AWATERE ROAD BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 63, 15 March 1911, Page 7

AWATERE ROAD BOARD.

The Awatere Road Board met yes--terday afternoon, the following members being in attendance:—Messrs J. G. Armstrong (chairman), b. M. Neville, D. J. Scott, E. S. Rutherford, and A. C. Mcßae.

"FOURTHS." The Commissioner of Crown Lands forwarded a schedule showing the Amount of "fourths" £71 16s. 4d 5 available for expenditure by the Board, and asked for a schedule of the proposed expenditure. The Secretary's action in forwarding the allocation of the <Tfourths" as per schedule, was confirmed. URB TO CLARENCE ROAD.

The Under-Secretary for Public .Works wrote stating that the Board's application for an additional grant of £500 for the Ure to Clarence road had jreceived the Minister's consideration, and an additional grant of £500 had beten apprbvteSd. v j;: -(COUNTIES ACT. '.

TheVMißister tfor Public Works, wrote acknowledging receipt of the Board's resolution to the effect., that the Board did not wish the. Counties Act to be brought, into operation in the Marlborough district until April Ist, 1912. n ' _ ~ The Clerk to the County Council wrote to the effect that a petition, to be signed by the chairmen of all local bodies, had been prepared, asking the Minister for Public Works to postpone. ;,the bringirig-in of the Counties Act. ' The chairman reported that he had already signed the petition. WAIRAU BRIDGE COMMISSION. Mr. Short, Commissioner, informed, tlie Board that the Wairau Bridge Commission, to allocate the cost of building -the Wairau bridge, would sit in Blenheim on April 3rd. Mr Short also forwarded a summary of the traffic for two monthsJLst November to 31st December, across the Wairau at .Renwick. .A copy xti. the tally, which, had been.prepared by th© Pelorusßoad Board, had Been sent to all local bodies interested.

RAILWAY OPENING.

A letter was received from the President of the Maryborough. Land and Railway. League to the effect, that as the Seddon to Ward railway extension would soon be completed;, it was proposed by the members ;or the League to celebrate it in a man-; ncr worthy of- the occasion. T6 .do] this funds, for _ which he, had caS, cularised all local bodies, would hare/ to be forthcoming, and he asked ther Board^ how much it was prepared .toj. subscribe;- -'■"'"■, '|-

Mr Neville thought it was a matter for the Flaxbourne Settlers' Association or the Awatere Road Board to arrange about the banquet. Mr Scott said that the other Boards had fallen in with the idea, and had.donated something towards the fundf; He saw no reason why they should not do the same. After, a short discussion, Mr Rutherford moved, and Mr Scott seconded, that the Board pay £10 to the general fund, and that a subcommittee consisting ,of the Chairman and Messrs Neville and Scott be appointed to control the expenditure of the donation. This was carried.

TOURIST TRAFFIC

A letter was received from the Tourist Department stating that tourists, when travelling through tfie Dominion, were frequently inconvenienced by the absence of fingerposts at the diversion of roads, and asking the Board, if the letter haa any application to it, to take steps to make the roads easier for tourists.

It was decided that finger-posts be greeted at the junction of the following roads:—Seddon-Richmond Brook, Flaxbourne-Ward, one at junction to old section road, Flaxbourne, Upper Awatere and Richmond Brook;- and that the matter be left in the hands of the secretary.

A SEPARATE COUNTY.

It was resolved that the Government be asked to proclaim the Awatere road district a county, and that the chairman and Mr Neville be a deputation; to interview the Minister for Public Works in regard to the matter of passing a special Act to give effect to section 16 of the Counties Act, 1908.

RENT REDUCTION

Mr Scott moved tEat the rent of the reserve at Ward, leased to F. Sharpe., be reduced in accordance with the land taken from him at 10s per acre, and that notice be given him that the Board will terminate his lease on September Ist next. Mr Rutherford seconded the motion, which was carried.

OUTSTANDING RATES

The secretary was instructed to sue for all outstanding rates.

SECRETARY'S SALARY,

It was resolved that the Secretary's salary be raised to £200 per year, and that a commission of 1 per cent, be paid on the expenditure of the Joan for the Upton Downs road. ■Li* fr i. l Hoi?J tanked the Board for the liberality shown to him by increasing his salary.

LEASE.

It was resolved that the Board's solicitor be instructed to draw up a lease in accordance with the "recommendation of the Commissioner of Crown Lands

NON-RECOVERABLE RATES

It was decided iEat the list of rates read by the secretary as non-recover-able be struck off the rate-books.

FINANCE.

The financial statement for the month showed a credit balance at the bank of £186 3s 2d.

INSPECTOR'S REPORT,

The Inspector's report, which is as follows, was adopted:— I have not visited the Upper Awatere district since my last report, but I hope to make a visit to this district next month. The land recently leased at Woodman's Bend for a roadman's ♦ camp has been fenced, and the house has been repaired. Three culverts have been laid down on the roads in the Sea View district, 800 cubic yards of gravel have been supplied by the Public Works Department for gravelling the Grassmere to Kaparu road, and 40 chains of this road have been covered with the metal. Good progress has been made by W. H. Crafar with his contract of grading One Tree Hill cutting. The £500 Government grant for the deviation of the road south of the Kekerangu River has been expended, the total number of chains of road formed, clayed, and gravelled, being 45 chains. There have also been laid on this road one box culvert 3 feet square, and one, 18 inches by 12 inches. The sides of the road have been wattled with manuka, the total length of wattling put down being 112 chains. A further grant of £500 has been made By tE© Government for

this work. Some heavy, work..trill have to be done on the next section to be operated upon, as the whole of the hill is pure sand down to higttwater mark. The roads generally throughout the district are in fair trafficable order at present. I would recommend that one road grader _be started trimming up the roads in the Flaxbourne district at an early date.

CLARENCE BRIDGE.

Mr Sharp, assistant engineer, wrote approving of the plans and specifications for the painting of the Clarence bridge, and it was decided to call tenders for same.

GRAVELLING

The tender.of Mrs G. Adams for metalling the Kaka Road at 18s per chain was accepted.

NEEDLES CREEK BRIDGE.

'It was decided, yon the recommendation of Mr Scott, that approaches for sheet) be put at each end of the Needles Creek bridge.

ACCOUNTS

Accounts totalling £612 10s 4d were passed for payment, and the Board rose., . . -.■;■. ■'; - '