PELORUS ROAD BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 125, 3 June 1910, Page 3

PELORUS ROAD BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the. above twaS' held oh Tuesday last, when the following members were present:— Messrs J. Fulton (chairman), W. r> Simmonds, J. A. Lambert, 0. Nees, ■C. Leov, and R. F. Crispin. CORRESPONDENCE.

The Treasury, Wellington, notified that a sum of £23 3s Bd, one-half of the amount standing at credit of the JMining Districts Land Occupation Account, had been remitted to the {Board's account at the Bank. With regard to the Board's application for a loan of £500 to provide itheir share of the cost of constructing the Omaka and Wairau bridges, ithe. Treasury wrote stating that there was no evidence in the Department of ithe- Board having completed the required procedure. But since the State-guaranteed Advances Act repealed the Local Bodies' Loans Act the Minister is unable to grant any more loans under this Act, and the Board were advised to apply to the Advances Department.—The secretary reported that the necessary steps lhad been taken. Messrs H. L. Elliott and T. Dillon Applied for renewals of their slaughterihouse license.—Recommended by the ißoard. The Public Works Department for-; warded particulars of the procedure jo. be adopted by local bodies in dealing with proposals to take land for road purposes or to exchange roads. Mr W. T. Churchward, solicitor, Blenheim, wrote notifying that Mrs IFearne, holder of a publican's license for the Mahakipawa Hotel intended to apply for an accommodation license, and asking. whether the Board had any objection to.the change. The Chairman moved and Mr Leov seconded, that the Board take no action. —Carried. The Public Works Department forwarded a copy of Mr Short's report ■jem the Commission recently held with regard to the maintenance of the Clarence Bridge. Inter alia the report stated: "The evidence failed to prove any special user of the bridge by the residents of either Omaka, jWairau, or Pelorus road districts, but it was proved that occasionally sheep the Wairau district, and, to a lesser extent, from Pelorus, use the fcridge, and it is probable that there 5s .some light traffic from Omaka and Pelorus over the bridge, but it is very sligtt; and were it not a. fact that the ■Counties Act is not in force these districts could not be made to contrifcttte;" The allocation for maintenance was as follows: Kaikoura County 45 per cent., Awatere Road Board 45 per cent., Wairau Road Board 5 per cent., Omaka Road Board 2i per cent., Pelorus Road Board 2£ per cent.

The Commissioner of Crown Lands ■wrote enclosing a letter he had received from Mr W. Brownlee regarding a road that had been taken (through his property without his consent. The Commissioner asked if the. Board could throw any light on ifche matter. Mr Brownlee's letter was to the effect that a road was taken through the north end of section 15, Havelock Suburban, on 10th May, 1904, without his knowledge. He stated that about 1879 he leased a iroad to' Mr W. Douslin for 21 years and took his road, but when his lease expired Mr R. Brownlee closed the road and allowed his neighbor, Mr iWatson, a right-of-way over the road m<ear his house, which road was continued to near section 48 to allow Mr Cate an outlet for his timber. The original road through section 49 being alongside the main creek is quite impassable for a dray. Mr Brownlee added that if his son were allowed the usual compensation and to take •over the present metalled road he would have no objection to a road being taken through his land.—After examining plans the Board decided that the matter be held over pending further information.

The secretary of the Picton, Road [Board wrote suggesting that members •of the two Boards meet and mutually arrange steps to keep open the road up the Waikakaho Valley.—lt was decided that the chairman and Mr Lambert (with power to ask Mr Weaver and Mr Storey to assist) meet the either 'Board in Blenheim at 1 p.m. on Monday, 13th June.

Mr W. Hodgson wrote urging the xleed for a. culvert on side of road at turn off road leading to Mount Riley, and stating that the settlers interested considered the Board should do the > work out of "thirds." He also asked that a pipe culvert be constructed to take water from his paddock in front of J. Cameron's • house.—After discussing the matter in various aspects, Mr Crispin moved that the1 inspector interview both Mr Cameron and Mr Hodgson, and if they agree where the «ulvert is to be constructed the Board to do the wwk; but if they cannot agree the Board take no action.—

