HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 61, 10 November 1880, Page 3

HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

Saturday, November 6.

• The usual monthly meeting was held on Saturday. Present— Messrs. Hunter (chairman), Gone, Williams, Allen, Morrison, Robson. Mr. Twigg, foreman of works, was also present. .

MANAWAPOU ROAD.

A letter was read from Ward Brothers, asking that the Manawapou road should be opened without farther delay, as ii was the only access the settlers living that way had to the Plains; unless they went •to Hawera, which would be about two miles out of their way. It had been stated by one of the lessees that the road would never be opened, and on the strength of that assertion, potatoes and oats had been sown on the road since the last meeting of the board. It seemed very strange that they should have to pay rates for the keeping of the road, whilst only two persons deiived the whole benefit from it, and the public were excluded. Mr. Hendy, who was present, said his principal object in attending was to try and have the road opened up. The Chairman said some of the. settlers along the road had some crops on it, and some had not fenced in their land yet. He thought it only reasonable to give them sufficient- time to prepare. The board had no wish to act harshly towards them. He would move that a further notice be^sent to the parties, calling upon them to remove the obstruction within a fortnight; failing which, the board would instruct their foreman of works to do so.

Mr. Gane pointed out that sufficient notice had been already given to the parties to remove the obstacles. As the owners of the crops had not asked for any concessions from the board, he could not see what they bad to do with the matter. Some of the settlers wanted to get access to the road, and the board should allow them to do so.

Mr. Rohson seconded the resolution, which was earned unanimously.

It was resolved that the foreman inspect that portion of the Manawapou road through Mr. Milne's property, and see what can be done for the amount voted (£10).

LAYING OFF A ROAD.

A.. T. lUstoa, Whakamara, wrote to the board, stating that he saw by the report in the Star that the board intended to lay off a road through his section, No. 819. "As there is no roadway there, you will take notice that I- shall proceed against the road board for the value of the land, and for fencing the said road, and in making the deviations on the Ingahape road, opposite section No. 316. Yon have taken away the whole of tny ro&A bt>y>i&g& (IS eb&kts) to ibe ißgabape road, without notice being given, or a word about it ; thereby injuring my property to the extent of j>2oo, at the lowest estimate, for which I shall claim compensation."

A letter was also read from T. Humphries, chief surveyor, in reply to the chairman, stating that section 319 [the one referred to in Mr. Illston's letter] was granted as S3 acresv with right of road reserved; "but as it was issued in 1860, I fear the right has lapsed, as I have no knowledge of its having been exercised within the prescribed time. Mr. Gane has also asked this question. I would be glad if you would inform me if he has any authority from the board to make numerous requisitions for tracings of roads, &c."

It was resolved that Mr. Distort s letter should lay on the table for one month, and that Mr. Barleyman be instructed' to ascertain whether the board- had the right to take a road through section No. 319. Mr. Humphries' letter was acknowledged by the chairman, and the chief surveyor was informed that Mr. Gane had no authority from the board to make the requests referred to.

BOYLAN RQAP,

A. letter, "was tead ftoni Mm Kno-wlea, nnder-secretary for public works, stating that a road had been proclaimed, on 30th March, 1876, in the Government Gazette, through-sections 321, 322, and 333. [The land belongs to Messrs. Morrison Bros., and is a continuation of the Boylan road.] Mr. Morrison said he thought there must be some mistake about the matter, and it was resolved that the secretary should write for a copy of the Gazette.

ROAD DEVIATION IN WIIAKAMARA.

Mr. Gane moved that the chairman write to the chief surveyor for tracings of the road deviations on the Whakamara block, carried out by Mr. Climie ; and that the board appoint a valuator to fix compensation for the damage, and that the parties be instructed to send in their claims within one month.

Mr. Allen asked whether the chairman had received any communication irom the new Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. Wray) in reference to compensation for these deviations. The Chairman replied in the negative. The resolution was carried. INGAHAPE KOAD.

Mr. Gane moved that tenders be called for removing slips and keeping the Ingahape road in repair for the ensuing twelve months, as the time of the present tender had nearly expired.

*Ehe Chairman .poinbed out *hat there was a resolution in the minute-book, standing in Mr. Gane's name, that no snob work should be done until they were able to go into ways and means. It looked very like gambling going into work in that manner.

