ROAD BOARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11889, 12 May 1899, Page 3

ROAD BOARDS.

.AVON. A meeting of tie Aron Road Board was held on May 5; present—Messrs C. Burgess, M. Hawken, A. B. Morgan, L Parish, and E. Spencer. Mr Burgess was ellected chairman for the ensuing year. Correspondence was read from several residents o.' Heslington, asking that a footpath should be constructed on the North Road. It was resolved to refer the petition to the Riocarton Road Board. Circulars were received from the Drainage Board, Waimakariri. River Board and Selwym County Council, asking the Board to take steps to raise their several rates for the year. A petition was received from ratepayers resident on Dudley Creek Road, asking that the road should he widened, as at present it was considered unsafe. The Chairman, with Mr Parish and the Clerk, were appointed to inspect tbuef road. A copy of a letter forwarded to the Salwyn County Council was received from the Christchurch Tramway Company, asking the Council to appoint a committee to meet the directors of the Tramway Company. Messrs Burgess, Morgan and Parish were appointed. Mr Morgan' gave notice to move the formal resolution striking rates for the ■current year. The Clerk was instructed to sue for all outstanding rates at once. It was resolved to ask Mr Smart to cany out the work of metalling Preston’s Road at his contract price. The Clerk was instructed to have Winter’s Rood and Green’s Road repaired, and to invite tenders for cleaning Kaputone Creek, and for the supply of horsefteed for the year. Accounts amounting to £242 9s 4d were passed for payment. After settling several valuations, the meeting closed. : EICCARTON. A meeting of the Riocarton Road. Board was held on Monday, May 8; present— Messrs Nunweek, Jackson, Hanson and Deans., The Reiturning-Officer reported that Messrs Hanson and Deans, the retiring members, had been re-elected. On the motion of Mr Nunweek, Mr Deans was elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr Boag was granted leave of absence for six months. Mr Talbot waited bn the Board and explained the cause of delay in delivery of metal, and promised to put on more carters. Correspondence was read^ — Prom the Springs Road Board, enclosing resolutions passed at a conference of Road Board delegates in reference to the suppression of the small bird nuisance. It was resolved to purchase small birds' heads during the months of June, July and August, and eggs during the summer months. Prom the Selwyn County Council, enclosing an account for £479 15s, being the Board’s contribution in aid of hospitals and charitable aid for the year ending. March 31, 1900, and asking if the Board would prefer to pay the amount out of its ordinary funds or collect a rate of one-eighth of a penny in the pound to meet the charge. The Board could not understand why the charge for hospitals and charitable aid should he increased this year, as the old age pensions ought to reduce the amount, and it'was resolved to ask the Council for an explanation. Prom Mr Jekyll, inquiring the conditions on which the Board would accept a road through E.S. No. 112, in continuation of Langdon’s Road. It was resolved to reply that if the road was formed one chain wide, gravelled and drained to the Board's satisfaction and dedicated to the public, free of cost, the Board would accept it. From Mr James Lane, offering to fence Reserve 323 if the Board would allow him to remove, the fence at the end of his lease or take it over at a valuation. It was resolved to forward • Mr Lane's offer to the Selwyn County Council. Prom Mr Mitphinson, offering to, attend a meeting and give explanations and suggestions with reference to the trophy offered by the Christchurch Meat Company at the winter show. It was»resolved to inform Mr Mitchinaon that the circulars in reference to this matter were being distributed to farmers and others in the district, and if a meeting was called the Board would gladly avail itself of MrMitchinson’s services. Prom Mr E. Bishop, asking the Board to clear out the drain from the gully on the Sawyers' Arms Road to the pjain drain, it being his only outlet. It was resolved to comply with the request. Prom the South Waimakariri River Board and the Drainage Board, giving notice of rates to be levied for the current year. It was resolved to levy and collect these rates With the ordinary road rate as usual. Prom Messrs Fletcher, Harris,' Evans Caloutt, Jameson and Boyd, offering to give two lamps for the West Belt it the Board would light them. ;It- was resolved to thank the donors for their'liheral offer.

