TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1720, 5 April 1888, Page 2

TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the above JB ard was-held last Tuesday. Present—- ¥ asra Talbot (Chairman), Hayhurst, PI iser and Quinn. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting w re read and confirmed. finances. The Chairman said they had £265 of an o- .Tdraft, but there was £IOO coming to t’ m from the County Council. It ought t" have been paid before. The Clerk had a! ) some money, in hand paid from rates, in d there was a large amount in rates outsi ndiog. The Clerk was instructed to take means to collect the balance of the rates. DEPUTATION. Messrs Cliff and Deßenzy waited on the Board in reference to the request m ide at the last meeting by Mr McCaskill to be allowed to place a gate on a road leading so his wool scouring place. A map of the place having been produced Mr Cliff said it would not matter so much if they would put a proper gate on the road and a proper fence were put up. They were not complaining of the gate put op by Mr McOaskM, hut Mr Sudd's land was not fenced at all. If a'gate were put at a certain place Mr Bodd’s cattle would come on their land. They wanted a gate at the bottom of Mr BudJ'a land.

The Chairman said it appeared it was a very simple matter if they were all agreeable. The public had no interest in tha matter. It was as well to let the Overseer try tc arrange with Mr Budd.

Mr Cliff said they could not arrange with Mr Budd, If they wanted a gate there Mr Budd would not have it, and it they did not want a gate Mr Budd would want it, (Laughter). The Overseer was instructed to try to arrange the matter between the parties. Mr Deßenzy asked that a piece of a toad might be formed to enable him to take his gorsecutter across to cut 40 chains of gorse. It would cost £3 or £4. After Mr Deßenzy had retired the Chairman said it was a work of net the smallest use to any one else. It was au unusual request.

After some consideration it waa decided not to grant the request.

Mr Scott waited on the Board in reference to a branch of the Ohapi Oresk called Scott’s Greek. It was getting filled up with sludge from the other drains that were cleaned. The Overseer had agreed to clean it. Tbs Overseer in hits report said the Board bad widened and deviated it from the natural course. The Chairman said Mr Scott was always willing to do bis share, but Mr Lowe, who was below him, would not, and that was the cause of the troub'e. The Board had no power over Mr Lowe, and there was the difficulty.

Mr Scott said there was too much in it now for Mr Lowe to clean it. The Board had turned all the water into it now. He was quite willing to clean his own part if they could give him an outlet for the water through Mr Lowe’s land. The Board decided to clean Mr Low’s part of the drain.

Mr Steward waited on the Board in reference to the closing of a road from above the flax mill to his own place. He wished to buy it. It would be about 3 acres. He had already given another road in place of it. Qhe Chairman said the Boerd would have to be assured no public inconvenience, would be caused by it. Besides, it was a costly and troublesome thing to transfer it. It would be as well to get a report from the Surveyor. It would take six months to transfer it.

The matter was allowed to stand ovel for the present, the Overseer to report og the matter. Mr Reese Thomas waited on the Board in reference to the drain on Penny’s Road. It was blocked up and wanted cleaning.

It was decided to clean the drain pro* Tided Mr Thomas pays half the cost;

CORRESPONDENCE. From Mr A. J. Logan, calling attention to the state of the roads through the induction reserves from Rolleston’s road, —The matter was referred to the Over* seer.

From Mr Shiers, Clerk of the Geraldine Road Board, in reference to the account for the maintenance of the Boundary Road, and stating that the timber received from there was worth £2 10s ; half of it would be allowed to the Temuka Board.—lt was decided to pay the account. From the Crown Lands office, Christchurch, stating that the sum of £lO 5d had been paid over to the Receiver of Land Revenue, and was payable to the Board. This was the amount coming to the Board as its share of the price of land sold within the district.—lt was decided to inquire whether any more money was lying to the credit of the Board. WAITOHI. Mr Fraser said there was a piece of road in front of Mr Cunningham’s section wanted shingling. The matter was referred to the Overseer. otebsbbe’s bbpoet. The Overseer’s report was read as follows: “Gentlemen,—! have the honor to report for the past month as follows ; The contractor for enlarging the Oanal drain is now proceeding with this work. During the greater part of the month I have been employed doing email jobs that were required, including the putting down of the crossings (authorised at last meeting) over drains on the line of road running through Education Reserve 1400. I had to obtain timber for this work, as the old decking taken off the bridge by Mr Guild’s was unfit to be used for the purpose. A wooden culvert on the Waitohi Terrace road has falien in, and as it ia thoroughly rotten it is necessary to replace it with a new one. ' I would recommend that a two* foot diameter round culvert be built. It would require to be 40 feet long, and could bo done for £ —. The wooden bridge by O'Neil’s, ou Talbot’s road, is ia a dilapidated state, and requires repairing or taking up and a now one built in its stead. If repaired, I would suggest that only what is absolutely necessary be done, as in any case it would not last long. If you decide to take up the present bridge I would recommend that it be replaced with a concrete culvert in preference to a bridge with concrete abulmenls and timber top. A great many of the girders ia the latter description of bridges are shewing signs of decay, and wid necessarily be expensive to maintain. A stock of 10 x 4 kauri is required for repairs to the deck of the Opibi bridge, the broken plank* that

were Ukon off the Temoka bridge having all been need for that purpose. This is the best time of year to obtain decking for the Board’s use. The bridge by Elkis’s, and also the one near the Maori Pah, on the Epworth road, require (o be re-decked, but it would not be advisable to do this without strengthening the under part of the bridges, which could be best done by putting in extra girder*, bonne alight shingle repairs are needed on vanoul roads. St creek through Mr Lowe s land: I have been over this creek in company with Mr J. Scott. There are about 11 chains •f the creek through Mr J. Lowe s land that the Board have widened, and in soma places diverted from its natural course The watercress has lately been dragged out by the occupier of the land, hut there is still a good deal of sediment and stuff that has slipped in from the banks where the creek has been diverted. It would probably cost £- to clean out the 11 chains. T would ask the Board to consider the advisability of purchasing a horse and cart for their use. I have prepared a return showing the amount that baa been paid for labor during the past two years.—l am, etc., F. Archer.

In reference to the Overseer’s report the following reso'utions were passed That the suggestion in re the culvert on the Waitohi Terrace road be agreed to ; that the bridge by O’Neil’s ho deferred ; that 1000 feet of 10 I 4 kauri timber be got ; that estimates of the cost of the bridges by filkis’s and the Maori Pah b« prepared for next meeting; that the consideration of purchasing a horse and cart be left to the new Board, accounts. Accounts to the amount of £73 4a 5d were passed for payment, and the meeting adjourned* w.