ROCKS ROAD COMMITTEE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 104, 4 May 1893, Page 2

ROCKS ROAD COMMITTEE.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Rocks Road Committee \v.i~ held yesterday afternoon. Present —JI is Worship the Mayor of Ne's>n (in the chair), the Mayor of Richmond, Me?srs J. Best, P. Best Thomson, Graham, Bin!, Filtill, Pip r, Rout, C. J. ILirley, J. Harley, Lankow, Beukf, Pattie, Even.lt, Haddow, aid Webst-r. Acc 'Hints. Accounts wore passed f r £ f J7 10s sd, £HS 0s 0d of whiu'i was for wa^rs. It was resotv<d to piy Mr Tins Hnrlev £4 10s feir t'.ie anchor and chain of the little punt. Engineer's Re nor f. The Engineer read his report as follows: - The tot tl expei diture up to date had been £4816 17s Hi!. With rcep ct to the concrpte wall G.V63 per cent had been comp'ebed The cost of labour had been £2045 19s BJ. There was yet 3437 per cent of the concrete wall to complete, and taking the average cost of the p.Ttion completed, the portion yet to complete would cost £1082 . The cash available for the work was: —

The portion of the wall completed had taken 2325 casks of cenieuf-, and the pjrtion yet to complete, at the same rate it was estimated would take 1211 casks. Mr Gnhani asked the Engineer if he could supply defcfiils of expenditure, The Engineer said the details were as follows: — Building wall, £708 us 3d; management, ,£ll3 7s lOd; gravel, £457 Is 9d; block tu-.king, £311 2s 2); earthwork, £218 14a 9J; ditto special, £174 Is; plant, £412 15s 8d; miscellaneous", 4)43 15a Id; cement, £318.s Sd: tool?, £10 14s 8d; and powder £16 3s4d Mr Haddow moved that a copy of the detailed estimate of the Hocks It >.id work be placed on the records of the Committee. Mr Gully ia reply to a question said that Mr Jickell 1 ;rl supplied .Mr Seddon with a detailed estimate of the work. The Mayor said the Surveyor had made several estimates. Mr Piper did not know why Mr Haddow wanted a det died estimite. Probably If he had one he would not understand it. Mr Talbot, the Mayor of Richmond, said \ he did nob see any necessity to go into detail?, but he did not see any objection in giving them, The Engineer said the estimates had been read over at least a dozen times. The worry which he had been subject to from the very start was beginning to affect his health. He was getting tired of this sott of thing. If the Committee were not satisfied with what he was doing, he would like the Committee tj relieve him of charge of the work. Mr Graham Eaid he had never seen a copy of the detailed estimate of the cost of the work. The lack of this information caused a good deal of dies itisf action. Tho Chairman said Mr Graham should remember that the work was started before he (Hr Graham) became a member of the Committee, Mr Graham siid that when he used the word "dissatisfied ' he was referring to the ratepayers ns a whole. They were dissatisfied, Tho members of Committee were quite right to ask for a detailed statement. He had much pleasure in seconding Mr Haddow's motion. The Chairman said that Mr Graham and many other persona appeared to take a de« light iv throwing o^Jd watir on the work.— (The speaker here enumerate] a number of matters in cannectioa with the management of the road, which had been adversely criticise iby some ) Everything in con nee ion with the work was bad according to them. \s bug as certain gentlemen were on the Cainuii'tee things would never be right. Things word all right before they cama on tho Committee. — Tho speaker here went on to say that the cert iin members of the Cornmiit.'e referred to never lost a i opportunity of persecuting the City .Surveyor, it was quits time that 3uoh proceedings should bj put a stop to. He thought such behaviour cruel and hateful. The work was going on magnificently, aud what did they want a detailed estimate for? If J\l r Gruham wanted the detailed estimate it wa3 in the City Surveyor's otfujp, and Mr Gruham could see ie thoro if the City Surveyor would allow him to look at it. Mr (Jraham said he would like to call attention to the Mayor's remark " if the City Surveyor would allow him." The Mayor iiuished a very excited speech by saying "Let us be men, not bullies." Mr Jlout said the Engineer had done his very best with the road. The work was a very good one, and had been approved of by many persons who were qualified to speak on such matters. The Engineer was persecuted by certain members iii a shameful way, ami he had said very properly that he was getting- tired of it. 'He only wondered that he had stood it so long, lie referred to Mr Haddow's motion to which he moved the following amendment: — " That in the opinion of this Committee a vote thanks and confidence in Mr Jickell, the Engineer, be recorded in Lite minutes of this meeting, for the able and energetic manner in which he has done, aud is still doing, the work in connection with the Rocks Road ; and that a detailed estimate of the work is not considered necessary at this stage, two-thirds of the work being already completed." Mr Fittili seconded the amtndmant. He thought tint the Engineer hid ti.o much work to do, and th t he had not time enough to supurinto::d the Hocks Ihad aud do hii own work too. The country people all wished t) see the road brought o a successful finish. They were tired of driving over tho hlils. There were he knew a lot of cronkera in ths town. (He did not refer to nny gentlemen present). Me was on the Rocks Rod the other day and he met a Nelson citizen who told him that the Kngiucer was no gt>od, that the work was uo good etc., etc, That man ought to have been entrusted with the work aad then of

