TUTUAU ROAD BOARD.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 10, Issue 677, 14 June 1887, Page 4

TUTUAU ROAD BOARD.

Ordinary and Bpecial meetings of this Board, were , held at Humphries' Hotel, Mat aura, last Saturday afternoon, when there were '' present :— Messrs j?inlay MacKay. (chairman), Pollock, M. Dickie, McCartney, Car-; cer and Rae. 'After, the mitiiitea had been con« firmed, th* C. 'r."?" 1 " s-^d \xq had not been present at iuou juao&&mg» when members did him the honor to move him into tie chair. The position was not of his seeking, and he recognised that Mr Rae had for a long time filled it with great fairness. His services were very much appreciated by the Board, and he would prefer that he (Mr Rae) should retain his seat. Mr Pollock, while admitting that Mr Rae had made an excellent chairman, thought the office should go round ; consequently he had at last meeting proposed Mr MacKay. Mr Rae and other gentlemen urged Mr MacKay to retain the seat ; and under these circumstances, Mr MacKay agreed to do so, at the same time returning thanks for the honor done him and stating that he would endeavor to rule fairly as between man and man. That was all he could promise. At a later stage, and on the motion of M.v Carter, and the chairman, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Rae for his past serviees.-i-Mr Rae, in returning thanks, said that he had endeavored to do his duty as long as he was in the chair. He was glad that a change had been made and that his mantle had fallen upon his friend Mr MacKay. ..••.-; Mr Dickie said that on coming Ito the Board last meeting day to take hie seat, hs^fouhd that he was not legally a member** and he would like to know where the fault: lay* because through the illegality of the election inconvenience had been caused, certain expenses incurred, and a risk of penalties run had he taken His seat. — The Clerk, Mr Perkins, said that no doubt there had been considerable inconvenience and; a little expense. He was returning officer, and haying. another Board engagement some distance from the spot where nominations were to be received, he hurriedly accepted those of Messrs Waddeli and Dickie, and it never occurred to him at the time that Mr Jno. Waddeli was not a ratepayer. The expense would not be great, in that there would be no returning officer's fee. — Mr Dickie thought the explanation satisfactory,and the matter dropped. The clerk produced a lithograph showing the exact position of the Riverside road Mataura : to Gordon, the river chain age, etc*. It appeared from this, and. from what members knew of the matter, that the chainage had been materially reduced in parts, and that the Otaria Road Board's por* tion of the road between the Otakarama bridge and the road line leading towards \Mr D. Gardiner's was of a swampy nature. Drivers, horsemen, and others were at present enabled to escape this .through Mr M. O'Rourke allowing traffic through his section, but this privilege might at any time be withdrawn, and a number of settlers in the Tuturau Road District very seriously inconvenienced; —It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Rae and Dickie' that the former resolution (asking the Government to compel the Otaria Road Board to place their part of the road in a proper state of repair) be given effect to. The Board — in special meetingconfirmed the special order as advertised in the Matauka Ensign re adoption of the Local Bodies Loans Act. It was pointed out that under this Act the 'Board could not pay Mr ¥yte more than 6 per cent interest on his debentures. Mr JTyfe had been written to by the clerk asking him to meet the Board, but there was no response to the letter. j ' The .Government Life Insurande Department wrote, in reply to tb'e clerk, to the effect that it was not disposed to take Uj) a loan «fXSOO"on. certain debentures of the Tuturau Road Board.— Received. ■ ■ Before the tenders were opened, Mr Carter Baid that at last meeting he had proposed that Mr Pollock, the inspector and himself visit the gut affected by proposed works on Riverside road, but' nothing had been done in the ■ matter. Hia opinion was that the Board, by suoh works, would dam the water back on Rivemew and render itself liable to be mulct in damages. — Mr Pollock contended that the Board was justified , in raising the road, and could leave the proprietors of Riverview to look after themselves.-^The Inspector said the banking up of this road would keep no more water, back than had been the case in past years. He also explained the nature of the work proposed-— The matter then dropped. Tenders were afterwards opened for contract Ho- 144, Riverside road, and that of Charles Chamberlain in the sum of Ll9 153 accepted. Tliere : were ho fewer than ten tenderers. . .W. P. Smith and P. Campbell apl plied for permission for a Swing gate on the road leading to Venlaw station— r Granted, the Acfc to. be complied with, — Mr Pollock asked whether it was correct that when permission to erect a gate was granted parties breaking it down could be sued for damages? — The Chairman : Certainly. — 'The Clerk i But it is not necessary for parties t& shut the gate. It was understood that the collector would use every effort: to get in outstanding rates before 30th June in older that the Board might fully par* ticipate in the Government subsidy. The fallowing accounts were passed for payment :-— Neil McGittigen, extras on contract, L 3 12s 0d ; Ja< Robson, contract 143 and extras and other work, L4O 10s j L- D. Nichol, interest on debentures, LlO ; C. Cham berlahij depot it on contract, L 3 13s. ; A petition was laid on. the table asking the County Council to take over the Riverside road because of ifc 3 being a main road from Mataura t6 Gordon and bwauae of the di Acuity of

getting repairs effected to it in th^t it was at the tail end of two road districts, * the Boards of which hesitated about. ■ spending much money, upon it.— The Chairman and other gentlemen attach- i ed their signatures,: and the petition I was left -with Mr Dickie. The Board then rose.