HEATHCOTE ROAD BOARD.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 64, 14 August 1874, Page 3

HEATHCOTE ROAD BOARD.

A public meeting of the ratepayers was held last evening, at the Heathcote Road Board office, to consider matters of importance to the district. Mr J. T. Fisher, chairman of the Board, occupied the chair, and the office was densely packed, many persons being unable to obtain admission. The chairman said that before proceeding with the business of the evening, he wished to make an explanation. It had been the general custom of the Board to consult the ratepayers before proceeding with any important business. The Board had been told by the ratepayers to fill in the drain, but they had not the necessary funds at their disposal for this work, and had resolved at their last meeting to call a meeting of the ratepayers, and place their resignation in their hands. Since then, however, circumstances had arisen, but he would read the resolution passed by the Board, fßesolution read.] In consequence of that resolution the present meeting had been called. He had received an intimation from the Government with reference to the Ferry road drain, and they did not wish to place any obstruction in the way of the Board in this matter, but were of course answerable to the Provincial Council for any action they might take outside the sum voted. They had, however, stated that if an amicable arrangement could be come to, they would be most happy to meet the Board. He had in consequence received the following letter from the Secretary for Public Works : " I have the honor, by direction of his Honor the Superintendent to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 31st ult, applying for the sum of £SOO to be paid over to the Heathcote Road Board, to go towards the filling in Ferry road drain. In reply, I have to state that the Government will pay over this sum of money for the purpose for which it was voted, as soon as the Board will advise the Government that it is prepared to proceed with the work, say to the extent of at least £IOOO, to complete any portion of a definite plan for the whole." He (the chairman) thought this a very fair arrangement on the part of the Government, and the Board wished to disclaim any factious opposition to the Government, who he thought were acting very fairly, but unfortunately this amount would not meet the difficulty as the sum required was £2250, as the Board considered it necessary to level the crown of the road to prevent the low-lying land from being Hooded, and the only money they could with certainty lay their hands upon at present, was £IOOO, as they could not get any money from the City Council untifthework was completed. He had re-

ceived the following letter from the City Council with reference to this : " I have the honor, by direction of the City Council, to acknowledge receipt of the Board's letter of the 31st ult., and to state that the construction the Council put upon the order of the Court is that the work of filling up the drain should be first performed by the Board, and when this is done and the expense is ascertained, the Council are to pay a moiety of the expense after deducting the grant from the Government." The Board would thus only have £IOOO to work upon, unless the ratepayers would contribute the balance of £1250. That amount would have to be made up to complete the work, and the Board did not feel themselves justified in proceeding with an undertaking of such magnitude without authority from the ratepayers, and what course they should take rested with the meeting. Their ordinary outlay would be about £IOOO more than their assets, and without a special rate he did not know how they were to meet the expense of the work. In reply to Mr Morton, the Chairman said the work in connection with the drain had been surveyed, and the estimate arrived at was £2250.

In reply to Mr Deßourbel, the Chairman said that it would cost £1432 to fill in the the drain without touching the road. The Chairman said that the drain had been deepened by the Government to enable them to sell the town allotments. It had been a nuisance to the district since its existence, and now the ratepayers—who had borne more burdens than they equitably should have done—were asked to fill in this drain, which work the Government should altogether have taken into their own hands. In answer to a ratepayer, Mr Fisher explained the action taken by the Board to have immigrants employed on this work, but the Government declined to aliowf this. The Chairman stated that the total grants voted to be distributed over the district were £ISOO from the Provincial Government and £2Ol from the General Government ; the former amount could not be touched either for the drain or the Sumner road work, and was only for the general purposes of the district. Mr deßourbel said that if the drain was filled up, Jackson's Creek would have to be left open, and he had heard that the dam across the creek which had been removed by the Board was going to be placed across it again by the gentleman who had done this in the first instance, and this might result in expensive litigation. Were the Ferry road drain filled in, it would be a difficult and expensive matter to get rid of the surface water. Mr Macßeth, in order to test the feeling of the meeting, would move "That the Ferry road drain be allowed to remain as it is for the present." Mr H. Toomer seconded the motion. Mr Staples proposed as an amendment — " That the Ferry road drain be filled up to the level of the road, deferring for the time being the formation of the footpaths." Mr Tierney seconded the amendment. Mr Macßeth desired to say that he had no feeling of opposition to the people residing in the Ferry road, but he thought the matter should stand over until it could be seen whether the Government would not do something more. He only moved the proposition as a matter of business, looking at the expense and their monetary position. Mr Staples was told by a gentleman who spoke on the authority of a member of the City Council—and one who was a supporter of the Mayor—Llaughter] —tlaat the Council would be willing to pay any reasonable amount towards the work, even if it amounted to £7OO. Mr Toomer said he had seen their worthy Mayor—[laughter]—that day and he acknowledged to him that they were all to blame —the City -Council included, in the matter of Jackson's creek. Mr Lee had seen the Mayor that day, and he had'told him that the Council's liability for the drain to its surface level would be only one half the actual expense. and even that he would not pay until he was compelled to do so, and saw the Board's figures of the work. The cost of the work would be then £I6OO to the Board, and a special rate of 2s would have to be levied for that purpose—[No, no.]—and in addition to that, the question they had to consider was whether they were prepared for litigation with the Council, in reference to Jackson's creek. Mr deßourbel asked what the legal costs had been re the Ferry road drain. The chairman could not say, as they had been paid by the City Council. Mr Clephane thought it was the duty of the Government to fill in the drain. They had made it to enable them to sell their town reserves, which would not otherwise have been saleable, and having by that means got a profit out of it, it was their duty now to fill it up. Mr Morton asked why the surface water from Jackson's Creek should Lot be diverted into tne new drain.

