NGAIRE ROAD BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 46, 18 September 1880, Page 4

NGAIRE ROAD BOARD.

The first meeting of the above board

Vms held at Normanby on 15th inst., at 2.30 p.m. Present — Messrs. Quin, Mahey, Gray, Calvert, O'Donovan, and Southey. Mr. Gray was appointed acting-chairman. Mr. Calvert moved that Mr. Southey be appointed chairman of the board.

Mr. Quin seconded the resolution.

Mr. O'Donovan would not oppose the appointment of Mr. Southey, but would prefer the appointment cf Mr. Quin. Mr. Qaza \>eqged. bo <3ecJlne bo oSer himself as a candidate, seeing that he had seconded the appointment of Mr. Southey. Mr. Southey was then declared duly «l3ptecl n r m con.

On taking tha chaii 1 , he thanked the .members of the beard for the honor done to him, and hoped that he would prove his fitness for the position by a jndicious and impartial exercise of the duties imposed upon him. On the motion of Mr. O'Donovan, it was resolved that the chairman should act as secretary until one were

appointed. It would be necessary to find out what the funds at their disposal would' be, before appointing a

secretary. . . Mr. O'Donjvan proposed that a standing orders committee be appointed, consisting of Mr. Quin, the chairman, and the mover, to ie-

port to the next meeting of the board. Carried. It was resolved on the motion of

Mr. O'Donovan, that the chairman be

empowered to incur expenditure for stamps and. stationevv not exceeding J25. Mr. O'Donjvan moved that the chairman be requested to communicate with the Colonial. Treasurer with

the object of ascertaining the number of deferred payment sections soM, the prices paid for land within the jtfgaire district, and the dates of sale.

It was p- inted out by Mr. Quin ' that the revenue would be considerably affected by the last Amendment Act. The advisability of th.c. proposition was generally agreed to, and the motion was carried. It was also resolved that the chairman be requested to apply to the Colonial Secretary for copies of all the statutes affecting the conduct of local bodie3. Mr. O'l?omvan pointed out that the chairman of the Patea County Council had recently read a reply from the Colonial Secretary refusing

to accede to a request oJ" the petition- . ers who hp.cl urged the Government to continue the metalling of the Moun-♦»»»-«i©«mli — 'ffaafc Oalmiel "TTttnßle, on the other hand, was reported in the Taranaki News to have said that the Engineer-in-charge, Mr. Blackett,had promised to proceed, with the work as far as Mangawhero. Mr. O'Donovan moved that the chairman be requested to ascertain whether the statement made by Colonel Trimble was correct. Mr. Gray thought it would be better not to move any further in the matter just at present. The Chairman thought that no hai-m could be done by ascertaining which of the conflicting statements were collect.

Ultimately it was decided not to take action in the matter for the preseat.

Mr. Gray moved that applications for the position of clerk and secretary, be invited by advertisement in' the Star. The proposition was lost. The chairman consented to act as secretary for a couple of months upon the understanding that he should be at liberty to obtain such clerical assistance as he might require. This proposition was assented to.

- The Chairman stated that he was quite prepared to offer the use of a room at Mangawhero to the board for their meetings. The offer was accepted with thanks. It was arranged that the chairman should summon the next meeting within six weeks from that date. Mr. Quin proposed that meetings be held alternately at Mangawhero and at Normanby. The resolution lapsed for want of a seconder. The Chairman proposed that the boundaries of the Ngaire district be extended, so as to take in a greater area in the direction of Ketemarae,

and suggested that it would be well to include the whole of the Ngaire survey district. Mr. Calvert proposed that the chairman should previously call a public meeting of the Ngaire settlers to conBider the advisablenoss of enlarging the area of the road district. Carried.

Mr. O'Donovan moved that the following words be added to the original motion — " and that the question of merging the road boards into the proposed new county of Egmont be also considered and discussed." The Ngaire road district was exceptionally rich, as compared with other districts of similar extont. The Hawera road district had no such revenue at their disposal. He thought the Hawera Road Board coveted the revenues of the Ngaire district ; it would be wise to preserve their newly gained independence. The interests of the two districts were totally apart. After some discussion, the proposed addition was agreed to. The ineeting.adjourned at 415 p.m.

The largest cargo of live stock yet imS tried from America has been brought by c steamer lona, from Boston to Liverpool, consisting -of 784 cattle, 800 sheep, and 200 pigs. Six animals died on the voyage.