GERALDINE ROAD BOARD

Temuka Leader, Issue 2867, 12 September 1895, Page 2

GERALDINE ROAD BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Geraldine Hoad Board was held on Tuesday. Present— Messrs J, Kelland (chairman), M. C. Orbell, K. Brophy, and A. Metcalf. TENDERS. Tenders were opened for works as under:— Contract No 445, formation and culverts, Mee’s road, Four Peaks—Patrick Gregau, £3B; Timothy Sugrue, £3B; Jonas Fifield, £35 ; Daniel Gregau, £2B (accepted). Contract No. 456, cutting and grubbing gorse, reserve, Geraldine Flat, — Timothy O’Connor, £8; William Bloom field, £7 10s; James Joe, £7 ; William King, £7; Lawrence Coogan, £5 10s (accepted). Contract No. 457, formation and shingle, Matthews’ road, Waitohi Flat —• Alexander McLeod, £67 10s; Daniel Leary, junr., £53 5s ; Patrick Gregau, £52; Timothy Sugrue, £46 (accepted). Contract No. 458, concrete culvert, formation and shingling at Macdonald’s road, Raukapuka—Daniel Duggan, £29 ; Daniel Gregau, £25, (accepted). CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence was read and dealt with as follows : From District Engineers’ Department, Christchurch,making enquiries from public bodies, and large employers of labor, the present ruling rate of wages for day labourers, etc. —Attended to. From the Levels County Council office, re two bags of poisoned wheat sent by rail to Orari.—No more required this season.

From the Commissioner of Crown Lands, acknowledging receipt of memo re works on the Haehae-te-moaua Gorge Road, and enclosing forms of application for payment of money required by the board.

From Mr J. W. Jones, Hilton, giving consent to have the road through Scobie’s closed if board will go on with the proposed new road at once.—The board will take the necessary steps to open the road asked for.

From Receiver of Laud Revenue, sending schedule of “ thirds ” and “ fourths ” accrued on certain properties.—Mr Shiers to go into the matter and make proposals. From MrE. Burke, Geraldine, asking that 20 chains of shingle be put on road from his gate to the junction of five roads loading to Dairy Factory.—To stand over for a mouth.

From nine ratepayers, asking that the following works be attended to : Shingling road leading from Hon. L. Walker’s gate past Mulvihill’s ; that the grade be lowered at Mr Crowe’s cutting ; that the Moaja Gully Creek be attended to, to prevent overflow on road.—The overseer to report. From Chief Surveyor, re correspondence on the subject of acquisition of new road to Mr J. \V. Jones’ laud at Kakahu Bush.—The matter has been attended to.

From Mr C. G. Tripp, sending a number of printed reports, etc, on the Rabbit Question, and asking board’s support.—Attended to. DEI'UTATTONS Mr F. O’Connor, Orari, waited on the board with respect to the lowering of wages of workmen at the Hae-hao teMoana Gorge. The Board agreed that full wages be paid to men up till the day on which notice of reduction was given. Mr W. Woods also waited on the board re the same matter. RELIKE WORS. Mr Orboll made enquiries as to the amount money being spent on the Relief Works at llao-hao-te-Moana Gorge lie brought up the matter because there was a feeling amongst ratepayers that their rates were being spent on these works. The ratepayers were not aware that the Government had voted £ISU towards the works, and that the properties at the Gorge had earned “ thirds” which should bo spent there. Mr Metcalf proposed, and Mr Brophy seconded—“ That the members of the board take a trip to the works, and decide as to whether the road should bo con tinned.” —Carried.

OVERSEER S RETORT. Tho overseer reported ; —■“ Contracts ; Several of the works iu hand have made fair progress during the past month. Two contracts have been completed and passed for payment, viz., form Tion and shingling, Gilbert’s road, and formation and cuttings, Meredith’s road, Kakahu Bush. The work on Tagg’a road, Waihi Gorge road, and gorso cutting at the reserves, Woodbury and Orari Flat, are in a forward state, and should bo finished in about ten day? from dale.—Lynn’s road ; No work has been done on this road for some weeks, and both contracts remain incomplete.—To Mima road : This work lias made fair progress since last meeting, the earth work for a dray track being in a forward stale to Mr Shaw’s boundary. A few of the men have been dispensed with ; a few also left of their accord, having obtained wo; k more suitable. Twenty-six men are now on the work. As the money available is nearly exhausted, and it will take some time to got out tlio rook open d up, 1 should like to have instructions as to how far the road is to bo taxon. —hold at line’s Creek ; Uu inspection of this place 1 am of opinion that if a ford was constructed, owing to the sharp curve at ancle of road, and the peaty nature of the ground, Mr Wooding would ho unable to take his traction engine through the crook wiih combine and impedciiioiTa attached to i.ho engine. The ford not being required fur ether traiiic, would, ihecefoie, bo Unc-les-i Bennett's and Behren's applical ion, Oriri: To reform the side of tho mam I-,,;. 1 in front of Behren's and Orbed's .sections, a distance of Hi chains would This requires to be done, as the site of the mad is very boll >w at present and acts as a drain for the surface water. ■ ilumiutt’s road ; This road is -IG chains : in length, 157 of which arc rough broken i

riverbed, intersected by a running creek and deep gullies. To foi m a track 20 feet wide and make it passable for dray traffic would cost £—. —Bridge at Beckham’s ford : I have again examined this crossing, and find when the river is low that the water spreads over 188 feet of shingle bed. A rise of about 18 inches by a slight fresh causes the water to spread over a considerable portion of the riverbed, and would render the proposed footbridge useless at a time whgn most required. By curtailing the length and reducing the size of piles and width of footplanks, also weight of ironwork, the present stream could be spanned for about £ — .—Burborough’s application : On inspecting this place I find the present track is not for some distance on the line of road, which runs through a reserve, and is unfeuced. As there is very little use for a road, ajfew days’ work is all that is necessary to make the present track fairly passable for dray traffic.—Roads : The following have been attended to, viz., shingle repairs to Campbell’s, Pleasant Valley, Fairfield, Beautiful Valley, and Kakahu roads ; also fords and crossings a t various places.—As instructed laying poisoned grain was discontinued at the end of the last month. There is still a good demand from the farmers.—l have, etc., “ VVm. Shiees, “ Overseer,”

The overseer’s report was read and considered satisfactory. Re Behren’s application, it was decided to have the work done on the co operative system. With regard to Bennett’s road, the work to stand over till sufficient “ thirds ” have accrued. It was resolved that owing to the shifting nature of the river at Peckham’s crossing the board thinks it unwise to erect a permanent structure at present, and will have tressels put there at once. As to Burborough’s application the overseer was instructed to get necessary work done. The board did not feel justified in going to the expense of strengthening the bridge at Rae’s creek, as it was so seldom used for heavy traffic. GOESE. The following resolution was carried—- “ That all ratepayers who have received notice to grub gorse on their road frontages be summoned if they have not started grubbing and made good progress by next meeting of the board.” LOCAL BODIES BILL. On the motion of Mr Orbell, seconded by Mr Brophy, it was carried—“ That this board strongly urges delay in passing the Local Bodies Bill, with the view of giving further time for its consideration.” ACCOUNTS. The accounts for the month, amounting to £387 7s 4d, were passed for payment. The board then rose.