CORRESPONDENCE. [We do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed by our correspondents.] HIGHWAYS BILL. DIGEST OF HIGHWAYS BILL. VOLUNTEER MEETING AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 314, 19 May 1874, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE. [We do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed by our correspondents.] HIGHWAYS BILL.

DIGEST OF HIGHWAYS BILL.

VOLUNTEER MEETING AT HAMILTON.

(To tho Editor of the Waikato Times.) Silt, — Considerable opposition is beiug raided to parts three and lour of the new Highways Bill, now under discussion by the Provincial Council. Theae sections of tho Act have for their object the constitution of Central Boards, together with tho granting of borrowing powers to the different Boards. Tho members representing the different Waikato districts and Raglim are desnous of benring tbo opinions of their constituents on tho Bill, especially tbo aboTe-mentioned portions, and would feel obliged if the chairmen of tho several District Boards would communicate to them without delay tho opinions of the ratepayers ou tbo matter. — I am, &c, Henry Byrox. Auckland, 16th May, 1371.

War is far from being ,i j.ui c gum even to the conquerors. Count yon Moltke, when luhocuting m the German Parliament ail increuhc of tho Imperial army, observed tliat France wai imitaticg all the Gennnn mihtavv arrangement-*, and that what had been acquired in the space of six month* would need to he protected by force of amis for half a century. Among his hearers, it would seem, weie the Diputies Irom Alsace and Lorraine, some of whom, howe\ci, could nut have In en much the wjserfor what they board. It is said thai eun the Di»h«]i of UvU uudcrktaudi no (Jcrniau.

We continue our digest of the Highways Bill held over from )a3t issue. Clause 51 provides that all roads within a district, except such as the Provincial Government, by act of Provincial Legislature, is bound to repair, shall be under control of Board. 52. Tho Board may open new roads or cause those in existence to bo raised or lowored. 53. The Superintendent may appoiut that any bridge or ferry at the boundary of any district shall be under tho control of the Board named in proclamation. 54 If any part of a public highway shall adjoin leugthwaya the boundary of auy district, but a portion shall lay outside and not within the limits of any other Board, the Board first named shall have power to drain, metal, &c, as if within the district. 55. Where part of a boundary road is within another district, and the portion therein require work performed upon it, the Board of tho adjoining district may give notice, stating the dc3irc of the Board that the necessary work may be performed, and offer to treat with respect to the performance of the whole work by either party, and for tho subsequent keeping in repair. 56, 57, 58 ana 59. Boards may make and cut drains, have charge of pounds, impound eattle,Jand decide as to tho erection of pounds. 60. The ratepayers of any district, either at the annual meeting or at a special meeting called for the purpose, may authorise the District Board to pay a sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole one third of the total amount of rate towards maintaining steam communication. 61. Tho trustees of auy highway district may pay out of the annual revenue any sum not exceeding one half of such revenue for the purpose of removing obstructions from any navigable river or creek, or for erecting landmarks or beacons. 62. Ratepayers may authorise expenditure for lighting roads. 63. The Superintendent may require that the Board of any district •liall hove the control and supervision of any lauds under his control to prevent trespassing, &o. And it ehall be lawful for him, out of monies placed at his disposal for that purpose, to make an allowance in return for the performance of such duty. The Superintendent may delegate his powers to any Board by any of the following Acts : — The Weedi and Watercourses Act, 1866 ; The Fencing Act, 1855 ; The Eural Police Act. 1866 ; The Thistle Act, 1858 ; The Impounding Act, 1867 ; T'»e Registration of Brands Act, 1871 ; The Registration of Brands Act, 1871, Amendment Act, 1871; The Dog Nuisance Act, 1854; The Regulation of Ferries Act, 1863; The Slaughter-House Act, 1866. 65. During the time any of such Acts or part of them shall be in force all fees received thereunder shall be considered and applied as the ordinary rcvonue of the Board. 66, 67 and 68. The ratepayers of any district may at an annual or special meeting decide by a majority of two-thirds that the " Fencing Act, 1855," shall cease to be in operation in such district. The chairman of the meeting shall forward a copy of tho resolution to the Superintendent, who may allow or disallow. If he allow he shall proclaim same in Gazette, and thereupon the provisions of the Act shall cease to be in force except as to existing rights to contribution for cost of fencing. 69 and 70. Whenever the said Fencing Act shall cease to be in force, so much of the Impounding Act, 1567, as limits the right to recover damages upon the lands unfenced or not legally fenced, shall be deemed repealed. It shall be lawful lor the Superintendent to revoke any proclamation suspending the operation of the Fencing Act within any district. 71. District Boards may purchase and plant trees. 72. Refers to duties under shelved Education Bill. 73. Swing gates may be erected across roads by consent of Board. 74. The Superintendent may entrust to i Boards the expenditure of money voted by Provincial j Council. 75. The Superintendent may contribute to rates out of money voted for that purpose a sutn not exceeding the sum so collected. 76 and 77. Imposes penalties for damaging property, and directs how they Bhall be recovered. 78 and 79. If ratepayers do not elect Board, the Superintendent may appoint, and if ratepayers refuso or neglect to levy a rate, the Superintendent may levy and perform other duties. 80. In addition to the legal fences described in the Fencing Act, 1855, the Superintendent may declare any other description of fence to be clearly defined to be legal. 81 and 82. The Superintendent may appoint a competent engineer to District Board. An engineer may be appointed lo more than one district. 83. The salaries of engineers shall be fixed by tho Superintendent, who shall be paid as follows : Two-thirds by the Superintendent, ©ut of monies appropriated for that purpose by the Provincial Council, and the remaining third by the Boards of those districts for which such engineer shall respectively be acting, out of rates in such proportions as shall from time to time be fixed by Superintendent. 81. Engineers shall act for Boards carrying out the orders of the Central Board. No work to cost more than £10 shall be undertaken without the advice and assistance of the Engineer of tho Board. 85. If the 1 engineer report that any proposed work should not be under* taken, the Board shall not proceed with the work until the Superintendent shall approve of the same. For the purpose of rating this part of tho Bill to come into operation on tho Ist July, 1874.

