GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2275, 3 November 1891, Page 2

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the above board was held yesterday. Present Messrs Kelland (in the chair), Brophy, Metcalf, and Deßenzy. ' APOLUUV. d A letter was read from the chairman (Mr Flatman) apologising for his absence. TENDER. Tenders were received for works as follows ; No. 313—Lynn’s and Jessap’s road : D. Gregan, 1:83 (accepted). - Only tender. No. 311—Widening and repairs to bridle track, Waihi Gorge Cool iuj, £3O; W. Scully, £1!) 0s; Gadget and Richards, £l9 18s; F. Dierck, £l9; Peter Billings, £l6 10s (accepted). MR M‘SHANE AND MR DE RENZY. The following letter was read from the chairman of the board : “ Woodbury, October 28, 1891. “ Dear Mr Kelland, —I don’t expect to be able toatten Ithe board meeting on Mon lay next. I do hope members present will express themselves strongly on the letter published by Mr McSbaue in the Geraldine Guardian, stating that we had a member amongst ns who was privileged. I believe every member of the board will, with all confidence, deny the offence Mr McSbaue charges us with. I think we should not lose sight of the fact that in all probability Mr McSbaue wrote his letter in a hasty moment, and is doubtless sorry for the step he took.—Yours very truly, “ F. R. Flatman. P.S.—You can use this letter publicly f you wish.—ln haste, F 11 F.” Mr Deßenzy sai l he wished to contradict that statement. Mr McShane, he was sure, was not sorry for writing the letter, for he had since been making a house-to-house canvass about the affair, telling people of the way be bad been treated. He would have replied to Mr McShaue’s letter if it had been worth replying to, but when a man starts with an untruth he is not wortn replying to. Mr McShane, in his letter, said there was 2it Gin water in the culvert, and backed it up with a letter to the Geraldine Guardian. He would prove taere was not 2it (j,in or 2ft Win water. The full between the new aud old culverts was 1 it 9in, consequently there would only be llin of water in tae oi l culvert, There was no mark of any flood of water from the oi l culvert on the grass. Mr Metcalf said he visited the spot a few days after aud could see no marks of the water flowing through the grass land. Mr Deßenzy, continuing, said that Mr McShane’s letter was misleading; there had been no Jamming up since the new culvert was put across the road. Mr Shiels confirmed this. Mr Deßenzy said the letter led the public to suppose that the Road Board put the new culvert down and he immediately made a dam to back the water up against it. When a man started with such a lie there was no use in writing a letter in reply, because'he would stick to what he had said. He would say that if Mr McShane wanted.the water away helhad onjy to' Sarfy.put the obligations of his partnersnip which he went into on tae matter, and. he now- had a perfect right to go and clean out the'drain. Mr McShane was present when the work was completed, and he was perfectly satisfied tlm, *

Mr Metcalf said he did not think it right for the board to interfere with anything that did not interfere with them. If the culvert they had put down was sufficient for the protection of the road he thought the matter was one between Mr Deßenzy and Mr McShane, and it was for them to make arrangements for an outlet. He considered the board had done quite as much as they were entitled to do. Mr Brophy considered that if Mr Deßenzy and Mr McShane were partners in deepening the drain the board had nothing to do with it. He thought it was very hasty of Mr McShane to write the letter he did, and he supposed he would be sorry for it now.

