MASTERION HIGHWAY BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 982, 25 January 1882, Page 2

MASTERION HIGHWAY BOARD.

A meeting of the above Board was held on Saturday last, Present:—Messrs Meredith, Chambelain, and Vallanoe, Mr Meredith in the chair. The mitiutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The following correspondence was like-read:—Letter-from the Chief Surveyor, re road line into the Crown Lands north of Rangitumau. Prom Messrs Brand and Gray as to lease of Hurunuiorangi Toll to Mr Sexton. From Mr Donovan as to road leading through his property to others adjoining. From Commissioner of Crown Lands re matnrity of Crown grantsof sections 141 and 142,. Tauoru block. From Mr Joseph Bennett tendering hia resignation as- Warden for Nor Ward of the diatriot. From :Mr -Bezar tendoring his resignation of the office ofßanger to the Boa.id. From Clerk ot: Feitherston Highway Board requesting payment of the .; sum of £6O, Board's share of making a bridle track from Upper to Lower Pahaua. From Clerk of West Couuty Council statin? that the formation works through the Government Lands at the back of Mauriceville would not extend sufficiently to give Mr McLeod access to his section, 73, and sating the County Eifgineec would be instructed to define a line of road from Mr Wyat's property to the Tinui-Tirauinea main' line. Mr Mr Goo. Moore re state of Waihoaraand East Coast road, and requesting that oul verts might be constructed in the worst places. The. following resolutions wore then passed ;—That the Engineer, has no cause to tender an apology "for: the remarks made by him in a former report re contractors.—That tho Engineer be instructed to carry out the work applied for by Mr Geo. Moore on the Waihoaraand East Coast road, with as little delay as possible.—That the suggestion made by the Engineer in his report re contractors finding sureties be adopted.—That the Clerk acknowledge receipt of Mr Bennett's letter, tendering his resignation, and to express the Board's regret, and ask whether he will not re-considor hia determination, in the ovent of hia not L doing so that the necessary stops he taken > to fill the vacancy.—That the application of Mr Meredith for the use of the.scoop' be held over till next meeting. i'aymkbts-.made;

The next meeting was fixed for the 15th February, as 10 a.m. engineer's report. ' To Ihe Chairman Maaterton Highway Board— Masterton, Jan. 21st, 1881. Sir,—l beg to submit to you the following general report, for the month ending the above dale, on contracts, <fcc, in progress within the Masterton Highway District:— I will preface my remarka by calling the attention of members of the Board to the Daily's criticism of my reports, which are condemned aB discourteout, If such is the opinion of the Board I must offer an apology. No.-2 Ward-White's Upper-Taueru ' Contract.—l made an inspection of this work on the 12th inat., and although proceeding in his peculiar slow manner, he is making on the average fair work. The time for completing the whole contract expired little over a month ago, and the work is at present so far from fulfilled that I oannot hazard a' guess aa lo when it may bo completed. On the bnah section of the line a now and (so-far as I can judge) goodroadman has been appointed, the former hand having resigned owing to ! expression of disapproval, having been passed by the Board's Overseer, rewarding the class of work the man was doing on the road. --In this Mr Hourigau was perfectly justified, aa the performance was not by any means creditable to the performer,' Te Ore Ore Bridge Sheathing.—The planking having been .delivered, the work is now proceeding, and I hope may shortly be completed. The dolay on the part of Messrs McGregor Bros, is accounted for by pressure of urgent orders for a similar class of timber, and the suspension of • operations during the holidays. The protection of the Te Ore Ore road at the Ruamahunga ovorfiow is being dealt with in the manner decided by the Board at last meeting. I have carefully oxamined the localities along the Taueru road from which I had considered it practicable that metalraight have been procured for gravelling the formation, but am disappointed to find that the limeßtone is of a voiy and totally unfit for the purposeTuovoring the road. I feel assured now that"the ouly alternative to metalling from the ► Ore Ore Plain (a most expensive under- '%" taking) is to metal-from the'terrace at Wardell township, from which latter place the material, although of a greatly inferior quality, can be laid down three times for about the samo cost as metalling once from the Te Ore Ore. I am of opinion that for the present the metalling ought to be done with the Tuuoru materials, and by the time .this coat has worn out a sufficient sum may be accumulated to warrant the undertaking of a larger contract, when the whole line might be metalled afresh from Te Ore Ore. By special contrivance in the' shape of false bottomed drays, carrying aay 4 cubic yards ' of gravel, the work might bo economically performed, as by this means one driver can then perform that what at presentis don by four, with the ordinary tip drays; and it is well known that drivers are the mblt unremunerative outlay that contractors have to contend with iu works of this nature. "Noi-8- Ward—Maatorfon-uid-Opaki' road.—The_ repairs to this Tiiwwill.ibe completed in a day or so, bo far'as is requisite for the present. I have therefore decided to shift the_roadmsu.to another portion of the Ward,.where iforks completed last season require triintifjig up. It will be desirable to metal poftps of the main line at some future time* but