Seconded by Mr Simmonds and car- | ried. The inspector is to report on j the other culvert asked for. Mr M. Wiffin, owner of run No. 74, ; wrote asking the Board to inspect the ; road giving access to the run, and. suggesting that the owners of abut-j ting lands be asked to attend to the j gates left on the road. He did not at * present object to boundary gates, but: he emphatically objected to subdivi- ; sion gates. He also asked if the Board j could join this road to the main road j at the confluence.—Left in the hands i of the inspector. ! Mr R. Forrest, Flat Creek, wrote ? regarding the state of Alfred Creek; ' above the bridge, it is working into \ the side very much, and if not stopped j soon it may possibly break through at \ the Havelock end of the bridge, and if it does so it will take twenty times as much, to repair it, as it will now. The writer suggested putting in a scrub and stone dam, saying that several of these that he had put in in his part of the creek were holding , well. He offered to put in a dam at 7s per day if the Board did the carting.—Mr Nees moved, and the chair- i man seconded, that Mr Leov ask Mr Forrest to do the work.—Carried. ; , Mr J. A. Lambert, Carluke, writing on behalf of the settlers in that district, asked that the Board keep j steadily in view the question of constructing a bridge. over the Rai at j Carluke, and also the opening of a 1 road into the Ronga Valley. He urged ] that the bfidge be put in hand before the next dairy season.—The secretary stated that as a result of Mr Sharp's recent visit to the locality that gentleman would submit to the Board's report as to the site and construction of the bridge. . Mr J. McCallum, Mahakipawa, wrote with regard to the ditch complained of by Mr Thompson, saying ! that he had not quite finished deepening and widening the ditch already dug by the Board, but intended to do j so as soon as possible. He asked whether the Board would take over the drain and keep it cleaned jf he completed it satisfactorily.—The inspector and chairman to inspect the locality. GENERAL. Mr A. W. Squire waited on the Board with reference to the road taken by the Board through his pro-.j perty at Northbank, in consequence of the main road having been washed away by the river, and asked for compensation for fully two acres thus taken. He said that some years ago the Board took an acre from Mr Sutton and allowed him £50, and he (Mr Squires) thought that a fair sum for the two acres would be £50.—Mr | Lambert proposed, and .Mr Nees j seconded, that Mr Squire be paid £50 j in full satisfaction of all c{aims to j date.—This was carried, and Mr Lambert then moved, and Mr Nees seconded, that the Assistant Road Engineer be asked to meet the Board's inspector arid Mr Squire and view the site of a further encroachment on Mr Squire's property and decide as to the best means of expending the grant of £100 for the purpose.—Carried. It was decided that the Board's overdraft for the current year be the i same as before—£l2oo.

Messrs Nees and McLean forwarded a cheque for £100 for the purpose of enabling metalling to be done on the road, in the vicinity of Deep Creek, the amount to be refunded by the Board out of the tithes earned by the firm's mill.—The cheque was accepted on the conditions outlined.

The Spring Creek Road Board wrote asking tor the Pelorus Board's share of the cost of the bridge at Spring Creek. —With reference to the statement that the Spring Creek Board

had kept back some of the best timber from the old bridge, Mr Lambert stated that the chairman of the Spring Creek Road Board had explained to him that this timber wa» put in by. the Board some time ago in order to keep it in repair, and they were justly entitled to it.—lt was pointed out that in 1902 the Board had received Ta Government grant of £250 for repairs to the old bridge, and it was possible that this timber was put in out of the grant.—lt was decided that the Board be informed that the Pelorus Board had not yet received the loan from the Government for paying the share of the cost of the bridge, and that the Pelorus Board were still waiting for a reply from the Spring Creek Board re the timber taken from the old bridge. In order to provide for the amount of £463, the Board's share of the cost of constructing the Omaka and Wairau bridges, a special order authorising the borrowing of the amount was passed, a special rate of one-twenty-eighths of a penny in the pound being provided to pay the interest and sinking fund on the loan, which will extend over a, period of 36£ years. On Mr Simmonds ' suggestion the Board decided to pay half cost of metal on the road from the Wakamarina Bridge to the tram-line provided the settlers interested did the other half of the work.

Mr Leov pointed out the need for widening the gap leading from the main road to Bull Ford, as it was dangerous.—Mr Leov was authorised to get the work done.

Mr Leov also asked for metal to be placed near the church at Flat Creek and near Mr Forrest's sheep yards, saying that there had not been any metal put there for 14 years. Mr Nees supported the proposition, which was carried.

At Mr Nees' suggtestion it was resolved to put some patches of metal between Blackball and the double crossing, at Mrs Jones', and atßown's corner.

Mr Crispin drew attention to the bad state of the road opposite Swafford's ,saying it was the worst portion between the Rai Sa3dle and the river. He thought some decent metal could be got from Plat Creek, and it should be p^ut on at once.—After further discussion Mr Crispin moved, and Mr Nees seconded, that the inspector use his best endeavours to get more carts on and have punt metal put oh this road as soon: as possible.— Carried. BRIDGING THE RIVER. The Board went into committee and considered the objections received to the proposed allocation of the cost of the bridge over the Wairau at Renwick. Counsel for the Board was also arranged for, and it" was decided that a tally of the traffic over the fords be taken^ for a period of one month.—Guardian.

The Gore Standard reports that the boarders seated round the tea table at one of the boarding-houses received a scare the other evening. A slight argument had arisen, when one of the combatants produced a revolver and placed it in a direct line with an adversary's face, saying "I think it is." The argument was not resumed.