Waimate Road Board.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 110, 23 July 1895, Page 3

Waimate Road Board.

The first meeting of the nowlyolectecl Board was held on Wednesday. Present: Messrs McCarthy, Budge, Wats on, Stevenson, Borne, and Pearce, and later Blennerhassett. The clerk read the result of the late poll, and the election of present members, and called upon them to appoint their chairman. Mr Stevenson moved that Mr Budge be appointed chairman. Mr Budge declined. Mr Watson proposed Mr McCarthy, as be had a good grasp of Board business. Mr McCarthy said he did not wish to shirk .the position, but would propose Mr Stevenson, as ho was equally well up in the business. Mr Stevenson declined, as he lived too far away, and thought they could not have a better man than Mr McCarthy. . Mr McCarthy was thereupon duly elected.

On taking his seat the newlyelected Chairman thanked the members Tor the honor, and stated that the position was a very serious one to take up at the present time, considering their financial condition. They should see that matters between the Board and Council were fixed up with as little delay*as possible. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were then read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. Outwards, unimportant. The Clerk notified that arrangements would have to be made with the bank to meet the overdraft required for settlement of accounts to be passed that day. Resolved, That the chairman and Mr Budge be authorised to arrange with the bank for amount required on general account. WATINO ROAD. ' From D. M. Holmes, complaining % of water having been diverted from the west side of the road, and turned into a ditch on the east side, and made to run through complainant’s sections into the Punehu River, Mr Stevenson gave particulars regarding this matter, and moved that the foreman inspect and report at next meeting. Carried. . NEW WARD. Mr J. E. Mudford attended, and presented a petition for a new ward to . be constituted between the Railway Reserve and the Waimate boundary line.

Mr Blennerhassett stated that threefourths had signed the petition, ■whereas two-thirds would have been sufficient according to the Act. The Chairman read the part of the Act bearing on the matter, and con sidered that it would be advisable to take legal advice before taking steps. Mr Watson was in favor of having the whole-district divided into wards. Mr Budge was of the same opinion, A long discussion took place, the general opinion being that subdivision was desirable. Mr Pearce said that if this application were grant?d others would be coming in, and where was it going to stop ? Mr Budge asked how this application would affect the remaining portions. The Chairman said it would work in very well as could be geen by the map. Mr Budge would like to see one job made of the lot. It was pointed out two gentlemen present that Lgal opinion had previously been taken in a similar case, and it was in favor of two-thirds of the whole of the ratepayers being required, and not those only in the portion required to be divided. It was finally resolved, That the petition be granted, provided it was found legal to do so. LOAN. , Mr Forsyth waited upon the Board, and referred to a meeting held after the flood damage, when a committee had been appointed to prepare a report. The report had never been dealt with. He wished it now to be considered, or a vote of the ratepayers taken to decide whether they would prefer to go in for a loan or a special rate.

After considerable discussion, Mr Stevenson moved that the report be adopted and a loan raised. The Chairman said they must either borrow or be prepared to have their present rate doubled or trebled. Mr Pearce advised a small loan on county roads only. Did not think it right that the bye-roads should be bounced into a loan if they did not want it. If the Board raised a sum of £3OOO it would debar any outsiders from borrowing for years. Mr Budge favored a big loan and doing the roads up properly. Mr Blennerbassett was of the same opinion. Mr Stevenson was in favor of raising all they could and making-good roads with hard metal. It was finally moved by Mr L Ige, seconded by Mr Pearce, and car. ed, That legal opinion be obtained to Ascertain if the Council and Road Board could jointly raise a loan. The chairman was authorised to obtain the opinion required. The following were then appointed a committee to report in connection with the loan should the opinion be favorable, and also in regard to the subdivision into ridings : Messrs McCarthy, Budge, Borrie, Bleunerhassett, Hurley, Forsyth aud Stewart. AUROA ROAD. Mr Mudford reported on a portion of this road being in a very bad state and dangerous to. wheel traffic. (Foreman to inspect.)RETIRING MEMBERS. The clerk intimated that the Board had to decide as to those who should retire at the end of the year. A ballot was taken, and the names drawn as being those to retire were : Messrs Stevenson, Borrie and Blennerhassett.

SIGNING CHEQUES. The Chairman an 1 Mr Budge were authorised to sign cheques. DATE OF MEETINGS. It was resolved that in future the Board most on the first Wednesday of eacli month at 11 a.m. CLERK. The Board went into committee to consider tbe question of the clerkship, and Messrs McCarthy and Budge were appointed to arrange conditions. ACCOUNTS. The following were passed for payment: 11. Wags faff, 13s; R. M. Stirling, 13s ; J. Robertson, 13s ; N. Benporath, 15s 6d; G. Tindlc, £1 12s; stamps, £1 ; Clerk R.M. Court, 10s ; Hawcra County Council, £2O Is 10d ; Scolt-Smith, £7; Dale’s executors, £24 13s 5d. —Witness.