oharge against tho County subsidy, tho balance will bo so smnll after his wages • . are deducted as hardly to justify tho lotting of a contract for the sum," He . will, howovor, be available whenever occasion requires liis services in this direction at a days'.notice. _ No, i Ward-Kaumingi Road Deviation.—This work is not (as I had anticipated at last mooting) completed. The subcontractors for the metalling having persistently worked portions of iho "ravel . pit, against tho use of which they had frequently been cautioned, will now liavo tho additional labor of stripping tho .jWpngth covered with tho inferior quality, it with the bettor class of molar. I will recommend an advance payment on account of the work to the extent of £IOO, for which application has boen mndo. It is requisite nlao that portions of the Kaumingi road should be re-metalled before tho winter sots in, as in many placoa tho old qravol is entirely worn out. No. 5 Ward—Buckridge's Tupiirupuru Eoad Contracts.—Out of a length of 140 chains of road formation and metalling, but 50 chains are completed, and the stipulated date for fulfilment expires in a fortnight. This is highly unsatisfactory from every point of view, as it not only makes tho form of binding a contractor to timo a perfect farce, but is an injustice to other contractors, who, had they bsen torero that time was no', object, might possibly have tondercd at lower rates, . The Board certainly have the privilege of ■inflicting the prescribed penalties to the , • loiter, yet in most instances, and this is no-exception, the infliction to the full extent will simply mean the robbing of Ihe laboring men who have worked hard for little pay, and who are often the only . deserving individuals in the matter. I ' will suggest .that the Board in future exorciao a discretionary power by which . they can compel (if considered necessary) any contractor for Board works to find suroties who will guarantee the payment of mon onco a month, which I feel sure would have the effect of pushing matters forward in a more systematic and workmanlike manner. I am confident that many men are frequently compelled to remain on works for the simple reason that leaving before the contracts are finished means going to law for their wages or leaving without them Ahiaruhe lioad Works.—Tlieao have . been let to Mr O'Sullivan for £27 upon the understanding that thoyare proceeded with immediately after harvesting is over. No. G Ward!-The timber and spikes for Hie works on Morrison's flats at Blairlogie have been delivered in the locality, and tho culverts, &c, will shortly be conBtrucled, SUHVKY OPERATIONS. The road works at Iho Upper Fernridgo are now proparod for contract, but I fear it is useless to advertise any of the eontracts already surveyed until after harvesting is over. My camp has proceeded to the Pahiatua District, but owing to the. unpropitioiis weather the full compliment of men have not boen engaged, and nothing as yet has been done, iliave.ie,, . C. E. Brkmner.

£ s. d. John O'Connor, No. 2 Ward ..-, . .7 16 0 J. Oavanaeh, No. 2 & 3 Wards 7 7 0 J. McManuaway, No. 4 Ward.., . 716 0 A. McKormac No, 5 Ward „", , 7 16 0 F. Poulson, No. 5 Ward , 5 15 6 J. Petersen, No. C Ward , 716 0 James Hourigan. Nos. 3, 4, and 5, Wards 12 0 0 . T. E, Price, general account ,., ,220 Beard & Gray, general account 5 14 6 Featheraton Highway Board, No. 6 Ward ... .,. 60 0 0 George Fannin, general account 6 8 0 0. E. Breraner, salary 23 1 8 E. MoEivan, No. 5 Ward ... 3 2 0 J. P. Girdwood, No. 4 Ward...l00 0 0 K. Wilaone, to pay accounts... 13 0 0. L. Prophit ... .„ .., , 714 0 A. Armstrong No, 5 Ward ... 1 0 6 E. Quick, general recount ... 6 3 0 L. A. Scot, No. 6 Ward ... 5 10 6 John Buckridge, No 5 Ward .„ 30 0 0