PICTON ROAD BOARD

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 140, 16 June 1913, Page 3

PICTON ROAD BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Picton Road Board was held on Saturday. There were present: Messrs N. Bragg, H. J. Stace,- jun., J. W. Botham, I. Smith, jun., and H. O. Western.

THE CHAIRMANSHIP.

On the motion of Mr Bragg, seconded by Mr Smith, Mr Stace was elected chairman for the ensuing year. In taking the chair, Mr Stace acknowledged the compliment, and expressed the hope that throughout the year the members would speak their minds freely, which they could, of course, do without squabbling. He regretted that the Board was losing the services of Mr Randall. The result of the drawing determining the order of retirement for members was as follows: —First year, Messrs Lankow, Botham, and Bragg; second year, the remaining members.

THE PA CULVERT,

Mr Tahua Watson waited on the 1 Board with reference to a culvert below his place at the Wairau Pa, and said that the residents would do all the work in connection with the construction of an adequate culvert if the Board would supply the cement. 'The matter was deferred till next meeting for a report from the Inspector, and a. report from the secretary with regard to the payment of rates by the natives. Permission was given to Mr Watson to place a line of pipes under the roadway for flood-pumping purposes, the work to be subject to the Inspector's supervision. A SUBSIDY. Mr J. Powiok waited on the Board with reference to the promised subsidy of £20 for road-protection works near Mr Barnett's place. It was resolved that the account be passed for payment subject to Mr Powick, in behalf of the Tna Marina settlers, giving a written guarantee to gravel the approaches of the bank erected below Mr Barnett's place in the event of the new road through Mr Barnett's not being metalled by the Board within one month. A WEAK BRIDGE. Mr W. D. Pike waited on the Board and mentioned that Messrs Pike j Brothers' traction engine had smashed the decking of a small bridge on the, j-Wairciu Pa road. He asked that the. j bridge bo rendered safe ,for engine \ traffic. | The Inspector was instructed to j make the bridge safe for traffic tera- \ porarily, and report at next meeting.

AN ACCIDENT.

1 Mr Jack McDonald wrote stating f that on the'night of the 12th inst. he '•■ lost one of his best heavy draught horses through its accident in falling ; through, a hole in the bridge at the I mouth of the Puba.ka drain. There i v.'ns no light on the bridge or protec--1 tion round the hole, though Messrs I Pike Brothers (whose traction engine ; smashed the decking) notified the I Board on the morning of the 12th that ■ the bridge had been damaged. Mr i McDonald said that he valued this : horse, which was 12 years old, at £40, I and if the Board could not see its way \to compensate him he would, have to \ take further steps in the matter. I In the course of discussion theohair- | man said that the Inspector was .out i working on the roads when th© secre- ! tary telegraphed to him on the 12th, 1 and did not receive the telegram im- : mediately. But a light wasi placed on : the bridge with reasonable promptij ' The matter was deferred till next j meeting.

j A LOAN WANTED. j The Superintendent of the State- ] guaranteed Advances Office wrote rei gretting that, owing to the heavy demands made upon the funds of the Department by local authorities, it was not in a position to grant the loan of £1100 applied for to enable I the Board to share the cost of a new traffic bridge over the Opawa. River. No action was taJven, it being stated that Mr Lankow was joining in with a representative of the Spring Creek Road Board to interview the Minister at Wellington.

"THIRDS."

The Lands and Survey Department advised that before approving of th« schedule of the proposed expenditure of "thirds," accruing from January 27th to April 26th, 1913, amounting to £12 3s 6d, it desired to be informed whether the lessees of Sections 3, J Block 1., and 6, Bloak 11., Cloudy i Bay, had been consulted as to the manner in which it was proposed to spend the "thirds" accrued on these sections. Tho leases in question were situated at the top of the Waikakaho Valley, whereas it was proposed to expend the money towards, the mouth of the valley, and, as often happened in [such cases, the actual near approach •to the back sections was sadly neglected. Also, with regard to £1 9s 3d due from Section 21, Block XII., j Linkwater. tho Board could, not see what benefit the proposal was to the lessee of the section, as it was proposed to expend this sum on the_Waikawa Road* going away from Picton, I instead of on the road towards Pic- | ton, which was tho, town in or through | which the lessee drd his business. { The secretary was instructed to rei ply to the eifect that the lessees rei ferred to had agreed to the contem--1 plated plan of expenditure. FINANCE. The bank overdraft limit for the ensuing year was formally fixed at £750. Accounts amounting to £97 3s _6cl were passed for payment, including ! £3 for the Picton Borough Council as i a donation f or the trecontion of H.M.S. Now Zealand.

VALUATION ROLL

The Valuer-General forwarded a list of the alterations for the Picton read district. In regard to property-owners who had ■disposed oi: their land.s by vsale or lease, the Board was empowered under Section. 2 (a) of the Valuation of Land Act, 1908, to amend the roll without obtaining ; any special authority to have th© district roll corrected. In cases where th© area or value required to be altered the Department should be communicated with. All. alterations took effect from the 31st of March following the transaction.

HE RATE,

In behalf of Mr Lankow, Mr Bragg moved, according to notice, that the rate for the ensuing year be fiveeighths of a penny in the £. Mr Bragg said that, considering the demand on the funds, he would have been, inclined to propose threefarthings if the present proposition had not been advertised.

The motion was seconded and carried.

GENERAL

It was resolved to inform Mr H. Daikee that if the water-to bloq he had blocked at the brick kiln «nd elsewhere on the Elevation wore not cleaned out within fourteen days the

} Board would do the necessary work at his expense. On the recommendation off Jibe Inspector, it was resolved; thiat Mr Baldick be allowed to talce the flax on the Board's property provided that he cleared away the gorse in the locality. The following transfer was recorded: —Lease of Sections 56 and 62, Picton Suburban,, part Section 107 of Section 10S, Waitohi Valley, and Sections 109, 113, 121, 127, 141, 143, and 155, Picton Suburban, area 277 acres 2 roods 8 perches, from W. J. Wattie to John Mills, of Para. The secretary of the Picton Golf Club wrote asking that tho road leading to the links be repaired and metalled. —It was resolved that a day's work be done on the road.

Mr J. C. Chaytor wrote acknowledging the Board's expression of sympathy in the recent death of his wife. Applications from William Smith, J. Fireeth and Co., and the Christchurch Meat Company for renewals of their slaughterhouse licenses were granted. > The Department of Public Works forwarded a copy of the proclamation taking land for a road and closing a road through Block VI. , Cloudy Bay survey district. In the absence of Mr Lankow, the question of strengthening the Waikakaho bridge, which had been jointly inspected by this and the Pelorus Road Board's inspectors, was held over till next meeting. The Chairman mentioned the advisableness of doing some patch-metal-ling between Long Gully and Para, and also at the southern end of the district.—The matter was left to the discretion of .the Inspector.

The Inspector was granted a week's teave of absence.

At the instance of the chairman, the Board considered the Inspector's remuneration, which was in the nature of a daily wage. It was resolved to pay a fixed salary of £150 per annum.