited upon the Board opposing the application, and it was decided to inform Mr Wigley-of this. From Mr Qeorge Barney, Rangitata, asking the Board to have the big stonespicked up from the side of the road opposite his land so as to allow him to grub the gorse.—lt was decided to allow Mr Barney to get the work done, and to call his attention to the resolution of tbs Board. From Mr F. W. Stubbs, Clerk to the Geraldine County Council, acknowledging the receipt of the Board’s letter r« the water span in the Orari River between the two traffic bridges. ' From Mr J, Ollivier, District Auditor, stating that he had audited the accounts of the Board and found them correct.

From the Deeds Registry Office, Christchurch, stating they had not got the deeds applied for, but they were probably in Wellington.

From Mr Fisher asking the' Board to give part of the advertising in connection with the elections to the South Canterbury Times, which paper he represented. —Mr Fialman thought that some people might look at the S. C. Times, and not at the other two papers, and it would perhaps be as well to advertise in the Times.—Mr Fostleth waite said one paper was sufficient by law, as it was only necessary to advertise in the' local pep£r, and the Geraldine Guardian would; he supposed, be considered the local paper. THE ELECTION. It was resolved to have {the, special meeting of the Board on the'first Thursday in May, at 9 o’clock, and the public meeting the same day. The election of the B.oard~«?ill take place on the Friday following.

SMALt. BIRDS’ NUISANCE. Mr Flatman brought up the subject,©! poisoning the small birds. He believed this was the li> at time of the year for doing i'. -The Overseer said there would hare to be some different arrangements© what there was last year. The Board had spmt over £2OO in poisoning birds and o m paying for heads and eggs, and had,not received any hing like the value fQCtheir money in the number of bir/a dMfoy4d. The farmers were not soffieUlltly alivejo the necessity of poisoning the birds.,— The Chairman t) ought there would have to be more united actio , so that all persons laid poison at the same time throughout the district.—Mr Pos Met It waite said he did not think it fair that .the Board should pay so much money -when there were many men in the place who did cot care one bit whether the birds were poisoned or not, such, for instance, aa sheep farmers and men of that class.— The matter was allowed to stind bveh overseer’s report. The Overseer’s report was read asrpllows : . • ■ . “To the Chairman Geraldine Road Board. “ Sir,—l have the honor.jbo repprt for month ending date as under The contractor for shingling near the Qrarl Bridge has not finished his work, in accordance wUh the resolution passed at the last meeting of the Board. I ..have therefore declined to pass the work, A balance of £6 10a remains in the hands of the Board, and as the work should have been completed by the 20lh January last this amount has been forfeited by penalty should the Board decide to enforce if.— I should advise that the notice boards put up some three years ago at the Geraldine and Orari traffic bridges be removed, as the bridges in question are not now safe for the weight specified on (he notice boards : the former on account of being re-decked with unsuitable timber, and the latter on account of (he decking becoming decayed.—The drainage near the Hilton Hotel has been attended to, by carrying the storm water down the side of (he main road to Bradley’s Creek in place of across Mrs Tiuda'l’s paddock, as formerly done.—l haye received a cheque for the sum of £129 15s 3d from the Qeruldind County Council, being a refund of subsidy, lew a sum of £ST 14s 9d deducted from subsidy as the Board’s share of Hospital and Charitable Aid account of March 31st, 1886. —Bridge near Captain Temple’s ; As instructed, I have made an inspection of the river at this crossing with a view to eracting a footbridge a's applied for by Mr Walker and others. To .drive pil® B and build a bridge passable, at all times and above flood level would cost £BO. However, 1 do not think, considering the limited amount of traffic, that the Board would be just’fied in expending so large a sum at this crossing. I have therefore put up a small tteStle footway over the present water-way, ' which will answer except when exceptionally heavy floods occur. —Cooper’s Creek, Rangitati Station, Road : This work was deferred from the February meeting for a full Board to decide. The present would be a favorable time, if the Board thought it advisable, to form a road,—The Board’s accounts for the year ending 31»t March hare been audited and certified to as being correct.—l have, cto., “ W. Shiers, Overseer.’’ It was resolved that the contactor for the shingling near the Orari bridge cot having carried out the work to the resolution passed at the last meeting of the Board, full penalty be inflicted. It was decided that the notice boards on the Geraldine and Umri bridges should be removed. . The improvements at Hilton township were approved of. The works at Cooper’s Creek were ordered to be brought before the Board at some future time. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £257 14s 7d were passed for payment. r The Board then adjourned. -i