Papt 111. Clause 87. Interpretation. 88. It shall be lawful for the Superintended, for the purposes of this part, of the Hill to unite any two or more sub-districts into a central district. 89 and 90. Central districts to be created in the same manner as sub-districts. Central districts to be described. 91, 92, 93, 94- and 93. As noon as this pnrt of the Bill comes into force, Boards of sub-district comprised in district shall meet within 21 days and elect a duly quuliGed ratepayer to be a member of Central Board. If Bo.ird fail Superintendent may appoint. When all members are appointed the Board shall be considered fully constituted, and thereupon outer upon |the discharge of its duties. Members of the Central Board shall hold office for two years. The same causes whioh disqualify for election lo Sub-Board apply to District Board. 96. In the event of vacancy by death, ordiiqualification, the Sub-Board shall elect another representative. 97, 98, 99, 100. Eefer to detail. 101. Central districts to be coterminous with provincial electorates. 102 and 103. Members of the Provincial Council for any electorate in which the larger portion of any central district shall be situated shall be ex qfficio members of the Central Board of such district. If any difficulty arise as to electorato the Superintendent to decide. 104. The Superintendent may transfer any power* or duties of Sub-District Boards to Central Boards. 105 and 106. Central Boards may require Sub-District Boards to pay to thorn one half of sub-district rate. 107. Before the expiration of its term of office each Central Board shall submit account to a meeting of District Boards. 108. All books and accounts of Central Board shall be open to inspection of any member of a Sub-Board at all reasonable hours. 109. Central Board may pay expenses of members to and from meeting of Board. 110. The Superintendent may bring this part of the Act into forco by proclamation.

