MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1940, 16 March 1885, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of flie, above was held on Saturday. Present—Messrs Beetham (Chairman), Chamberlain, Gunderson, Dagg, Johnßton, and Meredith. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

The following correspondence was road: —From the Treasury acknowledging the, receipt of debentures under the Roadß and Bridges Act. From same, advising payment of £76 17s Bd, Crown Lands rates. From same advising payment under the Eoada and Bridges Act of £7OO. From Minister of Public Works re imprest payments

From Commissioner of Crown Lands re expenditure of deferred payment thirds. From same with list of properties sold since December sth,

From Colonial Secretary, re gazetting warden for No. 6 Ward, From the Pahiatua Road Board with copy of resolution re taking over main roads.

From Alfredton Road Board, re piledriving. From Messrs McKay and Elkins, complaining that a gate which the Board authorised to be put across the road running through theii property was continually left 6pen,'arii al)kinj{ 'the'*Bbard to (iake'aliti&i against th'e defending party. From Messrs Holmes, asking that their special rate may be paid out of their general rate.

From Owen Meredith < cancelling his tender for fencing at Uriti. The following resolutions were passed ; That Mr Owen Meredith's contract be cancelled and the deposit returned. That tho Collector bo instructed to take proceedings to recover arrears of rateß. Tl]at E- Pidaraen, roadman, No 6 Ward . Aat the Board cannot accede to Mr Donovan's application, That the special rates due by Messrs Stuckey and others be reduced by tho amount of theirgeneral ratesless expensos. That tho 'overseer inspect the work wanted to be doiie by Messrs Campbell and Harris, also H. Wilton's application, and report to the next; meeting. That Messrs Eikins and McKay be informed that- having obtained liberty from the Board to ereot a gate oh the road through their property, it will be their duty to proceed' against persons leaving tho same opon! That the Board cannot accede to Julius Rasmnssen's request to Bpend money oil the road as repuested at present. That Messrs Beetham and Johnston interview Mr Cockburn to get a better ford it Te Whiti. ' *

Accounts to the amount of £GO4 was pasßed for payment. l!

Uriti road. The Chairman said that at thelast me oting of the Board, it was suggested to ascertain the feeling df the ratepayers oonoorniny the road deviation. Sinoe them a meeting had been held, called by Mr Tatham on the 5 th March, and they had passed a resolution objecting to the alteration proposed t» the Board of the lino of : road, Money had been raised under the Roads and Bridges act for the Uriti road, and for a long time had boon held in abeyance. The Board should now take 1 action; ' Mi' Meredith had declined to carry out his part of the arrangement unless the Board would bind itself not to take any land from him for the spac# of three

years for road purposes. He thought the Board should ask Mr Meredith to Carry out his arrangement, the other parties having'contributed their share of the bargain. It was a distinct promise by Mr Meredith to the -Board,- and the settlers had raised the money and; done all on their side, and now Mr .Meredith had refused to make.good his part of the ■. : ' arrangement. - ■ Mr Meredith said when .tho Board had settled the claims of the Waironga then he would be prepared to give them free ; access to tho Uriti shipping • place. - : He' '~- had nevev arranged anything with the settlers and he ; was. still prepared to carry out Mb part;, of the arrangement made withthe 80ard,,,, The Board : had | nevier paid any money;over.nord«ne the ' ,• fencing, >_ •.Th?. Chairman said before they paid any money they would ' require proper security,'that Mr Meredith would cany out his agreement. Of courae this was understood that this/'Was not Mr Meredith's affair personally,; :;but that of tho trusteesjof the Waironga eatite. : < Mr Meredith said ho had no 'conception whatever that the settlers application for a deviation would be entertained the Board, and he thought the thing.' at an end until he found an officer , Board up there surveying , the |rlpU f deviation. It was the fault of the Board "'' ' that atep3 were not taken .to settlo: affair at the time, as he, as trustee to th'b Waironga estate, was: now: placed in. a different position to what he was for- ' merly. . , '■ -MrDaggsaid Messrs Moore and Donald ' had offered to find the money (£9O) to purchase the road line; and Mr Meredith ' promised when they : did; so he would make oyer the road.lirie .to -the shipping 'place, 1 On .the. strength;. Of this-the Board had applied under the "Roads and Bridges Construction-Act for-the. money for the road, and it was hung up for want of Mr Meredith's signature to the agreement. Mr -.Meredith had been written .to by the Board to. complete his arrangement. The Board was- placed in . a painful condition. ■ ' Tile Chairman said Mr Meredith did not deny his promise, but. said he was placed in a different position from being appointed a trustee for the- .Waironga estate. ' ■ 8 Mr Meredith said he-was quite willing' to withdraw his . letter and substitute another that would simplify . matters, The public had always had free acoess'to the shipping place. Mr Moore denied;this:the gates having been frequently locked at shearing time! Mr Meredith said if the road- was not ■ • .made to the eastof the Pahautanui stream-' he would open the road.. The Chairman said the Board was still open to pay the compensation and go on with the fencing, bvit they would not be justified in doing ao before tho necessary transfers were made by Mr Meredith, the v whole thins? should be done simultaneously. The application for a change of road was altogether outside the consideration and should stand on its merits, He the Board should now-obtain a decided answer from Mr Meredith, as they were quite prepared to complete on their sid®, He. thought the 'Board were entitled to more than a vorbal-'-promise from Mr Meredith,

Mr Meredith urged that tho-Board had not completed their arrangements and ho had declined to do further: than give a verbal promise. He was prepared to do his part if tho Board did justice to Waironga,

Mr Moore said by reference ; to the minute book it would be seen this Uriti road had. been a constant, trouble to the Board,, find the settlers had repeatedly complied with the demands of Mr Meredith in the hope of getting this road to the shipping place opened, and Mr Meredith would not fulfil, his part when the time came for him to do BQ, He thought the Board would now be justified in bringing pressure to boar to got a settlement. The chairman said they worciii ft position to complete tHoir side of the arrangement and would do bo on the agreement for a transfer being signed by Mr Meredith.

Mr Meredith said if the Board would deal with the-other question first and settle whether or not they intended taking the road on tlio left side of the Pahautanpi, the other question would be expedited. Ho would like to know why an officer of tho Board was sent up to the district.

The Chairman said the question of the Uriti waß the one the Board was now considering, and he failed to see why they should be mixed up. A deviation wsb applied for in the East Coast line. Some settlers wish that taken through part of Mr Meredith's properta, and if the Board would give tho promise that the deviation shou'd not take the east aide of the Pahautaini stream, then Mr Meredith would simplify the Uriti arrangement. The members expressed their individual opinions that the Uriti road should first be dealt with.

Mr Meredith said he held a peculiar position, and feeling justified in the course he had taken, he should abide-by it. The Chairman said they had done their best to settle the business amicably;'and it would now be forced upon them to fake tho land under the Act and place the matter in the hands of .valuators; It seemed there was no alternative but to put tho necessary machinery into motion. It was a veiy expensive process. If "Mr Meredith would now givo his written consent the matter could be settled. Ho moved that the line as surveyed, should be taken under tho Public, Works' Act to tta shipping place, Uriti, tjirough 'the Waironga property ana Riversdale. • Mr Meredith said the Board vaa going out of its way to do what could be'done at any time after the other matter was considered. ' ;■

Mr Charaborlain seconded the motion, which-was carriod. ■■