HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1917, 30 April 1888, Page 2

HAWERA ROAD BOARD.

The board met on Saturday, April 28th. Present — Messrs. Fautbam (chairman), Scott, Matthews, McLean, White, Casey, Wilson.

NEW ELECTION.

The Returning Officer reported re-elec-tion ot Messrs. Wilson, Casey, Matthews.

RANGER.

William McFarland wrote : — " I beg to bring before you the following : On Thursday last, tbe" 19th inst., I bought 32 head of cattle at Manaia sale, intending to put them to graze on Mr. White's section near Eltham. I reached home after night, and, requiring to brand early in the morning, in order to get to the section that day, I allowed the cattle to remain I in the corner of a private road beside me, j and closed them there. The piece of road is not used by the public, as it does not lead anywhere, but runs in the direction of the Waihi stream. At daylight they were gone, and, after hunting round, I discovered them about 7 o'clock in the pound, and a demand made upon me, as per enclosed list, of _4 14s 4d. Had the charges been at all moderate, I would have 6aid no more about it, but it seems to me they were heaped on beyond all conscience. It is only a little over a mile, yet 9s is charged for driving. Barleyman also charges 25s Gd for paddocking. Ido not believe they were paddockecl at all ; but even if they were put in at his place in Regent-street, surely such a claim is excessive. Then as to sustenance, cattle brought off good grass close by, and only about an hour in the pound, the claim [£2 Bs] is ridiculous." He applied to the Road Board for relief. Both parties were present, and a very warm discussion took place. Every member of the board condemned the action of the ranger (tbe ohairman saying the board intended the ranger to protect the people, not to impound their cattle in this way) ; but did not quite see how they could interfere with him, as he had acted within the letter of his instructions. A petition was read from 14 residents at Te Roti and Mangawhero, asking that the ranger he dispensed with. After considerable discussion, Mr. McLean moved, and Mr. Casey seconded, that Mr. Barleyman be given one month's notice of discontinuance of bis services, as there are so many complaints against the ranger. Lost. A motioa by Mr. Fantham, seconded by Mr. Scott, that the board express its disapprobation with the manner in which the ranger impounded Mr. McFar land's cattle, and draw his attention to the second paragraph of the instructions, was withdrawn. Later on, the matter came tip again on a letter 6ent in by Mr. A. J. Whiting, asking if it is legal for the ranger to impound cattle tethered to a fence on a road; also, if he could impound cattle on the Eltham side ot the Mangawhero road. Some members seemed to think that it was proper to impound animals tethered on a public road ; but agreed that, as to the second part of the quesfcioß, the ranger, if the allegation was true, had been wrong. It was resolved to ask the ranger for an explanation. Mr. Casey also moved, that the ranger be informed he has no authority to impound cattle on county roads. Mr. White seconded pro forma. Mr. McLean pointed out that the ranger or any person had authority to impound off public roads. Motion negatived. SLAUGHTERHOUSE DISPUTE. Correspondence on this matter was read. Mr. McKeeyer, on 19th April, wrote to the clerk, stating that he had waited on some of tho members of the road board, who had agreed to receive three-quarters of a year license fee to carry him on to end of present year, and had instructed him to hand the money £3 15s over to the clerk till the meeting. Cheque en* dorsed. He added that he was prepared to take the responsibility, knowing that the hoard was the only public body left to receive it. The clerk refused to receive the money. On 28 th Mr. McKeever wrote, saying he had never been no persecuted before. The county council refused to take the money, and the Normanby Town Board had tried to bounce it out of him, but the R.M. Court had given against it. He urged the board to accept tbe money he now offered again. Possession would be ten points of the law, and it would be for some other local body to show they had a better claim. He thought the clerk was in tow with chairman of Normanby Town Board to frighten the road board out of taking the money. The board resolved that it had no power to accept the money. ACCOUNTS. The following were passed: — Wilson Bros., gravel, £11 ; W. L. Kennedy, £3 lGs 9d; Jenkins, £'65; Coleman, £21; Richardson, 12s ; Bailey Bros., £7 ; Wallace, £15 ; Twigg, £2 4s ; pay sheet, _17 13s 61 ; P. Murphy, £56 Is 6d. There was some discussion about Murphy's Tawhiti contract, Messrs. McLean and Wilson stating that complaint had been made to them that the contractor was burying big stones in the road. The engineer was instructed to take special care to see that the work was done before final payment was made, and to cut the road if necessary to see if stones | had been left in. It appeared that the money due had been paid, except a small sum for extras. 1 bates. It was resolved to give a final notice re unpaid rates, and then to sue all and sundry whose rates remained unpaid. Several small matters were ordered to be attended to.

The foreman's report stated that the Neill Road difficulty would probably be arranged satisfactorily with Mr. Pratt. The board adjourned.