Pa tit IT. Clauses 111 and 112. Any District Board may borrow money upon security of the rates. Bub before they can do so the following conditions must have been complied with : — 1. A scheme or plan of the works proposed to be constructed out of the money to bo borrowed shall have been prepared and approved of by the Engineer of the Board, 2. The ratepayers of the district at any annual or special meeting shall by a clear majority of two-thirds have passed a resolution approving of tho proposal to borrow a sum to be named in such resolution for the construction of the »aid works : provided that in the notice calling such meeting it shall have been expressly stated that a proposal to borrow money would be submitted for tho consideration of the ratepayers. 3. A copy of such resolution certified by the Chairman of tho meeting shall have been forwarded to the Superintendent together with the Bcheme of works and shall have been approved of by him. 113. The Superintendent ma> object to any works proposed to be made out of loans. 114. Upon compliance with conditions tho Superintendent may notify that the Board is at liberty to borrow. 115. Limits the amount any Board may borrow to seven times that recoverable in tho then current rate. 116. Loans first charge on all rates. 117. Onefifteenth of the whole amount recoverable upon therates given as security to be paid into the hands of the Provincial Treasurer, who shall lodgo jointly with tho Superintendent in some bank in the name of the Board. 118. Directs how Sinking Fund shall bo operated upon. 119, 120. Memorandum to be given to Provincial Treasurer of loan which is to contain an assignment of rate to Superintendent. 121, 122 and 123. District shall levy sufficient rate of the kind given as securily to piovide interest and sinking fund ; m default the Superintendent to levy who in default of payment of interest and sinking fund may impound rate. 124. All monies raised by loan to be accounted for in the same manner as those raised by rate. 125. Tho Superintendent may on his own account or at the instance of the lender appoint any persons to inspect the books of borrowing Board. 126. When a proposal to borrow is rrjected, six months must intervene before a fresh proposal can bo submittod. 127. Whenever any money shall have been borrowed on rates, tho proportion payable in statute labor shall not exceed that fixed by the Superintendent. 128. Notwithstanding any existing loan the Board may borrow a further sum if part of new loan bo appropriated to tho final extinguishment of existing loan. 129. The Bill only to come into force in districts by proclamation. 130. No liability is to attach to tho province on account of loan.

The following process will temper chisels, taps, dies, drills, &c, sufficiently hard to rapidly drill through giay cast iron, porcelain, glass, &c. : — Melt in an iron ladle, with a little rosin, 5 parts bismuth, 3 parts lead, 2 parts tin. Place the instrument to be hardened in an iron tube welded or capped at the lower end ; pour in the above alloy, leaving sufficient room between the surface of the same and a stopper or cap at the upper end, to allow for the dilatation of the contents ; then bring the pipe to a bright red heat and plunge into cold w ater. Immediately take off the cap or stopper and leveise the tube in boiling water, when the contents will fall out and the operation is complete. When usin^ the drill, keep it moist with turpentine and it will cut glass without losing its edge for a considerable length of him.

The following resolutions were adopted at a meeting of members of the Garibaldi Rifle Association, Waikato, on the 16th May, 1871, at the Hamilton Hotel, for the purpose of electing officers and non-commisaioned officers. Proposed by Mr W. H. Butler, seconded by Mr E. Wilson, "That Captain Learv be chairman." — Curried. Proposed by Mr McPberson, seconded by Mr Bauer, " Tlißt Mr Madden be Lieutenant of the corps." — Carried. Proposed by Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Butler, " That Mr Alfred Cox, jun., be appointed Ensign to the corps."— Carried. Proposed bT Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Mybre», —"That Mr J. Slater be appointed Sergeant-Major."— Carried. Proposed by Lieutenant Madden, seconded by Mr E. Butler. " That Mr W. II Butler be appointed Color-Ser-geant." — Carried. Proposed by Mr W. H. Butler, seconded by Mr Bauer, " That Mr Odium be appointed Sergeant." — Carried. Proposed by Mr W. H. Butler, second by Mr Mybreo, " That Mr Mclntyre be appointed Corporal." — Carried. Proposed by Mr Slater, seconded by Mr W. H. Butler, " That Mr Bauer be appointed Corporal." — Carried. Proposed by Mr McPherson, seconded by Mr Wilson, "That Mr J. Hmton be appointed Lance- Corporal." — Carried. Proposed by Mr Slater, seconded by Mr Madden, "That Mr Brown be appointed Lance-Corporal." — Carried. Proposed by Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Butler, " That Mr J.Smythc be appointed Secretary to the corps." — Carried. Proposed by Mr W. H. Butler, seconded by Mr Mayea, " That Mr H. Hunter, jun., bo appointed Bugler." — Carried. Proposed by Mr Slater, seconded by Mr W. H. Butler, "That the Officers appointed, with the Secretary, form the I Committee of Management." — Carried.