KNAPDALE ROAD BOARD.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1077, 10 January 1879, Page 3

KNAPDALE ROAD BOARD.

A meeting ef the above Board was held j in Mackay's Hall, East Gore, on Satur-j day, the 4th instant. Present : Messrs G. Dawson (Chairman), Dodds, J. Mc-j Queen, Mcßain, Waddell and Fleming. I, The minutes of the previous meeting i were read and confirmed. i A letter was read from H. W. Kurtain, j I asking the Board to defer any action in ■ the matter of a bridge over the "Waikaka, } i until a meeting to be held at Hunter's, Chatton, on the 11th instant, had come to a decision on the question of the best 1 site. i This led to a lengthy and rather warm discussion. < Mr McQueen moved — " That action be deferred as requested, -to give the settlers i an opportunity of expressing their opinion." Seconded by Mr Dodds. ; Mr Waddell moved, as an amendment ( — "That the Board proceed with the | work." In support of his motion he said < the County Council had voted a subsidy , for the work. The present action to stop proceedings had nob been brought about maa proper manner. He explained the pre- \ vious proceedings. How, after a meeting < had been called by advertisement in The . Ensign, a large number of the settlers had attended ; how Cumming's Crossing had been selected by the. almost unanimous voice of the^meeting : and how this j was confirmed by a petition being largely signed. It was impossible to please every- ; body, and of course they had not succeeded in doing so in this case. He could not see how either the Board or the Council could interfere in the matter now. The proceedings o.f the meeting in question ; had been fully reporte 1 in The Ensign, , and if any one had an objection to the decision arrived at, immediate action should have been taken to alter the matter. The proper opportunity iva> not embraced. Objection was made at the last moment, when everything had been settled. He considered the site the best i that COUld be got. The banks were high ■ and a bridge erected there was not likely , to be washed away. During the largest ; flood these banks proved to be the highest ground, being almost quite dry. The site was also a good one on another ground — it was favorably situated as an outlet for a number of settlers. If it could be shown that any unfair action had been taken, he would say wait. He alluded to the extraordinary place selected to hold the forthcoming meeting. The people about Hunter's having no interest in a bridge on the Waikaka. He hoped that no delay would be allowed, as winter was coming on, and the work should be pushed ahead. He was thoroughly disinterested in the matter. Mr M'Baiu .seconded Mr Waddell's amendment. Mr Fleming saw a good many of the settlers who signed the petition were not in favor of the site. He did not know the site, but he knew it was not a good one. Mr Waddell - Mr Fleming contradicts himself. Mr Fleming had been in the County Council, doing the whole of the work, and not merely granting a subsidy. Mr Waddell saw the public had previously dealt with the matter, and come to a conclusion on the subject. The Board would not proceed with works at a favorable time, and so advance the district ; he would resign, as he could not see any good in meeting for nothing. After some further discussion, somewhat foreign to the question, the original motion was agreed to, only two voting for the amendment. A letter was read from the Clei'k of the Council, intimating that a vote not exceeding £200 had been granted as a subsidy at the rate of £ for £ for the" 1 purpose of making a bridge over the Waikaka at Cumming's Crossing, block If., Chatton. From the same intimating that payment of subsid}* for work on road, Gore to Knapdale, would be made by the Council in proportion of same pro rata on certificate of the Chairman or member of the Board, as to amount of work done. P. M 'Queen applied for progress payment of £30 on contract No. 10. — Agreed to. Mr Hurley wrote, asking if the Board were going to do anything in the matter of his previous letter. The Board referred Mr Hurley to a decision arrived atat its previous meeting. The Otaria Road Board requested the I assistance of the Knapdale Board in the matter of asking ths Southland County Council to declare the road =<iji rough blocks VI and IT, Waikaka Survey District (a continuation of the Clutha County road through to Gore) a County road. Mr Waddell moved— "That the Knapdale Board comply with the request." Seconded by Mr M'Bain. Mr M' Queen objected, on the ground that it was situated at one corner of the Knapdale Koad District, in which ihere was not yet one County road ; and if, by asking for this one to be made, it might be considered that it was of the most consequence to the district. He moted — " That a reply be sent, stating that the Board cannot at present see sufficient reasons for complying with the request re the proposed County road." Seconded by Mr Dodds, and carried. Mr Dodds moved — " That the Engineer prepare plans and specifications for the following works : Small culvert and formation near the new bridge, contract No 1 ; section 4, block XI, Chatton ; and a culvert between sections 7 and 9, block I, Ofcama." Seconded by Mr M'Queen, and carried. Mr Fleming moved— "That the Engineer be instructed to survey a new road line through the property of Messrs Cummings and Aitken." Seconded Mr by Waddell, and earned.

On the motion of Mr Waddell, it was agreed—" That Messrs Mcßain and Dodds be empowered to let the repairing of .the ! crossing on the Okapua Creek, on the | Clinton- Pyramid Road, at a cost of not ( exceeding £10. On the motion of Mr McQueen it was j agreed — " That the Engineer be^instructed i to prepare plans and specifications for cul- * verts on the Knapdale Road, near Messrs ! Style and PowdrelFs and for whatever ' other repairs the said road requires, to the ! amount of £50." It was resolved—" That the Engineer be instructed to give contractors less time to complete their contracts, as the season is getting far advanced." The following tenders were then opened : — Contract No. 3— Bridge over Okapua Creek— P. McQueen, £106 (accepted) ;P. Ford, £1 63.— C0n tract No. 4— J. Hay, £136 10s (accepted) ; W. A. Gay, £198. Contract No. s— James Hay, £215 18s 6d (accepted) ; Keith Bros., £244 15s. Contract No 6 — W. Graham and J. Wilson, £130 (accepted) ; P. McQueen, £156. M r Waddell moved a vote of thanks to Mr Mac Gibbon for obtaining the vote of £200 for the bridge over the Waikaka at Cumming's Crossing ; seconded by Mr McSani and carried. Mr Dodds had left the room, and Mr Fleming did so when the motion was propose. On the motion of Mr Fleming, proposed for him by Mr McQueen, it was agreed — " That the Engineer prepare plans, etc., for works on the Waikaka road, near Mr Mclntosh's ; also from Fleming's to Black's ; also from Williamson's to Switzer's road; and for one box at Mr Calders, and another at Mr Dickson's. The Board then adjourned.