Mr Metcalf asked how much it would cost to deepen the drain and clear it out. Mr Deßen zy <?aid he would never spend a penny on it again, unless compelled to do so by law. Mr McShane could go on to his land if he liked, and go into partnership with him in clearing the drain out. He would be very glad if instead of fighting the Board all the time,Mr McShane would divert his attention to the fountain head and fight it out with him. He would take the full responsibility The chairman said he was very sorry to see Mr McShane’s letter published in the Geraldine Guardian. He was sorry for two reasons. He had a better opinion oi Mr McShane than to think that he would write a letter which reflected rat tier severely on the members of the board. He thought he wept slightly beyond the truth in saying there was a favored member amongs em,, and it was> a reflection on every member of the board, the chairman included. He was not present to express himself verbally on the matter. He did think Mr McShane had written the letter in a hasty moment and really did not mean all he said. He was most happy* to say that all the time he had been on thef board ho had never known a member make the position he held on the hoard a benefit to himself, and be was sure Mr Deßenzy, above anyone, bad not done so. He bad no hesitation in saying that if the Board had made a mistake with regard to the drain the mistake was entirely in Mr McShane’s favor. He entirely denied the impeachments thrown out by Mr McShane that there was a favorite member on the board, for he was sure that they favored no I one, of the board or rate- ] ■•payers in the district. (Applause). 1 - correspondence. Correspondence was read and dealt with as follows From Mr W, Deßenzy, making application to have the drain on the Swamp Road cleared out;—The board did not consider the road is being injured, and refused the application. From Mr John Jackson, Tiimaru, quoting prices for timber.—The overseer to obtain what he requires. From Messrs A. 0. Kimbell, George Gilbert, James Bray, and E. A. Foster, respectfully requesting that the board would adopt the road line graded at 1 in 10, as surveyed by the Government, leading to Gapes’s Valley Bush, instead of the old track—The Board considered Mr Kimbell had failed to obtain a majority in favor of retaining the new road, and therefore felt bound to adhere to its former decision, INTERVIEW. Mr Gilbert waited on the board to know whether the board was going to retain the new road line surveyed at Gapes’s Valley Bush. —The board explained that they had decided by the majority to retain the old road, but would meet Mr Gilbert as near as possible in the matter, OVERSEER’S REPORT, ' .The overseer reported as follows: — “I have tae honor to report for the inf ormation of the Board as under;—Contracts ; Tne works on hand haVe made good progress. No 342, formation, Fords, &c„ Reserve 349. Cooper’s Flat, Rangitata, has been completed since last meeting, and passed for payment. No 341, shingling, Donkin’s road, Waitohi Bush—'Tagg’s road Gapes’s Valley; As instructed, I have examined this road, and found that 40 chains of formation is required, also two small cuttings. This, with about 100 yards of shingle in the fords and steep cuttings, will make the road passable so far as required at present. Bridges, Beautiful Valley Gorge: I have inspected the two old timber bridges, and find one of them very much decayed and unsafe for traction engines. One of the bearers is broken through, and not easily replaced. This bridge has been advertised as unsafe, and ought to.be replaced by a new one as early as possible; the new brid'ge ought to be at least two feet six inches higher than the old one. The next bridge over the main creek in the gorge is resting on timberframed sills, which are showing signs oi decay at tue foundations, and as there is a solid rock bottom at this place I shoul d recommend concrete abutments for tais bridge. As the road will have to be closea during replacement, I should advise that botn bridges be rebult witn new material during the summer months. I have taken out an estimate for both bridges, with concrete abutments.—Bridle Track Waihi Gorge; On going over this track I find it to.betoo narrow in places where the rock crops out, to be safe for packing over, anu ■as tne roadway Wants a general overhaul the full length, I haye called.tenders for the work.—-Poisoned wheat: There has been a good demand since iast meeting, and the stock is nearly exhausted, —General Rate : The sum of £»7O 3s Id has been collected to date op this account. —I have, &c., , “William Shiebs, Overseer.” The report was adopted, and; it was agreed to call for tenders for work at Tagg’s Road, Gapes’a Valley; also for work at bridges, Beautiful Valley Gorge., ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £llO Is 9d were passed for payment.

GENERAL BOOTH. General .Booth held a conversational meeting in Cnristchurch which was attended by a representative gathering of business men. Tne Hons. Mr Ballance and Mr McKenzie were also presept,.: and the hall was packed. The Premier, in moving a vote of thanks at the close of the meeting, said the proposition oi General Booth was an experiment, and he thought the Government and the country should afford an opportunity for the experiment to be tried. If it failed no ' great harm could come of it, and if successful the colony would be largely benefited, and the cause of humanity greatly advanced. General Booth’s public meeting, when he delievered an adoresson “ Darkest England,” was crowded to excess. : Three hundred were unable to gain admission. Tne subject of his secodd address was “ y ictorious Religion.”. General Booth reached Temuka, en route for Oamaru, in the express train yesterday. There was a very large crowd of people on the platform waiting to get a glimpse of him, but, to their utter disappointment and disgust, he refused to be seen. He was travelling in state, having a double-bogie carriage reserved for himself and a few of his officers,, and on each side of it were flaming banners bearing “ Salvation - Army mottoes.” s Judge Ward also' was in the carriage with him, No sooner, did the train . draw up at the station than an enthusiastic admirer rushed up to the General’s secretary, whose head and shoulders were out of the carriage window and asked him:

