MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 49, 11 June 1879, Page 2

MANAWATU HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Thursday, June 29, 1879. The usual monthly meeting of the Manawatu Highways Board was held on the. above date. Present — Messrs. Dalrymple (chairman), M'Kenzie, M'Ewen, Bruce,. Farmer, M'Pherson, and Roekel. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. , The following correspondence was read : — ' Letter from the Manawatu County Council, requesting to be furnished with a copy of the valuation lists of the Manawatu Highways District. — Complied with. BUSH FALUN ft. Letter from Mr. John Manson, Palmerston, notifying tliat. he was about to fall the bush on section 447, and requesting permission to fall bush on road line m front of same, at current rates. — The Engineer stated that tenders for the work had already been called by the County Council. Letter from Mr. Neil .Buohanrm, Sanson, intimating his intention to fall the bnsh on section 343 and 341, and offering to clear bush on road line m f-.-ont, at current iates. — Offer accepted, but price not to exceed £2 per acre. Letter from Mr. Andrew Campbell, Awahuri, making a similar offer with regard to seetian 4, Featherston. — As the section was within the Douglas Special Settlement Block, the Board could not entertain the offer. > Letter from Messrs. Tv -ncr and Jackson, aud'to-s, stating that, they bad audited the book.-i of the Board, and found the various entries and cash balance cor 'ect, as far as the books showed. They suggested, however, that a mo-'e perfect system of bookkeeping should be adopted, and that the consecutive numbers m the receipt-book should be printed m, m place of being written m by the clerk. The Clerk informed the Board that the Government had ' furnished a new. set of books, which had to be kept m a particular way from the Ist April last— the date up to which the audit had extended. Mr. Farmer thought that it would simplify matters vevy much if separate accounts were kept for each Ward, and moved — " That the Secretary be instructed to keep separate accounts for the different wapds. Mr. M'Ewen seconded the motion, which was carried. ELECTION. Telegram from the Under-Secretary, dated May 7, stating that the election of a member of the Board might be proceeded with, and that the Government would be prepared to validate and amend the Highways Act next Session, Letter from Mr. J. Linton, Returning Officer, informing the Board that Mr: Herman Roekel had been duly elected a Warden for No. 2 Ward, m place of Mr. Henry Dawson, who had forfeited his seat through non-attendance at four consecutive meetings of the Board. FENCING- IN UNUSED ROADWAY. Letter from Mr/Thomas Norton, of Motoa, requesting permission to clear, drain, and fence m portion of road (at present swamp land) at the back of his section, No. 71 ; and undertaking to hand over the same to the Bosrd whenever they might wish to form the road, which hadv hitherto never been used. , • Moved by Mr. M'PherSon— " That leave be <riven to Mr. Norton to occupy the same for grazing purposes until required by the Board." Seconded by Mr. Bruce, and carried, RATES. Letter from Mr. W. A. Fitzherbert, disclaiming ownership of the land for which he had been rated, or of any other land m the Manawatu County.— lt appeared that an error had been made m tho rate-book Mr. W. A. Fitzherbert' s name having been, nserted instead of Sir W. Fitzherbert. It was moved by Mr. M'Ewen, seconded by Mr. M'Kenzie — " That Sir W. Fitzherbert be comrannieated with, and referred to his son's letter."— Carried. INACTION. Letter from Messrs. Robert, Tiller, and Mowlem, complaining that though a previous petition from the owners and occupiers of land m the neighbourhood, praying that the line from the Taonui stream to the Napier road might be formed, had been •favorably received,. no notice had as yet been taken of it, and asking whether it was the intention of the Board to form the road this winter. _-i.ii It appeared that the settlers had fallen the bush on tlie road line through their sections, but about a mile still remained to be cleared. The Board agreed that they would undertake this remaining portion- of tbe wovk. • THE DEFERRED PAYMENT B&POK. Letter from Mr. H. Liaynes,, requestingformation of road towards his section. — As it appeared that these were m the deferred payment block, the application was refused. Moved by Mr. M'Eenzib-t" That the Chairman coinmunipate with the Chairiiian of the, Comity Council, and suggest that a/ portion of the money allotted to the deferfed payment block he applied- to forming the road m question." 7 Mr. RpoKßii seconded the motion^ which

