ROAD BOARD MEETINGS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2502, 24 July 1888, Page 2

ROAD BOARD MEETINGS.

Taotaoroa Road Board

The monthly meeting of the above Board was held at the Criterion Hotel, Cambridge, on Saturday at 11 a.m. Present : Messrs 11. .J. Kallendar, 0. M. Brunskill and H. 11. Brunskill. New Chairman'.—The Clerk reported that the Chairman of the Board, Mr N. I. Hunt, had resigned the office, and had ceased to be a member. He (the Clerk) had taken the necessary steps to fill the vacancy, and Mr Samuel Seddon, Mr Hunt's successor in the management of the G-orton estate, being the only person nominated, he declared him duly elected. The first business would be to appoint a chairman.—Proposed by Mr H. R. Brunskill, seconded by Mr Kallendar, and carried, " That Mr C. M. Brunskill be appointed chairman."—Mr Brunskill briefly thanked the members for the honour bestowed upon him, and said it would strengthen his hands as a member of the Piako County Council, and would enable him to speak authoritatively on questions affecting tho Road Board that might arise at Council meetings. The CAMniunGE-OxFOJin Road.—The Chairman reported that early in the month ho and Mr Kallendar had inspected the Oxford road, which had lately been made over to the Board, and found nearly the whole of the culverts were stopped and many.repairs needed. They took Mr \Vnttain, the surfaceman, with them, and pointed out to him what wanted doing, but as one man could do very little to eight miles of road by himself, they had authorised him to encage two more men ateach per day. in order that the urgent repairs might be done at once. He (the chairman), had not inspected the road since the work had been commenced, and thought someone should do so —Mr Kallendar said he had been along tho road, and the men were doing good work.—The Chairman and Mr Seddon were appointed a committee to have charge of the work on the above road, and will inspect it to-day. The Property-tax. —A circular was received from Mr Sperry, Property-tax Commissioner, requesting that the Board books, &e., be open to the valuers appointed, and that any other assistance necessary be rendered them.

Accounts.—The following accounts were passed for payment, after which the Board rose : (j. Wiitt.nn, £4 10s 3d ; W. Vickets, £~i 8s !)d ; W. Souter, iJ2 15s ; 13. Wattam, Ult Is 7d; W. Parker, £'5 8s t)d. Total, £2'J -is 4d. Cambridge Boad Board. The abore Board mot at Bach's Hotel, Cambridge, at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Present: Messrs ,J. P. Thompson, (votea to the chair), J. Forrest and J. J. Smith. Tha minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Arnold's Coknkr Again : Rec»imin'ations.—Mr Thomson said before doing on with the ordinary business of the Board he should make a few remarks regarding statements made at the last meeting, when he was not present, as to his conduct regarding the purchase of laud on tho Hamilton road from Mr John Arnold. He saw by reports in the newspapers that some very strong language had been used, and he had learned from another source that oven stronger language than that reported had been indulged in. One member had stated "that if he (Mr Thomson) did not know what position Mr Arnold's lands were ill he should have known." He now stated most emphatically that he did licit know but that the land was in Mr Arnold's own name, until he was acquainted of the fact by Mr Dyer. [As many of our readers may not understand the case, it is as follows : The Board wishej to purchase a small portion of land to improve a corner on the Hamilton road. Mr Thomson was authorised to make the best terms ha could with the supposed owner, Mr Arnold, which he did, the price fixed upon being £25, the Board to pay all costs of transfer. An agreement was drawn up and the money paid, but when the Board's solicitor looked into the title, he found that the land was vested in trustees for Mrs Arnold's benefit, and that although she is willing, to sell, it will be necessary to go to the Supreme Court for an order, before the matter can bo completed, which, of course, means an extra expense. I—Mr Thomson, continuing, Baid he was deputed by the Board to make the best terms he could with Mr Arnold, and he did so, viz., £25 for the land required, and when the matter was laid before the Board, they seemed satisfied with the arrangements. He had been told that Mr Forrest said numbers of the ratepayers objected to the twice as extortionate, but he would tell Mr Forrest that the Chairman of the Board had expressed himself to the effect that he thought it cheap, and that i£ the land had belonged to him, they would not have got it at so low a rate. lie would like Mr Forrest to give him the names of ratepayers who thought the price extravagant, so that he could reason the matter out with them. If anyone should have been aware of the state of things, it was their worthy secretary who had had many transactions with Mr Arnold.—The Clerk said his knowledge only extended as far as the rate book, in which Mr Arnold's name had alwayi appeared.—Mr Forrest *aid he was glad to hear that Mr Thomson did not know how matters were fixed when h» made the agreement with Mr Arnold. Mr Thomson, it was true, was not at the last meeting, but he was down the town prior to it, and he (Mr Forrest) asked him not to go away. He had never heard the chairman say the land was cheap, but he heard a dozen ratepayers say it was dear. It was a badly-conducted piece of business altogether; the money had been paid before the title was looked into, and now they were to be saddled with extra costs. They were paying at the rate of £75 an acre for tho land, in addition to putting up a better fence than Arnold had on any portion of his farm.—Mr Taylor here came in and took the chair. —The meeting at this time assumed a somewhat chaotic turn, Messrs Smith and Thomson endeavouring to speak to tho subject, but were prevented from doing so by Mr Forrest, who kept interjecting remarks. When matters had taken a quieter turn, Mr Thomson, in spite of the continued interruptions of Mr Forrest, said he had ascertained that the Supreme Court fees would be £7 7s. It was strange that although this corner had been talked about for years by former Boards of which Mr Forrest bad been a member, that it was only after the agreement was signed that the trouble crops up. He then proposed that as there appeared to have been a misunderstanding the Board pay half the cost of the Supreme Court expenses,—Seconded by Mr Smith. —Mr Forrest proposed an amendment to the effect that Mr Arnold should pay the whole of tho extra costs, which however fell through, it not being seconded. The motion was then carried, Mr Forrest entering his protest and remarking, "There goes another throe and a half guineas. I don't blaino anyone for going for Road Boards ; they always give in." Narrows Road.—Mr Forrest complained that the Narrows Road needed repair. Ho had only known of one day's work being done upon it for four months. Accoustb.—The following accounts were passed for payment:—T. Pennell, £4 3s4d : W. Snuter, £1 8s ; The Waikato Times, 18s ;T. Wattam, £8 6s; T. Crouch, £10. Total, £24 16s 4d. This was all the business,