which would be-accepted by the-Biccartoa Road Board, subject to the concurrence of the Selwyn County CounciL Prom tha Sydenham Borough Council, suggesting that the channel on the Lincoln Road between the Clarence Road . and the Show Grounds should be concreted, and asking if this Board was prepared to pay the cost of concrete channelling and kevbing., It was resolved to reply that -tli© Board could not see ifcs wayat present to incur this expense. The Surveyor's report on works in progress, ebk, was "read and approved, and the foMbwing resolu--1 tions were carried;—“That the contractor for supplying boulders be remanded of the penal clauses in the specifications, winch will be enforced if the work is not proceeded with at once;” “That Bishop’s Road -be repaired by filling in the ruts with gravel.” The Chairman’© report on the necessary steps to be taken for raising a loan for concrete channelling and kerb- - ing at Fapanui was approved, and it was considered advisable to consult the Board’s solicitors before proceeding further. Accounts havmg boon passed for payment, the Board rose. • EAST MALVERN. The annual meeting of ratepayers in the East Malvern Road district was held on May 1. The balance-sheet showed the receipts to have been £389 9s 2d, and the expenditure £230 8s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £159 Os lOd. The balance-sheet was passed subject to audit. Mr John Brown drew the attention of the meeting to the inequality in water-rate charges. Whereas a man who had only a cottage and a quarter-acre and dipped from the race with a bucket had to pay Is 3d per year, a farmer with one hundred acres only paid 22s 6d. He suggested that the Board should recommend the Council to equalise the charges. At the statutory meeting of the Board Mr G. P. Wright was re-elected chairman. GERALDINE. The monthly meeting of the Geraldine , Road Board was held on Tuesday; present —Messrs J. Kelland, W. P. Studholme, K. Bropby, A. Metcalfe and J. M. Barker. Mr .J. Kelland was re-elected Chairman. The tender of Mr P. Casey was accepted for cleaning out tire drain on Swamp Road. The Overseer was authorised to report on the applications made by Messes W. Ford, M. Scott, T. H. Taylor, C. Hornsey and E. ,G. Temple for various works. Messrs Wraathall and Jones interviewed the Board regarding a proposed deviation of a road, to give access to their properties, and a settlement w.as arrived at, Mr Jones agreeing to accept £2710s as compensation from the Board for work he had already done on a road. The offer •of W. Regan. to distribute poisoned grain on the same teams as last year was accepted. Mr A. Maxwell’s •application for repairs to a road to give threshing machines access over a hill at Kakahu was not entertained. It waa agreed to do work applied for by Mr A. G. Nalder at Woodside. A number of transfers of properties were agreed to. The Overseer’s report on work done was read and approved of. Accounts amounting to £292 were pasted for payment. The Board then rose, SPREYDON. T^ 1 ® annual meeting of ratepayers was held on Thursday evening. Mr H T Johnson presided. The balance-sheet (cert&ed to by th© Andxbor-G-©n©r«il) was showing the total receipts of the general account as £689 10s sd, including a balance of £77 10s 5d at the commencement of the year, and the expenditure as £479 10s 9d, ’ the credit balance at theend of the year beinu £209 19s Bd. The amount collected and paid to. the Drainage Board was £415 16s 3d, to the River Board £42 15s 3d, and to the Selwyn County Council (Hospital and Cff(aritahl<i( Aid rate) £7B Ss Id. The total assets were £223 9s, and the likhilities I>B4 18s 10d; The Chairman’© report stated that tins year the Board bad praeticafly received two - years’ subsidy, as the preyi ana ! year’s .subsidy bad been forwarded from the Treasury on March 31, 1898, too late for that year’s account; the sum of £75 7s 4d had beau paid % the HalsweU and Riccarfcoa Road Boards, being an amount that had accrued since March, 1892, but had not been paid owing to no application being made to them for, payment. During the year 371 chains of concrete fcoriang had been put in on the Lincoln Road ami 25 chains of wooden kerbing in the streets adjacent to Addington School. The balance-sheet and report were adopted. Letters were read from the Ghristcfmrch Meat Company regarding the -trophy offered by-them for competition by Road Districts at the Agricaßoocal ansi. v ]9a«.total AssOdirtioa’s Winter ■Show, and circajais regarding the competition weredistrifattted' boAli present. Votes of tbamkswere passed, to the Clerk,' the Board, and to tlteChairman. - r ’ ' . OXFORD. As.s» a«tKia3',meeting of retepriyaw of the Oxford Road District, the bafeftise'Abeet showed, the Total receipts;, including;; last yes’s:',balance- of £l2l 16s 6d, as £1651 19s ■■sd, and tie expenditise - £1237'11s- lOd, leaving, a balance of $314 7s 7d.