CABLEGRAMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1847, 24 November 1884, Page 2

CABLEGRAMS.

[BY ELECTED TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.

Reuter's Telegrams.

Melbourne November 23.

Arrived, this afternoon—P. and 0, steamship Ganges with, the JJrindjsi mails, dated Loridon, October 17. • London, November 22,

A conference took place , to-day between Mr Gladstone, Lord Salisbury and Sir Stafford Northcofce. ft is understood that the conference was arranged with reference to the question of the extention of the franchise and the redistribution of seats, but no authentio information as to the result has yet transpired. ■ Lord Randolph Churchill ]& about to visit India, . ! In the House of Commons to-day, the'motion 'introduced.,:.by... : Mr.. Lft:_ liou'cTiere"f6r of the House of Lords, was negatived on division by a majority of 71 votes, Lord Edmund Fitzmaurice, in reply to a question in the House of Com mons to-day, stated that the which had been made by the GovW ment to mediate between Prance and China have proved entirely fruitless. Capetown, November 21. Telegrams have been received here reporting that Dretoit (sic) has hoisted the flag of the Transvaal Republic in Montseoa's territory, . and has promised to support the native raiders in Bechuanaland. It is, however, believed here that the Transvaal Government disavows any participation or interest in the matter. Berlin, November 21. The Conference on the Congo question is Still proceeding here, and it is: expected that a general agreement wpl be arrived at by the plenipotentiaries. The British delegates, following those of Germany and France, have consented to recognise l the territory ,qooupied by Mr Stanley's International Association as .a. free State, . London, November 81st,

Received November 24tb, 12,40 p.m. —Consols remain at 101, New Zealand securities,. at yesterday's quotations; The total quantity of wheat afloat in the United Kingdom -is 1,720,00.0 quarters; Australian tallow, average quality of beef and mutton is how 34s j best Sydney sun-dried copra has deolined to £l6 5s j New Zealand mutton, prime quaiiry, it realising 5Jd

to s£d, Wool sales: At to-day's auction 10,000 bales were catalogued. The market was firm. ; . . . . ~ November 22nd. A firm tone was again experienced attp-day's wool 'sales. . The catalogue comprited 7,000 bales.' MASTERTON ROAD BOARD, The regular meeting of the Board was held this day—present Messrs. W. H. 1 Beetham chairman/E, Meredith >Tun, and Gr, Gunderaon. ■,' ■ ~ The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence was read from the chairman of the Upper Taueru Road Board, agreeing to the resolution arrived at by, the conference re the adjustment of accounts, From the. Minister Public Works, advising the sum of £IOBB applied for. under the Roads and Bridges construction act, had been granted in full. From Public works office asking for a longitudinal section of the proposed: work rendered necessary by flood damages on Miki-Miki Road,—lnformation furnished by Engineer. Jrom H. S. Wardell drawingattention to the dangorous state of the ford ut'Te Whiti,. and suggesting two • canoes might bo : purchased for use at the crossing,—Referred .to EngineerFrotn Treasury enclosing payment £llO lis 4d under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. From W. Irons, re the unp»ssable state of the roads leading to his property.—Referred to the Engineer. Several other applications for repairs to roads were referred to the engineer to report upon, . • From the Crown Lands Office notifying that the total amount of money available from deferred payment thirds, £23 lis 3d, Mangaone, would be paid over to.the Alfredton Board.

From the Property Tax Department re rates on Crown Lands.

From same asking for a return of rates paid on Crown Lands in the Pahiatua district for the years 1882-3, and 1883-4 to the Masterton Road Board. The clerk informed the Board no monies had been paid over.

From P, C. tfrasi re survey of Board roads. The consideration was held over.

E. Pedersen's report of work done in No. 5 ward for the past month was read.

The clerk was instructed to take polls under tho Roads and Bridges Construction Act for money to be borrowed for completing the Wangaehu andllriti roads, and likewise to take the necessary steps for tlje eleotion of an additional warcjen for No. 2 and 3 wards.

The engineer's report was read as follows :

I have the honor to submit to you my report for the past month on the works of the AJfredlon and Masterton road districts aB follows.—