course all would have been right. He hoped that before long tho road would be finished successfully. He t .ought thafc Mr Haddow's resolution waa e .tirely unc tiled for. He did uot think a detailed estimate at all necessiry. He had much pleasure in seconding the amendment. Mr Eyerett said that in his opinion the main question was the completion of the building of the wall. He had no doubt himself that the prisoners would linish doing the earth work. The Engineer had told them that the total cost of the completion of the wall would be s.I,US2. In answer tu Mr Piper the Engineer said he had never refused to give any information to any member of tlie Committee.

Mr < inihaiu said ho was very sorry that the amendment had been moved. lie believed the majority of the ratepayers would like the particulars asked for. lie expressed great regret that no record had been kept of the detailed cost. He thought that the people had a right, to ask and get the detailed estimate. Not giving the required information made it look as if .something had to be hidden and kept back. (Jr Welster, referring to the ChnirmuiV r.-niuk-, euid that they were entirely unualhdl'jr. A more reasonable and .simple rujLic.-t than that cont.iir.cd in Mr IladdowV iiio'.i 11 i". was dillicult to conceive. la his o[ii:.i-!i it was :;bs dntely nce.-sary th'it a d. tnli d account .should be before the Cnnmittcc. As they were proceeding t)y Committee was not needud. The Engineer had practically sole control o f fchj work. What did the Committee meet for .' Mr Thomson: "To worry the Overseer," (F/iiighttir and Hear, hear.) Mr \Veb3ter: If they cams there only ti pass a few account', the Town (Jlerk ymld do that. The speaker wei ton to deny that he was nn ob?truetionut. There was no member of the Committee more anxious to have the rend finished than he wae. He only obji.ct.d to the unbusiues-lik.; method■idopt d by the Committee right from the v.iry ptait. Things hal been slightly head over heclr-. The M<:yor: Ouly .slightly .' Mr Webstrr paid that l;o cou'd pay that there wore expert- in to.vn. who had as great I a knowledge of t) c wcrk as the Engineer, whoso r-aimites far exceeded the sum stiital by their Enghuer. He strongly object :d to the languige which had boi-u u=ed by the Chairm n about men who, from a perfectly conscientious print of view took a .-tu:d ag-iinst the unbusinesslike methed in which the (Jommitt.e'd Jiff urs were being conducted. Mr Iladlo-.v brie liy rrjdiptl and paid hp regret'/.'d very much the t'-clintf displayed by - >;ne mrmbers ( f the C"mtnitU'O ,\i.y oae av)io cam-; th^rc with lioi cj'. i 'tenuous aid who r- (jueated certtiu inforniiti ,n rs to tacts and figurts wqb called an obsti notioniat, etc, lie Ueui'.d that he waa one, lie

hfid been surprised to find no rp^ord of the detailed e^timite and lad accords ,L'-y p.sked for on;\ He simp'y wanted Mih wo : k dour; i-\ a business like manner. JL> would not jiimp on artyorif. II"! -a : il wh n he first j iiicd the Council f Hit i.he Ku^'inetr wr.s t-yi-i? to do too much vvcrk, and he va? of she b me opinion now. The amendment wis put ar.d curitd. A divioion w«s c.lkd for and r< suited ns fallows : — Ay, p: Messrs J. Best, P Bc^t, Thomson O'rd, Fittal', Piper. Rout, (J. J. Harley. J. H:irl<-y, Lankow, B'.:uk(>, P ttie, Everett, Tiilbot, nnd the Ch:urmna = 15. Xoe^ : Messrs Graham. Webster, at.d Haddow=3. Mr Piper moved that the Mayors of Richmond and Nelson, nnd the Chairman of the Wiiime-i County Cruucil be appoint. d a Committee to investigate the finances of the Hocks R^ad Committee a ;d rcpoit to the next meeting. Mr Lankow seconded the motion. — Carried. Mr Bouke moved that the Wiiimea County Council be nsk'.d to invite tenders for Adtle Island stone. Mr Piper seconded the motion. Messrs C. J. Hurley, H^ddiw, and Webatrr opposed the motion. They protested that if £700 were looked up in stour, there would be no money topiy labour with, ii ud the work svould be in consequence ■stopped in two or three months time. Aftfr some disoussion the motion was curitd. Mr Pip^r moved that the Richmond Borough Council be requested to place £150, ai.d the Waimea County Council £100, ta the credit of the Rjcks Road account. i Mr Rout secouded the motion. ---Carried.

£ h. d. Jity Council .. .. 2(> 0 0 Waime-i Couuty Council rgay) 200 0 0 Richmond B. trough Council .. 250 0 0 Government .. .. 225 0 0 Subscriptions . . . . 200 0 0 Ba'a-iCetj credit of Committee 31 19 5 £932 19 5