Mr. Allen agreed with ,tbe chairman. Arrangements could be made with the man working on the Mells road to keep the slips cleared on the Ingahape road, if necessary, and the work could be done cheaply. _ After some further discussion, Mr. Williams seconded the resolution, stating that there was no telling when a heavy Blip might occur, and the £2 allowed to be expended by the commissioners would not go far towards removing it. Mr/Allen proposed, and the Chairman seconded, that the matter be allowed to stand over for the present. The amendment -was carried \>y the casting vote of the chairman.

m'cabthy's flat and ingahape road. Mr. Gane proposed that the necessary work be done on McCarthy's flat, according to the plans and specifications of the foreman of works ; tenders to be sent in by next meeting. Mr. Williams seconded the resolution. Mr. Allen said they were going over the same ground that they did at last meeting.- He moved that it should be allowed The Chairman seconded the amend-

ment, which was lost, and the resolution carried.

Mr. Gane further moved that tenders be called at the same time for a piece of Work required on the Ingahape road.

Mr. Allen consideied the proceedings of the board altogether irregular. "Who instructed the for man of works to prepare plans and specifications? Mr. Gane said that people complained about the engineer getting 10s. a day to inspect a piece of work, and he and Mr, Williams had asked the engineer to prepare the plans and specifications. They were done in the day's work, and cost the board nothing whatever. Mr. Allen said it seemed to him that two members from the Whakamara block did all the work of the board. They had no right to instruct the foreman of works to prepare the plans and specifications. Mr. Gane said his "learned friend" had been an accessory to the same kind of work being done. Mr. Williams seconded the resolution, and bore out Mr. Gane's stat znent.

Mr. Allen said it was no good to further oppose the matter. Two members seemed to do whatever they liked. The Chairman proposed an amendment, that the work should be allowed to stand over. He considered tbatf if the board sanctioned such a thing, they would be acting in a very partial manner, and would be sacrificing tlie interests of the wliole of fcbe settlers in the blook for a small portion." At the same time, be could not see much objection to getting plans and specifications, so long as they cost the board nothing.

The amendment was earned. Mr. Gane moved that tenders be called for taking off a point on the Ingahape road ; tenders to be in by that day fortnight. Mr. "Williams seconded the resolution. Mr. Allen Baid that if Mr. Gane went up with him on the West road, he would find a quantity of the same work requiring to be done. He would point out to the board that £4 had been expended on that same point last year. The Chairman asked Mr. Twigg if the work was necessary.

Mr. Twigg — " Yes ; a good deal of work is necessary." (Laughter.) The Chairman proposed an amendment, that the engineer should get the work done ; the cost not to exceed £L

Mr. Gane withdrew his resolution, and the amendment was carried, only Mr. Allen voting against ifc.

THE NOONAN ROAD.

Mr. Allen said that Mr. Duirs had cleared a great many slips on the Noon in road. Mr. Williams and himself had agreed to vote £2 towards the work. — Agreed to.

Mr. Duirs, who was in attendance, asked that, the SToonan road shouW be made passable. He wanted to build a house, but he could not get the timber on to his land, the slips being so numerous.

Mr. Gane moved, and Mr. Allen seconded, "That be expended on the road."

The Chairman moved an amendment, which was carried, that the Board would vote £5, provided that the settlers subsorihecL £10 towarie puhb'mg bhe roaci in repair. Ifc was frequently done in other places.

MERE MERE AND ALLEN ROADS. Mr. Gane proposed, and Mr. Eobson seconded, that the foreman be instructed to get the necessary work done on the Mere Mere and Allen roads, the cost not to exceed £L 5.

Mr. Allen said the Board were accused of doing their ■work in a hole-and-corner fashion, and he thought it better that tenders should be called.

Mr. Gane said the Board were accused of doing hole-and-corner work even in the office — if he read the last letter that appeared in the Star aright.

Mr. Robson seconded the resolution, which was carried.

ROADS IN THE LOWER NGAIRE BLOCK.

Tiie Foreman of Wot2cs, in reply to the chairman, stated that, owing to the bad weather, he had been unable to thoroughly inspect the roads in the Ngaire block.

Mr. Robson moved that tenders be called for culverts and earthwork on the Boylan road, and for a bridge and cutting on the Finnerty road ; tenders to be in by next meeting.

Mr. Gane seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.

VALUATORS. On the motion of Mr. Gane, seconded by Mr. Morrison, it was resolved that the chairman should write to the Hon. Major Atkinson, asking whether the Property Tax Valuations will be available for the local bodies. If not, that tenders for a valuation be advertised in the Star before the time of next meeting.

TENDERS.

The following tenders were received for clearing about CO chains of road between Austin and Boylan roads, along the railway line : — Ailcman and Cornmerie, 17s 6d per chain ; Hall and Gibson, 18s ; zie and party, 5s 6d. The lowest tender was accepted.

ACCOUNTS.

Accounts, amounting to J6103 16s 4d, were passed for payment. The Board adjourned at 5.30 p.m.