OMAKA ROAD BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 245, 15 October 1920, Page 2

OMAKA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY 'MEETING.

The monthly meeting of tlie Omaka Road Board was held yesterday afternoon, when the following members were present: Messrs ]>. McCallum (chairman), J- Bary, W. Dick, G. Boyce, and R. Ham. PROPOSED OPAWA BRIDGE.

Tlie Town Clerk wrote stating that the • Borough Council wished the Board to convene a conference of representatives of tho local bodies concerned, when the matter could be fully, treated. . The members were not against tins proposal, but the chairman, emphasised the necessity of having some data to set ■ before such a conference. Mr Bary said a survey^ was necessary first, so as to have something tangible to prove the' Board's argument. The speaker read two letters, one from Mr R. McCallum, MP , and the other from the Minister for Public Works to Mr McCallum, which were written in February, and dealt with the proposal to bridge the Opawa at Discussion on the ways and means of procuring a survey resulted m a resolution, moved by Mr Bary, that the Minister for Public [Works be written to in reply to his letter of the 13th February to Mr McCallum and informed that the Board wished the Public Works Department to make a survey, and prepare a plan and estimate of the proposed bridge. It was also resolved that Mr K. McCallum, M.P., be acquainted with the Board's action and informed that the Board was forced to go to the Public Works Department owing to the shortage locally of civil engineers, and that he be asked to support the proposal. THE LIGHT RAILWAY PROJECT.

A communication from the J-OJ™ Clerk intimated the result of ■••tho lii<rht Railway Conference, and accofdiugly referred the proposal for a. 3ft. 6in. gauge line to Wennope back to the Board for a decision. Members thought that the bigger gauge would be too expensive; but Mr Ham said that it did not matter what the line,, would cost so long as it would pay for itsolr. _ Mr Bary gave Ins opinion as to what had been done at .the conference. He confessed to the idea that the line to tho West Coast would be of only parochial use, as any coal that would be transported from any other part than on the coast would p-oi by Nelson, because that province ra,s aiming at gaining connection by ran. With the high cost of railing the coal to be transported the price would be no lower. He' was certain that the 3ft. 6in. proposition would kUI tlie whole project. There was ro doubt that a light line would help the people who were forced to live many miles from the town to gain a livelihood, and he was sure that he- was expressing the feelings of the Board when he said that these backblocks • people had the members sympathy. It was the Board's intention to help these people. . Ihej would be the greater beneficiane*. but all the other ratepayers would have to help to "pay .the piper. After a short discussion it was decided, on the motion of ( Mr Bary Fecondcd by Mr Boyce: "That tins Board', whilst ■ being ■ m sympathy with the light railway scheme feels that it is- in the best interests ot the province to erect, a 2ft. gaußO line to Glenhope in preference to the 3ft. 6in. gauge."

PROVINCIAL WAR MEMORIAL

A letter from the secretary of the War (Memorial Association was dealt with. , . ■ ~ , Members expressed the view that the method outlined in the specimen voting paper was not the forest method of arriving at th© publics opinion on the question. . It was first decided ,that it be lett with Mr Boyce, to arrange with Mr F. Vowles to canvass the district for votes, and that the Association be. asked for. 1200-voting papers. After discussion on the method or voting, it was decided, on the motion of the chairman, that tlie issues provided for in the present voting paper should be augmented by the addition of two more issues, viz., the memorial to be at Blenheim, or the memorial to be at Picton.

THE REQUIREMENTS OF ■ FARNHAM.

A deputation concisting of a number of Farnham residents waited on tlio Board and requested that various works be carried out which wore badly required in, that locality. The matter of drainage was the point specially emphasised,'' though a general clean-up of work was urged. Mr A. F. Bent, speaking for the deputation, urged that as they were

becoming quite a large community in Farnham, the matters brought before the Board should receive careful attention. The drainage was very bad, with ditches, drains, and watertables choked up, and the stagnant water lying on the residents' property. Others of the deputation advocated their cause, and were subjected to questions from the members. The chief source of the trouble was found to be a drain, commonly known as Edingers ditch, wliich required cleaning, and the deputation agreed to a. suo-p-estion that the ratepayers affected°should enter into an agreement to recompense .tlie Board on a pro rata basis, if the Board had the wcrrk of cleaning the ditches regularly r.ttended to. When tho deputation withdrew, it M-as decided, on the motion ot . Mr Barv that, as the result of the representations made to the Board by the residents, .the inspector be authorised to attend to tho work, and that the f^cretm- be instructed to draw iip em agreement tci be made concerning the dleaning of the drains. BUILDING PERMITS.

Three building permits were granted. . ... ... According to notice, tho cluurraan moved for "the reseisioii of a. previous .resolution that tho matter or building permit* 'be attended to # by the fuTl Board at its usual meeting. In moving this proposal the chau'man said that it was'absolutely unreasonable ' that tIK-sc desirous of gaming permit-! should haive toi wait so long for the Board to meet so as to grant perMtai. ■ . . Tho secretaj-y mfarmed the members thttt this attitude of the Boa.rd was cruising a good deal of discontent, and disagreeable- -situaticiis.. Mr Bary said the whole system was ridiculous*. Ho cited a case to prove Iris statement.' A man in this district intended to build a house worth £6000. It was a private residence, .and ho had not ' ; the people to occupy .it fully. Tin's pa if" was merely wasting hisf money in building a mansion so that he cciuld si.iy ho had the finest iionso in■• Maribbrough. This man ■would get his permit, though he. was not, in tho Board's district (or the Board could block him), and would so deprive another man who would want .-». six-vociaied house- of his right to •have the r^.i.teria.l, as it would not bo availablej. and he would have to erect a fisve-roo-'Tied house. This was what the speaker was against. The matter of granting permits was "not worth tluV much," as he snapped his finge?i.: Atf a protest to th© &ovornment he would like to sea the Board refuse to take the responsibility •of granting-..permits. The motion, ha/ing beon seconded by Mr Boyce, was carried unani-

mously. , ~ It was then resolved on the motion of the chairman that the secretary and any one member of the Board be authbd":--,od/to ideal with building perijrit's as applications arrived.'

GJSNERAL

It was derided tq procure .a supply of do^'collars at pnoes quoted by a firm, "providing that' tho "D's" were broKed—not c!a,mped—together. It was icsolved that the inspector mask a report at next meeting on the condition of the Alabama clniin. A ntunb'er of land transfers were lapproved, and accounts vvei'o passed for payment. As the result af a report by the inspector on the possibility of forming ILnnimeiric'li's a-oad to connect with the Spring Creek portion of the road, it Mas resolved, on the motion of Mr Baa-y, thjrfc the' petitioners Ibe written to and advised that a portion of the road thrr.ugh the old river-bed was private property, and before the Bo.ird Mould be in the. position to make the road the land would hare to bo dedicated to it, as it could not think of buying the land. It was resolved to increase the wage for ordinary labor to 14s per day. ■

it was decided that 10 per cent, be added-to all rates unpaid by a. specified 'dutd.