GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2072, 15 July 1890, Page 3

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of this board was held yesterday. Present— Messrs J. Kelland, W. Deßenzy, A. Metcalf, and K. Brophy, Mr J. Kelland was voted to the chair. On taking his seat Mr Kelland apologised for the unavoidable absence of the chairman (Mr Flatman), whom they all knew had just passed through a most severe illness, hilt' was now improving, and they hoped soon to see him amongst them again. The members present expressed their sympathy with Mr Flatman in his severe illness, and expressed a hope that be would soon be able to take his accustomed place at the board.

, TENDEES. 1 Tenders were opened and dealt with i as under ; I Contract No. 311— Repairs Brown’s > Road, Waihi Bush: J. Beckley, £l2* > John Fifield, £l2; W. Scully, > £lO 15s; M. Lawlor, £9 10s, (aci cepted) Contract No. 312—Boulders and : Shingle, Miller’s Flat, Kakahu: D. Leary, £ls 10s ; T. Sugrue, £l4 ; M. Lawlor, £l3 15a; P. Mulvahill, £9 (accepted.) Contract No. 313—Formation and Shingle, VSTaihi Terrace Road, Orari V.B.—Jonas Fifield, £2B; T. Sugrue, £27 10s; M. Lawlor, £25 15s (accepted) Contract No. 314—Forming and Shingling Pleasant Valley Road ; M Lawlor, £2B ; D. Gregan, £25 10a; T. Sugrue, £24 15s; J. Beckley, £22 10a (accepted.) COBEESPOKDEffCB. I Correspondence was read and dealt j with as follows ; From the agent of Andrews’ poisoned wheat, stating the quality and price of same.—Letter received. A petition was received from twentyone ratepayers at Belfield, asking the board to open the road leading to Orari through Payne’s section, or else open the road between Mr J. Earl’s section and the racecourse, as they had no other way to Orari- —It was decided to grant the petition, provided Mr Payne was willing to allow a road through his section at a reasonable price. The petitioners were invited to interest themselves in procuring this road at a reasonable price, and report to the next meeting of the board, —Mr Logan wrote asking for a road at the same place. A circular was received from the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council, Christchurch, asking the board when letting contracts to see that the price was such as to allow of a fair rate of wages being paid to the men. —Members thought this was hardly a matter the board could deal with; price of contracts was a matter that the contractors themselves were the most fitted to decide. The letter was received.

A petition was received from a number of ratepayers in the Gapes’s Valley district, asking the board to improve the road leading from Mr T. Clephane’s house to. the hill opposite Mr J. Taylor’s. —After an explanation by the overseer as to the position ot the road, the amount of traffic thereon, and the interest of those who bad signed the petition, it was decided to to inform the petitioners that the board would be in favor of considering the requisition if the petitioners would point out where the board could obtain shingle in the vicinity at a reasonable cost. Messrs D. Shaw, jun., and W. Shaw wrote stating that they had leased two sections of the land recently disposed of by the Government, and asking the board to make them a passable road to their property as soon as convenient, as they wished to fence their land.-—On consulting the map it was found that the roads in the Geraldine district were already made passable, and that most of the roads shown on the plan of the sections recently disposed of were in the Mount Peel Eoad District. It was decided to notify the applicants to that effect. Mr S. W. Blackler forwarded an application similar to that of Messrs Shaw, with the same result. Prom the Drown Office, Christchurch, enclosing for signature an agreement by Mr T. Sugrue to sell a portion of his deferred payment section, Orari, for a roadway.— Signature had been obtained.

From the Audit Department, Wellington, returning the board’s balance sheet duly audited and certified to. ovbeseee’s eepoet. The overseer’s report was read and dealt with as follows

I have the honor to report fqr the month ending date as undor ■, —Cantracts ; Two of the contracts in hand have been finished during the month and passed for payment, viz., Geraldine and Pleasant Valley Eoad, and Dawes cutting at Ehubarb Bush. The contractor for the traffic bridge at Kakahu is making fair progress, the qt present fytfe delay, i he piles are all driven and the whole of the material is on the ground ready for use, Works required : The weather having changed, the weak places in thp shiqglqd fPkd s 9*6 negipning tq sppea?, qpc| should wet cqntippe, which wq may reasonably expect it to do, the reads for the next three months will require a good deal of attention and repair. The undermentioned roads require shingle repairs, Geraldine Mam Eoad, 1000 yards, Boundary Eoad, from Main Eoad to Patrick’s, Pleasant Valley Eoad (upper end), also road at back

of Raukanuka Downs, and at Belfield Village ‘ Settlement Road from Speechley’s to Lysaght’s Terrace, and Gapes’ Valley Road in two or three lengths. The following have been attended to and repaired by the day men during the past month, Woodbury, Orari, Belfield, Pleasant Valley, Gapes’ Valley, Love’s, and Racecourse Roads. In reference to the latter I find that the old track from Belfield to the railway station has been fenced off by some person taking up the riverbed section adjoining the racecourse. This causes a long detour to be made to reach the station from Belfield Village Settlement. I have made the track passable pending the decision of the board as to which track will eventually be used. —Cottages; Mr A. Baker, one of the board’s tenants having vacated the house rented by him from the board, I have relet to a fresh tenant.—Poisoned wheat: I have obtained a fresh supply of wheat and issued a small quantity. The demand so far is not large. —Reserves : The fences at the various plantations and gravel reserves will require trimming and gubbing before the spring months. —I am, etc., W. Shiees, Overseer.