“Where is he?” The secretary, with a levity that seemed incompatible with his position, replied: “Would you like to know ?” Admirer: “ I would” Secretary: “ Would you like it very much ?” Admirer : “ I would.” Secretary : “ would you really ?” and thus they went on till a chous of “ oh, tell us, tell us ’’rose from the crowd. The Secretary then said • “He is in this carriage, but he cannot see anyone. 1 He is resting, and must not be disturbed.” Then rose a murmer of disappointment, to which expression was given in terms not at all complementary to the object of the whole affair. Shortly afterward an excited citizen jumped on the platform of the carriage and returned to the crowd, swearing he had seen him through the door, and that he had grey moustachios. Then sprung up another, and having got a glance he rushed back with lightning speed to fetch his wife, and then the crowd thronged the platform, and after having got a glimipse of the General passed on the the other side, in viewed order, to use military praseology. There was no other means of seeing him for the windows were dosed. At last the whistle is heard, and the train moves, and just then a widow is opened and out of it comes a head and hand which evidently belonged to the same person. The hand waves an adeau but the lips in the head do nothing more than smile, and the General vanishes forever, no doubt, from the gaz.e of his Temuka admirers. The General is ■very tall and tain, and wears a Salvation Army officers uniform, roofed with a tall hat, a real black belltoppcr, but not a silk one. His frame is inaeed fragile, and his face is thin with a feeble look upon it, and the only promient feature of it is his nose, which is prominent and hooked. V ith the exception of this feature, his face looked on from a physiognomistic point of view is weak, language being his next best developed point. But it is a kind and gentle, and sympathic face, such as one would think would belong to a very nice old man, but not to a very clever one.

When the train reached Timaru His Worship the Mayor of Timaru, Mr D. M. Ross, was present on the platform to receive the General, but the platform was so thronged that it did not appear possible for anyone to get through it. The secretary called out that if the people would get off the platform the General would address . them outside the railway station, but they did not appear to believe him, for they showed no great disposition to move. The Mayor entered the General’s carriage, and the cry was raised that the General had alighted on the wrong side, and was going along the train so as to get to the platform which had been prepared for him, and then a rush was made to get out of the station. • Sure enough this proved true, for as the crowd went but there standing in an express was General Booth. His Honor Judge Ward and His Worship the Mayor, who in very few wofds introduced the hero of the hour. The General proceeded to speak at once in a voice which, had it not been overworked, would have been resonant and pleasant He thanked them all for their kind reception. He had no doubt they were all friends. Before he could expect friends he must himself entertain friendly feelings. He felt friendly to all, and considered he deserved a calm consideration for his scheme. He felt New Zealanders had a great deal to thank God for, and more than ever he felt that in coming through their beautiful country that morning, for their lot was cast in very pleasant lines. They may not all think they were as well off as they would wish, but they were as well off as they deserved. They had a magnificent heritage, but it was more than they required, and they ought not to be like the Jog in the manger. He had been treated with great kindness in New Zealand, but he worked hard. He had to address three and a-half meetings yesterday (Sunday), and when they were over at 11 o’clock his friends insisted on another, which kept him well into the night. He was congratulated when leaving Christchurch on being able to rest in the train, but at every station he had to show himself, as auimals are shown in the Zoological Gardens. He must not speak long, now, as the train would be off, but he would advise taem first of all to do well for themselves. That was their first duty, to look after themselves, in a worldly and a spiritual way, and then, if they had anything to spare, to help the poor and needy, Did they think he was so silly as to expect this or- any other colony to accept criminals sent out by him 1 He was not, and they need not .read competition with the labor of his people. No doubt there was planty of workmen here and to spare for all there was to do, but let them look to the land. There was not as many as the land would support, taere were not as many as God woull support - Let them look to the land; let them utilise it wisely ; let them treat it generously and it would yield abundance of all they wanted. There is more land than they required, so they could afford to be generous.

He thanked those present for their attention vanished through the railway door as quick as lightning, after having spoken for between 15 and 20 minutes, and the next moment the train steamed away. General Booth is undoubtedly a splendid speaker. He has an extraordinary command of language, which he pours out at an extremely rapid rate.