OCEAN BEACH DOMAIN BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12450, 5 September 1902, Page 3

OCEAN BEACH DOMAIN BOARD.

The regular meeting of the Ocean Beach Domain Board was held last evening, and attended by Messrs K. Ohisholm (chairman), J. H. Hancock, D. Stirling, H. E. Muir, J. Braithwaite, and F. Anderson. .. The Chairman of tho Tomahawk: Road Board wrote that ths road past Tahuna Park through the Sandhills to tho Tomahawk district, which had been removed'from tho jurisdiction of tho board and placed under the control of. the Domain Board, was in a very neglected state, being much cut up ,by the nightsoil carts which passed to and fro in large numbers daily. Mr John Matheson and the writer (Mr* Smail!) had been compelled to get men and repair the road, which wae becoming dangerous. He (Mr Smaill) trusted that the Domain Board would see that , the road was repaired forthwith.—Mr Hancock said the statements in the letter wore most misleading. Neither iUr Smaill nor Mr Matheson had over spent sixpence on the part of the road used by the nightearts. What they had done was to trim the lupins off the side of the road beyond tho entrance to the depot. Further than that the road had been attended to by the men working for the board as time permitted, arid was still being attended to. It was in a much better condition now than it was when taken over by the Domain Board. —The Chairman said he 'had been over theroad, and he came to the conclusion that it was in very fair order indeed.—The letter was received; Mr Smaill to be informed that the matter referred to had been attended to. The bank book, made up to the 26th August, showed a credit balance of £71 10s 2d. Accounts amounting to £30 10s having been paid, the action of the treasurer in having , paid them was confirmed. A further lot of accounts amounting 1 to £39 12s 6d were passed for-payment. The Secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society wrote that the society had completed fencing the area behind Tahuna Park, and the executive desired to have a good deal of marram grass planted on the seaside of the enclosure, to prevent the sand from blowing over the Sandhills from fho back. Mi- Batb.lsa.to ■ commenced tree-planting within tho enclosure immediately.—The Chairman said that the society had expressed their readiness to see that tho area was planted with trees and marram grass. In view of the society having been privileged to fence in tho area, it was perfectly reasonable for the board to insist upon their planting trees and marram grass, or if they so desired they could pay tho board for the labour and the board 'could do it. He thought it would perhaps be better to tell thorn what they asked for was a breach of the permission given them to erect fences.—A discussion then tookjplaeo as to whether it was inside or outside the enclosure the society wanted the grass plajited, and it was finally decided that the society bo requested to plant a considerable area of the enclosure with marram grass in terms of the board's letter: also, that the chairman confer with the soeioty further in the matter.—Mr Hancock said they could supply marram grass and labour if the society would supply the mor.oy. His estimate of the value of the work the society had done was about £2, so that, anything between £5 and £7 would meet the case. The Works Committee reported that during the past month four men had been engaged fencing, scrubbing, and planting grass. The weather had been most Favourable, and good progress had been made. The high winds of Monday morning brought up a rough sea, which had filled the lagoon and stopped fencing for the main breast groin

in the moantimo. It would probably be 10 days before the work could be resumed. In the meantime Win. Chishohn had found other employment; D. Ogilvie was cutting scrub amongst Iho trees in the triangle bo- ' yo'nd Taliuiia Park, and tying the broom into bundles for scrubbing purposes; and John Hicks and E. Campbell were planting marram grass. This work would be completed in a week or lfj days. The committee recording.i led the board to request the ownors of ..o- ions on the Sandhills, near St. Clair, to fc-.cc, the board paying half cost. i The board's permanent hands had been engaged, in addition , to their regular work, getting marram gfass, planting the same, and repairing the Main road.—With regard to fencing sections, Mr Hancock said if it : was done it would stop the stream of traffic , —both of horees and pedestrians—that wae ' "tearing the Sandhills to pieces." The cost i of the fencing would be about 15s a chain, ' and there were not many chains.—The report was adopted, it being understood that by the board paying half cost of the fencing was meant half cost of the cross fence; I legal notice to fence, being loft in the hands of the secretary aud chairman. It was resolved that the secretary be instructed to write to the Caversham Borough Council asking them to Ret owners of two sections facing the St. Clair esplanade to fence, Mr Hancock pointing out that the owners had allowed at least 20ft of their sections to be cut down and washed away I by not fencing them.