TAMAHERE ROAD BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1838, 17 April 1884, Page 2

TAMAHERE ROAD BOARD.

, ; Tin: monthly meeting of the Tamahero Road Boaul took place on Monday at the T.unaherc Hotel. Present :— Captain Kunciman, (Chahiran,) Messrs J. McNicol,4 Barugh, Rhodes, and Wheeller. A numbar* of accounts were passed for payment to conti actors and otheis. The account for putting in pipes at Eureka Gate was deferred until ne\t meeting, as the work was not satisfactorily completed. The surveyor was instructed to ascertain the difference in aiea between the land given and thar taken for io< d purposes through Mr Omeiod's prope\ty. The Chairman reported that iifter consulting with the chairman of the X rikiriroa Road Board, le the boundaries of the districts they ha<L agreed to let the matter stand as it was anQ the boundary, tlxrefore, reminds unaltered. The engineer was instructed to call for tendei.s for making the main road near Tamaheie, and also for gravelling the road between the lurikiriroa boundary and the central road. The following leport was leccivcd fi< m theengineeis : — " We b< q lei\e to report that the culvert at Ciav\ ford's Gully has since our last leport given way a gieat deal more than it had tben, and that it ii now in a dangerous state. We aie not prepared to say that the culvert will absolutely cave in, and our opinion is that it will bs better to keep filling in over it and see whether it will not up. It it does not break altogether down tne aich it may stand and can be repured when final settlement takes place. The foundations have ceitamly failed to hold the weight put upon them, and are buckled in many places,.— We are, Sir, yours, &c, SiNOES AND NAPPER. The following letter was received : — ''The Chairman Tamahere Road Board.— -j Sir, with regard to Ciawford's- Gully cul^ \ei t we wish to ask the board whether or no it is- a fact that we originally obi lected to building the culvert of hydraulic June ; also, to building it without a pile foundation? Our object in doing this is simply to bet ouisel\es straight with the public generally in Waikato, as we find that it is commonly supposed that \vp alone are to blame for the whole affair, including] the designing, quality of concrete, and vol id. ty of foundations. An answer to this will oulige.— Yours faithfully, Sandes and Nappek. In reply the board resolved in answer to the first query to say — " Yes ! you objected at first, but afterwards consented and agreed to ha\ ethecul vert builtof Wilson 'shydraulic lime, subject to a twelve months' guarantee." Re foundations the answer was — "Yes! but \ou afterwards prepared, a foundation which, being accepted by Messrs Wilson's agent as satisfactory, satisfied the engineers and the board.'' In reply to a question, the engineer stated that the foundations cons'sted of 12 x 12 and 9x4, longitudinal timbers, close planked, with Oin. stuß spiked at eveiy bearing, with Gin. spikes throughout the whole 91ft. length of tha cuh crt and wings. The next meeting of the board, which will be the annual one, takes place on the Ist May at noon.

Sir John t Bennett. — To a generation at least of Londoners Sir John Bennett has been a well-known man. "I did see such a nice gentleman, with white curly hair, in the Lord Mayor's Show," said a German lady to me ; " and it waju amusing how the people cheered him" There was no occasion to ask the name of that curly, white-haired gentleman. One day, spending an afternoon at the noble mansion of one of onr lately deceased judges, his daughter, one of the most accomplished and lady-like women to be seen in society, remarked to the writer that she had been ata City banquet, and had been wonderfully attracted by an exhibition of dancing that took place in the course of the evening, and which had drawn spectators from all parts of the hall to witness that display. Of that 1 group, watched with such interest, it is needless to say Sir John was the piincipal figure. It is difficult to say where you may not see Sir John, and wherever Sir John is he is sure to be heard as well as seen. He always plays to the gods in the gallery, and he always gets an encore. A very easy thing, says the critic. By no means. That sort of thing requires a good deal of tact and talent, as well as self-possession and oratorical ability. But the man who can do that can do better things if he likes and when he likes. Let me give an illustration. Sir John, we all know, was a leading member of the London School Board since its commencement. Well, one day the subject of discussion was one of peculiar delicacy and djfin-^ culty touching religious questions, aV^P Sir John was bravely arguing against the propriety of teaching theological' conundrums— as he called them. The phrase created, of course, an uproar, and Sir John was called to order by the^chair* man, the late Sir Charles Reed.' ' -Pansing for a moment and looking up at the ceiling, as if in search of an idea, Sir John adapted his phraseology to his audience. "Well, well," said he, "I mean things hard to be understood." The effect was marvellous, and indigna* tioo, a.t» ' onoe. turned/ tQ applause^