A voice—" The City Council will not allow it."

Mr Deßourbel said he had been speaking to the Mayor that day with reference to this. The Council were willing to drain the land in this vicinity on the basis of an acreage charge, but they were also willing to submit this matter to arbitration. With the advice of his solicitor, he intended to fill in section G 9 on Jackson's Creek from one end to the other, and he had spoken to the Mayor of his intention; it would then become a matter of liligation between the Council, the Board a;id himself. The amendment and resolution were then put by the chairmao, and the resolution was declared to be carried by a large majority. Mr Morton moved—" That to prevent litigation, the Pioad Board be empowered to make arrangements with the City Council to carry off the overflow of water going into Jackson's Creek by the storm water drain, the amount of compensation to be decided by arbitration."

Mr Do Bourbel seconded the resolution, which on being put, was lost. The chairman asked whether he was to understand that the dam was to be removed from the mouth of Jackson's creek. [Loud cries of No.J The chairman said that why the members of the Board had desired to resign their positions, was that their hand 3 were tied, but now the complexion of affairs had been altered.

The Chairman said the next matter he had to submit to the meeting was the Sumner road grant. The Board had expected they would have had to do the work, but the Government had prepared plans and specifications, which had been forwarded to him with the following|letter from the Secretary tor for Public Works ;—" I have the honor, by

direction of his Honor the Superintendent, to inform you that the Government has plans and specifications ready to proceed with the work on the Sumner road for which the Council voted £IOOO ; but up to the present time the Government expected that the work would present a good opportunity for employing newly-arrived immigrants, The Government, however, is glad to be able to state that the necessity for keeping this work for immigrants is not so pressing as it appeared to be a short time since, and that in order that the work may be put in hand at once, I have to request that the Road Board will call for tenders aud recommend one to the Government for approval. The Government will, upon a contract being entered into, pay over the money as may be required from time to time." The ratepayers would see that it was not the fault of the Board that the work had not been gone on with before, aud he would like to take the sense of the meeting whether the Board should do the work, or leave it in the hands of the Government. Mr Lee moved " That the Government be respectfully requested to carry out the work, as the same has been so long delayed." Mr Mcßeth seconded the resolution. Mr Morton moved, and Mr Wakefield seconded an amendment, " That the Road Board comply with the request of the Government, and go on with the work at once." The amendment was carried. The Chairman said the next business he had to explain, was with reference to a grant of £2Ol from the General Government. A circular generally accompanied these grants stating that the money was to be devoted to the opening up of new roads in the district, but in this instance a condition had been attached that the money was to be spent on the Dyer's Pass road, and the Board had refused to accept it on that understanding—[applause]—and unless it were placed to the credit of opening up new roads as formerly. A letter had been written to the Secretary for Public Works to this effect, and a reply received stating that the arrangements were definite. Since then, however, he had received a further letter, stating that the question had been reconsidered, and if the Board would submit a statement, the Provincial Government would advise the General Government to alter the condition attached to the grant. [Applause.] Mr Fisher received a letter from Mr Montgomery, who regretted he would be unable to be present at that meeting, as he had previously made arrangements to attend a public meeting at Rangiora. A Voice —" Is the Waltham drain near its comnletion ?" The Chairman—" It is on the road to completion " (laughter). Mr Staples moved—" That this meeting pass a vote of confidence in the Board, and expresses its approval of the course taken by them in the matter now before the meeting." Mr Clephane seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The Chairman returned thanks on behalf of the Board. After a desultory discussion on the Waltham drain, Mr Mcßeth moved—" That notice be given to the Heathcote and Spreydon drainage committee to the effect that if their drain is not completed within two months, the Board will take decided action in the matter."

The motion wa? seconded by Mr Sharp and carried. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.