BATE. - Mr. M'Ewen moved— "That the rate for tha current year be one shilling m the £. Mr. M'Kexzib seconded the motion, which was carried; DEPUTATION. A deputation from the settlers residing m the district— consisting of Messrs. Milverton, Parkinson, Stevens, and Wilson — waited upon the Board to ask it to erect a bridge over the creek, and form ' twelve chains of road, with culverts, on the Milner line of road. . It was moved by Mr. M'Ewen, seconded by Mr. Bruce, and carried— " That the sum of £50 be placed at tbe disposal of. the Engineer for this purpose. engineer's report. .The Engineer's monthly report was read. In it the Engineer informed the Board that m No. 1 Ward he had laid off a new line of road through Mr. Wilson's property, and prepared plans for tho same. In No. 2 Ward a box drain was required m the Campbelltown road. The contract for repairs to the Rosiua Line was finished, bat another £8 or' £10 were required to be expended onUhe ro^d line. In the Oar'nav-.: von district, £30 or £40 would be required for new culverts, to replace the old rotten ones. He recommended that the bii3h be felled on the road line from Mr. Hammond's towards the Douglas Blotk, but that all totara and matai tree i be left standing on Campion's Line. About seveni chains of scrubbing and forming, together with one: box drain, 3 x 2, were very urgently required, as the settlers at the -new township of Campbelltown would be hemmed m during the winter unless the work were done. On Penny's Line a portion reqiii res forming, and the line either wholly or partially metalled. In No. 3 Ward arrangements had been made with Mr. Thynne to, do the formation leading to his property. In No. 4 Ward the Engineer, m company with Mr. M'Ewen, had visited the proposed new road line, and aho the road line as laid, down, by section 89, and had prepared plan for same, which he snbotifcfced to the Board for approval. In No. 5 Ward' he would ask to be allowed to expend from £15 to £20 on - the Fitzherberton road, to enable the settlers to travel on it during* the winter months, otherwise it. would be perfectly-im-passable. In No. 6 Ward the Engineer recommeads budi falling on Roberts' Line and Jones' Line being pushed on quickly as possible, as the opening up' of these roads would aid the speedy settlement of lands m the back country, at" present almost inaccessible, and strongly urged that one mile on each line be felled during the winter. Of No. 4 Wardjthe Engineer reports : "I have visited a part of this Ward during the month, and found that the contractors are progressing with their several contracts of bush-felling. I must crave your indulgence, for not furnishing the report on bush-felling, on wrong road lines m Kiwitea District, as I have been waiting for notice of Bismarck & Co. having felled the first portion of the bush, when I intended to camp put for several days and lay out road for formation, and clear up tbe wl die of the. long- talked-of wrorigly-felled road line. The notice from Bismarck I received tc-day, and atta;h hereto, so that, m the course "of a few diiys, I shall be able to furnish a full report, and also the expense that will be incurred Vin altering road from wrong to right line; as laid down on map of district." V On the motion of Mr. M'Ewen the report was adopted. :, EJVEB BANK BOAT*. Mr. Eockel moved— "That the Engineer be instructed to lay off a roadfrom Mr. T. Eraser's *gate to Mr. Bain's^ and report at the next meeting of the Board." Mr. Farmer seconded' the motion^ which was canried.; • , NEW BEIDG-B. -■;-.--■ Mr. M'Ewkn moved— "That the Secre-tary-be instructed to 'Tf rite to the- District Engineer, asking him to erect a ' bridge oyer Mongonuk stream leading to the Kirangi Block on G-ascoigne's Line.'-' V. Mr. M'Kenzie seconded the motion, which was carried. , - proposed noii>. It was resolved- "That the Engineer be instructed to report upon the cost of thirty chains of road "formation towards the Lftgoon, pSsfc Stace's." ROADS WRONOIT IAID OEP. It was agi'ee.d. that that portion of the .Engineer's report referr-irig tb road lines wrongly laid off be referred to the Chairman. , ' secretary's salary. 7 Mr: M'Ewen moved— " That the sum of £25 per annum be added to tiie Secretary's salary, m consideration of the .additional work incurred m keeping separate accounts for the various wards." V - Mr. Bruce seconded the motion, which was carried. auditors' eees. ' «- Mr. M'Ew;en moved— "That the sunvof two guineas be awarded to each of the auditors." Mr Bruce seconded the motion, and it was carried. ■ ■ , accounts. Accounts amounting iri the aggregate to , £332 16s. 4d. were passed for payment, Mr. Fry's account being 'reduced by 305., the value of totaw timber removed,. and on the motion of MrV M'Eenzie, seconded.by Mr. RoCKEL, it was resolved— "That the Manchester Highway Board he requested to pay bf the amount— £4, the felling for which it was incurredV being on a. road line, between the two districts " - TIMBER ON RbAD'iaNB.V V The CHAIH34AN brought under the potice of the Board tliat persons: were iri the^ /habit of using valuable tiriiber pff the road /'lines..-. —-The Engineer was instructed to proceed against anyone so doing./ ."-. APPiJOATION. ;./ .. Mr. Frecklington,Vjun.,attepded m .person to ask the Board >to, continue Bailey's Line through the Featherstdri estate. Proposed sy Mr. Rockei., seconded by Mr. Farmer— " That the Engineer be re^ quested to lay off the road near Freokling-tpn's-rtenders to. be m. at the next meet ing."— Carried. ■ .._ Th c meeting adjourned to Thursday, June 29, 1879-