Alfredton Road District.—The -works which aro in active operation in this district are confined at present solely to contracts Nos, 4 and 5, consisting of formation and culvert construction, Theae are, all things considered, making fairly good progress. Many slips have occurred along the recently formed line, some of which are on a large scale, and will ocoupy some considerable time in their removal. The' workmanship generally speaking, although on the main accurately performed, js of a somewhat rough character, and will require a good deal of dressing up'before it can be taken over. Satisfactory arrangements have been entered into with Mr Stevens' consent for Mr Girdwood to complete his (Stevens') oontraot No Ij, ivhioh, as lately reported,'! was unable to pass imjiil the oonditiqusof contract have' been mora fully complied with, The amount which Mr Girdwood requires to perform the 'uncompleted work is £6, wbiph sum I consider to be a fair charge for its execution, I have served Mr Everndon with a notice instructing him. to proceed with as little delay as possible with tho construction of the bridges la this district, the contract for which was let to him towards the close of last summer. I have every reason to believe that the work will be pushed forward with much expedition, but doubt that they will be available for this season's wool traffic. . Masterton Road District, Ward No. 2. The formation contraot on the Masterton to Gladstone road has' been carrject qui, ani} examined by the inspector who reports tho work as oreditably performed, I purpose making the final inspection on Monday the 24tb,and will reoommend that the payment be retained by the Board until the examination has taken place. My attention has been directed to the almost impassable state of theKuaraahungafordat Te Whiti. This ford, although at all times a deep one, was, until the fjood/of September 2nd, fairly practicable in times of flood. Sinoe tljat qate, however, the river has altered u)s course to the oomplete destruction "of the ford for wheel traffic; and further, has rendered it.unsafe for horsemen unless they have a knowledge of the looatity and understand the particular ljnesqf the ford jb they Vary after eaph successive flood, 'A tyter will be laid before the Board suggesting a simple method of getting over the difficulty, and I ara disposed to support its recomrnendatW on the grounds that the ljne of toad is one much frequented, and consequently life and property must frequently •be exposed to danger jsolong as the public have to resort to the presept ford for' a passage of the riyer, I have examined into the application pt Messrs Campbell, Herbert !;ahd others-for an expenditure on the line of road leading to their properties at Otabaoua. Mr Herbert kindly accompanied me and explained the nature of the work they desire. I have estimated that a sum of £6los will meet the requirements, and will recommend that the expenditure be authorised. The repairs, sanctioned some time back, to the Kopuaranga bridge on the Opaki to'Rangitumau rp,ad are being carried out by Mr fcawson.' Opaki to Rangitumau road.—The contract flaßreporfcedaßconipletß6nthe2Qtb,butupon subsequent examination, defects have been discovered the reotifyini? of which will oocupy the Contraotor for about a week. Oh the whole tho works have been faithfully and creditably executed, and I feel assured that the settlers contributing towards this work cannot but feel that they; are reviewing a substantial equivalent for their money. No, 3 Ward—l visited the Matahiwi on the J3th ultimo and made an examination of the line throughout, The rough formation which has been executed at different times on the upper section is very muoh torn about and-deep ruts and mud holes predominate through the lower levels of the line. A ram of £6 properly expended, wll, in a large measure improve the wretched'state of the road and tend to render it practicable for the traffic of settlers in that quarter. 1 have already brought before the HOtice of the Board the injuries which the lower metalled sections on this line have sustained from the September floods, and will recommend that the sura of '£7 be' appropriated towards restoring the gravel scoured off the forma by the overflow from' the Waipoua, Plans &o„ have been prepared- and' estimates forwarded to the Government, for the proposed'loan under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act for the restoration of the bridge over the Waipoua at Mikimiki. In connection with Messrs Campbell and Harris' application for repairs'to the Upper Opakiroad, I have ascertained that these gentlemen are willing to allow this petition to lie in abeyance for the present and will renew it later on-for a larger expenditure than that recently nanotionedby the Board,

So far I have made no definite wrangements for the npairn to the Upper Fernridsje road, but hope to engtge with Mr Rasmussen for their execution during next month. No 4 Ward.-The slips upon the Waipawa road haye been removed, and the formation throughouthas been carefully and thoroughly renovated as far as the Boards liabilities are concerned. Mr Perry has had notice that it will be necessary for him to fulfil the rest of the concract, and I am given to understand that Mr Girdwood the manager has made arrangements for the immediate completion of the work, It is desirable that the bolts of the'tM) bridges should be tightened up beforo traffic is permanently diverted through this line and I ask the authority of the Board to have this undertaken. The roadman, with an extra hand, has prepared most of the hscines required for the protection of the Westmere dam by waihes and this work will be proceeded with at an early date.

I have fio,, C. E„Biusmhkb,

_ Mr B, E. Chamberlain attended, and informed the Board that Mr B. Hunt had erected a fence in the middle of the Mikimiki road. The Engineer was requested to visit the locality and ascertain exactly what had been done, and report at the next meeting of the Board. it was resolved that the application of ft^ssrs-Herbert; .Campbell, Bennett, and others for repairs to the road leading to Mr.Campbell's,beMd over till next meeting. That Mr G. Gunderson be appointed Treasurer to the Board during the absence of Mr R, D. Dagg. The clerk was instructed to write to Mr Jackson, Featherston, and inform him that there appeared to be a sum of £46 6s 3d due to the Board from lands Bold under the deferred payment system in the Kopuarangi blocks, and the Board would endeavour to obtain payment of the same for expenditure in that district, • Accounts amounting to £392 15s lOd were passed for payment.