It was decided to do the shingling repairs specified, and to call for tenders for trimming the fences round the plantations and gravel reserves. HAEBOB BOAED BATE. A circular was received from the Geraldine County Council enclosing a copy of a special order to be made delegating to the board the power to collect and: recover the Harbor Board rate of id in the ,£. —The board proceeded to consider the circular. Members considered that if the road and harbor board rates could be collected as one sum and that id in the £ could be handed over to the latter body the work might be done, but at present it appeared they could not be so collected. Members were not at all disposed to collect the rate if it could not be collected in one sum. To do it otherwise would entail a great amount of work which their clerk had not the time to do. Mr DeEenzy said it appeared if they did the work they would have to employ another clerk to do it, as Mr Shiers had his hands full already. The commission offered would not recoup them for employing the extra clerk.

In the course of conversation it was pointed out that every sum paid in rates, even if it was only a penny, necessitated the writing of the ratepayer’s name eight times, if the money was paid by cheque nine times, and with the monthly return to the council ten times. Mr DeKenzy thought what the board might save the ratepayers by undertaking the work would be sacrificed by keeping the overseer away from his board duties, Mr Metcalf could not see how it could be done fer 2£ per cent. They could collect the road board and harbor board rate in one lump sum, specifying that -Jd of the same was harbor board rate. The chairman did not think it could be legally collected in one sum, as the law stood at present. When the Bill now before Parliament was passed it would be, but at present he did not think it was legal, the two columns would have to appear on the rate roll. Mr Brophy did not think it could be done by the board, as their clerk and overseer had his time fully occupied with their own work. Mr Deßeczy moved and Mr Brophy seconded—Thai this board regrets they do not see their way to collect the harbor board rate as suggested by the county council, owing to their officer’s time being fully occupied in attending to the business of the board,”—Carried unanimously.

Speaking to the motion, the chairman said the refusal of the bo&rd to polloet the haibor rate not dono out of any bumptiousness on the part of the board, nor because they were ignorant of the advantage such an arraneement would be to the wbo'e body of ratepayers, but be-c-nse it was going to cut into the time of the board’s clerk and overseer, and be already had his hands quite fpll the business of the board, * If hja time were not fully occupied tire'board would have a legitimate claim upon it, and he (the chairman) would say by all means let them assist the council in collecting the rate, and thus assist the whole body of ratepayers. If their clerk and they th e U refused to collect the ralp, Iks public would point to them as putting the council to a greater outlay, while they, the members of the board, themselves had to contribute towards that outlay. But if the board undertook to collect the rate the ratepayers in the road board district would suffer more than the whole body of ratepayers would be benefited. He pointed put that the overseer could soarpely get about the district pow as much as he could be wished, and if this work were undertaken ha would be able to do so still lees. If they could ool'ect this r e and their own in one sum, and from the sum so collected pay over to the council Jd in the he would be in favor of doing it. (Members ; “ Hear, hear’’)y, He thought alep thpt tyio remarks of the council at ijheir last meeting that they would endeavor to compel the board to collect the rate were a little uncalled for, seeing the} bad ieeolved upon doing so before they had got the Tpply of the Geraldine Road 08 a body. They had certainly got a reply from Hie clerk that ho had seen the individu 1 members, but stiil to 6 pouncil had no yfjht to try and make them collect the rate before they had got the opinion ot the board as a body. He would be quite in favor of doing the woik if they could do it, but as it would necessitate employing another clerk he thought charity began at home, and they should study the pockets of their own ratepayers first. He thought if their chairman were there he would he at once with the boa?d ip the opinion that they

could not undertake the work without injury to their own ratepayers. He did not see why the council could not have collected the rate, seeing that it was about the last they would have to collect under the present system. When the new Bill was passed no doubt the boards would do tbe work, bat then they would be in the position to do it without so much trouble. Members entirely agreed with tbe chairman in his remarks. INTERVIEW. Mr Guerin waited on the board and asked them to relieve a drain on the Swam road, the natural course of the water 1 having been stopped. Application granted. BATE. Mr Deßenzy moved, and Mr Brophy secondhd— “ That it is the intention of the board at its next meedog, to be held on the 11th day of August next, to make and levy a general rate of one half-penny in the £ on all rateable property in the Geraldine Rond Board District for the period ending 31st March, 1891 ; the said rate to become due and payable at tbe Road Board Office on the Ist day of October next.' 1 financial. It was resolved—“ That the sum of £4OOO fixed deposit falling in at the Bank of New Zealand on the 20th July, 1890, br redepoaited in tbe following sums, viz., £3500 for 12 months, £SOO for 6 months, at the current rate of interest. Tbe interest due to be placed to the credit of current account at the Bank of New South Wales.” Resolved—" That (he sum of £4oo® fixed deposit falling due at the Bunk of New Sou h Wales, Geraldine, on tbe 16 h July, 1890, be redeposited with the same bank as under, £3500 for 12 months and £SOO for 6 months, at the current rate of interest.”

ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £143 14s 4d were passed for payment. NOTICE or MOTION. Mr Brophy gave notice to move as follows :—" That a resolution of the board at a former date re casual labourers be rescinded, and tbe following substituted * That casual and regular labourers be paid the same rate of wages.’ ’’ A COMPLAINT. The overseer complained that the contractor for the Geraldine Plat water race had taken some of the timber from tbe board’s groyne at Pleasant Valley, and h«d used It in putting up a gate on the water race. —Tbe overseer was instructed to write to the contractor informing him that the timber must be replaced at once to avoid further trouble. The meeting then terminated.