CAMBRIDGE ROAD BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2553, 20 November 1888, Page 3

CAMBRIDGE ROAD BOARD.

Thk above board met at Bach's Criterion Hotel, Cambridge, on Saturday, at 2 p.m. Present: Messrs J. Taylor (chairman), J. P. Thomson, J. Forrest. E. Pickering, and J, J. Smith. Tho minutes of the previous meeting wore read and confirmed. Kepaius to Hamilton Road.—Mr Forret.t reported that the water-course at ITrogmore required more doing to it than he hnd thought, and would e:>st about £5 instead of 50s. He was authorised to spend that amount. No 1 Station Road.—Mr Thomson said that at the previous meeting he had opposed this road being repaired, he now withdrew it, as he fonnd a portion needed repairing. Messrs Forrest, Pickering and Smith were deputed to inspect the road and decide what should bo done to it. Thk Disputed Lawybh's Account.— The following letter was received from Mr Dyer, whose accountwns dealt with in a summary mannerWthe last meeting:— Cambridge, November 12th 1888. Captain McPherson, clerk Cambridge Road Board : Dear Sir,—Re my account. I beg to offer the following comments on the objections raised. 1. "That I agieed to do the whole work for seven guineas." This is absolutely incorrect, and only applies to the Supremo Court Order, as the annexed letter from me to Mr J. P. Thomson, re charges, under date 28th Juno, will show. 2. That the item £7 7s is charged in the disbursement column. "Correct, and quite properly so, as the bulk of it was for work done in town." 3. That I said " the seven guineas did not pay me." Also correct, as the fees amounted to more than I thought. Messrs Thomson and Forrest paid that the fees agreed on ought to to adhered to ; and I accordingly did so. 4. That I rendered the account as a "try on.' This Btatoment in damaging and should lie publicly proved or withdrawn. 5. I will not submit to any reduction in the account. If the Board is not satisfied I will recast the whole bill for taxation.— Yours faithfully, R. W. Dver. A discussion of a conversational character ensued, and it was admitted that Mr Dyer's offer hnd been misnnderstood, or tho remarks made at the last meeting would not have been made. It was resolved to pay the acc»unt, and withdraw any offensive remarks that might have been made in consequence of the misunderstanding. Tkndeiis.—The following tenders were receired for forming five and gravelling 15 chains of Fencourt road. Cricket, forming, ss, gravelling, 9d per yard solid measure ; T. Wattam, 4s 9d and 9d ; Giles and Fletcher, 4s and la. Wattam's tender was accepted. Gravelling 12 chains of Maungakawa Road.—Cricket, 9d per yard ; Medhurst, 10d; Wattam, lid; Giles and Fletcher, la ; G. Mann, 7Jd, (accepted). ACCOUNTS.—The following accounts were paused for payment:—T. Pennell, £4 3a 4d : G. W. Russell, £17s. Froomobe Gully.—The Chairman asked someone who knew all abnut this business to introduce the subject; he himself knew very little about it.—Mr Forrest said he had no proposition to make, and had therefore nothing to speak to.—Mr Smith then proposed " that Mr Arnold s request be not entertained."-Mr Pickering said since he had been over the ground with Mr iorrest and bad been shown the natural flow of the water, he did not feol disposed to support the payment of any money.—The Chairman enid he understood that Mr Arnold wanted them to grant him a subeidy on money he would spend on the drain.—Mr bmith said they were not liable, but if they paid any money they would become so.—lhe clerk expressed the same views regarding the latter statement.—Mr Forrest laid a binall plan of the ground upon the table and stated that 20 years ago Mr Arnold gave a ir.an on the other sido of the r >ad, permission to drain on to his grmnd, and the work boing badly done, it washed a gully in the sand. Arnold then stopped the water back upon the road, and consequently after a tirao it washed another gully, and the Board were forced to spend about £120 in making a drain to Frogmoro Gully, while Mr Arnold had only to make a drain of about 5 chains at a cost of 2oa. There was ft largo piece of swamp which had been drained across the sand, but in consequence of the work being defective, the pipes had silted up, and—we understood the speaker to say—if the Board made tho drain asked for, it would dram this swamp; and it was only lately that Mr Arnold had purchased it. They now hear a great deal about irrigation, and if he (the speaker) was possessed of a piece of sandy ground with water 30 feet above it as was the case on Mr Arnold's eround, lie would not take £200 for it. He seconded Mr Smith's proposal. Therp being no amendment it was put to the meeting and carried, tho Chairman and Mr Thomson declining to vote. Haotai-u-Fencouut Road.—Mr Forrest said he thought they should open the road, oven though they did not form it or erect a bridg», as a petition from 32 ratepayers had been presented to them, lie proposed " that formal notice be given to Mr Bailey to remove the gates, and that if it be possible to erect a bridge for wheeled traffic, and otherwise make the road passable for £30, that the road be opened." He undertook to report upon the matter at the next meeting.—Mr Pickering seconded the moticn.—lhe Chairman said he did not believe in spending money to make the road when it was only a few yards further to the one now existing ; he did not think it was needed.— Mr Smith proposed as an amendment "that nothing be done in the matter.— Seconded by the Chairman.—On being put to the meeting the amendment was carried. —Mr Thomson said he voted for it, because they had lately heard so much about money being thrown away and he did not believe in opening a road they were not in a position to maintain.—Mr Forrest said he voted against it because the requisition was a most influential one. Furze.—The Clerk produced a draft Bill upon which the Board were asked to express an opinion. The members were adverse to the Bill as drawn up. as it was iinpractable to work it in that form. This was all the business.