MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 9 July 1883, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

The ordinary meeting was held on Saturday in the County Chambers. Present—Messrs Meredith (chairman), Oagg, and Chamberlain. Mr W. H. Beetham having been appointed warden for No i Ward, took his seat on the Board. .:

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed,

Mr Beetham gave notice that at the next meeting he would move "That a resolution passed at last meeting, 'that the Board's engineer prepare phns for the Wninnioru' bridge,' be rescinded." The engineer's report was read and adopted.;~ ENGINEERS REPORT, Sir,—l have tho honor to submit to you my report upon the works of the district for the month ending this day. No 2 Ward,- Weraiti Road contract.Notwithstanding the exceptionally favorable weather'lately experienced, the progress upon the work has been much slower than it had any right to bo. Consequently work which with reasonable exertion could have been finished six weeks ago, oannot now, everything favoring, becompleted foranothor fortnight, probably not for another mnotli. The disadvantage to the works attendant upon this delay aro that hid they been pushed forward during the fine weather the metal could have set firmly on a hard auifaco, whereas the operation of completing them now involves the the ploughing up and the partial destruction of the work as fast as it is performed. Tnis state of affairs is mainly attributablo to the vacillation and. neglecUf independent action on the p,irt of those directly in charge of the work, as well as to the fact that the cuntraotora are at variance among thcmsolvis. Unfortunately the Board must be the direct sufferer by this as the permanent efficiency of the work is materially detraoted. from by its tardy ; complttion, I will therefore recommend that tho Board Bhould indemnify itself by inflicting a,sufficient,penalty to moet.the probable cost of renovating to some extent

the defective portions of tho work next spring. Tho amount oan readily be assessed when the contract is completed. Upper Plain road contract,—This work formerly entered upon by Mr Isaac Allen and subsequently abandoned by him, has boon re-advertised and let to Mr Chas. Osborne, ol the Upper Plain., 1 trust that a ohango of contraotormay realize a substantial ohange in the manner of performance'of the work,

Matahiwi Koad \York.~On this line the contract has been all but successfully completed iu face of the great disadvantage under which it has been carried out, the lower section having been subjected to a .continuous and heavy traffic throughout its performance. Tho work is at present undergoing its final trimming up, preparatory to its being taken off the contractors' hands. Generally speaking the work ia of a satisfactory nature The repairs authorised to the Taueru section of the Masterton to Waimata road, are being successfully carried put and will be completed this day. The men thereon will be transferred in this direction to effect the ropairs uecessary to portions of the Upper Plain Road.

The three small contracts let upon the Upper Sectiou of tho Matahiwi road are at present in progress. The works so far have not altogether given satisfaction, there having been an apparent tendency to evade tho requirements of tho specification. This has been effectually stopped, and [ hope the work will proceed speedily and satisfactorily to a conclusion.

The work of opening up and widening the chaunel for the Waipoua river at Pairau has beon carefully and successfully performed, The laree collection of logs, and general debris, in tho channel havo been cut aud Wasted, and the crown of the clay bar crossing tho river bod at the old protective works has hoonliwored about three feet. With the assistanco of tho next freshet I hope to be able to complote the undertaking by romoving all the loose timber &o, whioh has beon cat into short lengths, sufficiently far down the stream to prevent tho former tendency to block the river back on to the open shingle bed where the overflow formerly found its outlet. Tho hands recently employed upon this work are at present engaged in filling in the ruts and breaking the stones upon tho Uppor Opaki road. This lattor werk will occupy about anothor week. Of the larger contracts let in this Ward no apparent commencement has been made, although I believe that active operations havo iu some instances started; in the Bhape of preparation of timber &o.

No 4 Ward.—-Nothing so far has beeu done towards starting the new works recently let to Messrs Girdwood and to Parker and Co. Of the the latter, my former remarks stand equally applicable, as the resolution ot 27th June had equal bearing on the works in this Ward as in Ward No. 2, Wainuioru Road.—A permanent roadsman having be re-appointed upon tho line and the increasing importance of tho road demanding that a man should constantly be employed, it is necessary that proper accommodation for him should be provided in tho most suitable locality. I will therefore request the authority of the Board to have a suitable building erected upon what I may determine to be the most convenient site, I have &c„ C. E. Bremner.

Tho following correspondence was read :

Prom Education Board in answer to rate notice, stating that the Board has no interest in the section referred to at Alfredton, it bein» vested in the school commissioners.

From Mr Joseph Bennett, asking that an entry on the rate roll be altered from himself to Mr Drummond.—The clerk was instructed to ■ make the necessary alteration,

An alteration in the rate roll was also asked for by Mr Beetham and granted.

ITrom clerk of Castlepoint Highway Board, stating that the sum of .£lO had been voted to duplicate certain culverts on the Blairlogie road.—The chairman was requested to see the work referred to carried out,

From same, informing the Board tbab three members of that Board had been appointed to confer with three members of the Masterton Board on Friday next, 14th hst, re the adjustment of rates, etc., between the two Boards.—Messrs Beetham, Macquarie, and the Chairman were appointed to represent the Board, and in the event of Mr Macquarie being unable to attend, Mr Dagg was requested to act. From Mr E. C. Hood, asking for a road to be laid oh" through his property.—The Clerk was instructed to write to the Castlepoint Eoad Board, asking authority for the Engineer to complete the survey.—The Engineer was instructed to do the same as soon as he could spare the time, From Mr Holmes Ciayne, asking the Board, to lay off a line of road to his property on the Rangitumau block.— The Engineer was instructed to make necessary enquiries for future action. The Clerk reported that no answer had been received from the Public Works Office to the debentures sent down, and the application for progress payment for work being dono under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act.

It was resolved—That an application be made to the Carterton Board for payment of the cost of survey and preparation of plans for work on the Masterton to Gladstone road, for whieh an application under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act was sent in last December.

Accounts amounting to £277 15s Gd were passed for payment,

AFTERNOON SITTING,

A letter was read from Mr W. lorns, calling the Board's attention to the state of the road leading from the Ruamahunga river to his property, and requesting them to grant a sum sufficient to make the road fit for traffic, The Engineer was instructed to inspect the road and report at next meeting.

A letter was read from Mr L, M. Donovan, asking the Board to give him permission to do work on the road leading to his property, Tho Engineer was authorised to instruct Mr Donovan what work he may do to the road.

The contractors for the Waipawa and Fernridge contracts were instructed to proceed without delay with the works.

It was resolved that fresh tenders be called for the Westmere dam contract.

Messrs Wilder, Daysli and Butler waited on the Board and requested payment for works in. progress. The amounts of £BO on the Matahiwi contract, and £SO on the Weiraiti contract were granted, The meeting then adjourned.

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