Parihaka Road Board.

Opunake Times, Volume XXV, Issue 949, 15 February 1907, Page 3

Parihaka Road Board.

The ordinary monthly meeting was held at Rabotu. Present: Messrs J. Rothery (chairman), J. Young, J. 0. O’Eorke, 0. Sorrenson, W. Revel!, and P. Wilicox. The special order re Puniho road loan was confirmed. The minutes of the last meeting and special meeting were read and confirmed. foreman's report. A. J. Porteous reported that he and the surfacemen had been engaged in patching, drain cleaning, and getting material ready in pits for patching and forming side tracks. The following roads had received attention: Ihaia, Te Namn, Opua, Arawbata, Upper and Lower Kina, Ngariki, Lower Kahui, Tipoka, Bailey, Pangarehu, Stent, Euakiri, Paora. Lower Kina road ; We have formed nine chains, 24 feet wide, at 12s 9d per chain. Lower Kahui road: A side track has been formed down to the bridge at 7s 6d per chain. Bailey road : We have formed 14 chains at 11s 2d per chain. Ngariki road : Some 33 chains of drain cleaning has been done opposite Messrs Hill, Wilicox, and Lawn’s sections at Is 6d per chain. Would recommend 50 yards of boulders for the lower portion for winter maintenance.—Resolved, That the foreman attend to it. (Rothery—Wilicox ) Upper Kina road : Sixty-five yards of pit metal has been placed on the road, and 18 yards of pit blinding. The top portion from Mr Luckin’s up is getting in bad order, and requires attention. Ihaia road : Most of the drains and outlets in the worst places have been cleaned out. Te Namu road : Would recommend SO yards of drain cleaning, to be done by the surfacemen.—Resolved, That the foreman have it done. (WillcoxBorrenaon.) Warea road : The culvert above Mr Pelham’s is in a very dilapidated state. Would recommend procuring moulds and we could make the pipes ourselves. Have made four 1-foofc pipes, which are at the office for inspection. They cost 3s each.—Resolved, That the foreman attend to the culvert. (Wilicox —Revell). Mr Revsll promised to give the material required. Opourapa road : The metalled portion requires blinding, and would recommend it being done with clay.— Members thought it would be better to wait until all the metalling was done. Opourapa road (contract No. 20): This contract is progressing very unsatisfactorily, and. will take another nine days to complete. Recommend calling tenders for the metalling.— Resolved, that tenders be called for metalling, to close on March 7. Waiteika bridge: Have not built the bridge as authorised on account of timber not having arrived.

Have not been able to let contracts on Arawhata and Parihaka roads. F. Willcox has completed the delivery of 50 yards of stone, for which a payment of 75 per cent is recommended. Scoop : Would like the Board to get a one-horse scoop, which would be useful for formation and cleaning out water tables,—Eesolved, That it be procured. Have made stand and staff, as I could not get one made cheaply. Side track : The track on Arawhata road has not been done because when the man went with horse and dray the settlers were not prepared to assist. NEWALL BOAD. Prom W. Rumble, re blocking of water. —Foreman to report on it. PUNIHO ROAD. W. Binnie wrote, asking the Board to raise a ten per cent on the loan, as the settlers were favorable to it. Eesolved, That steps be taken to raise the money. (Willcox —Eevell). CLOSING THE OFFICE, Permission was granted the clerk to close the office on February 20 and March 6 (Oaonui and Rahotu sports days). . 10 PER CENT PENALTY. The Board was informed by its solitor that it can enforce the 10 per cent penalty on both general and special rates. PIPES. Smart Bros., New Plymouth, forwarded prices for pipes. Eesolved, That the foreman procure 12 pipes (8 sizes) from A. D. Fielder. (Sorrenson —O'Rorke.) NATIVE RATES. At the request of the Board, Mr T. W. Fisher explained at the meeting the position of the natives re paying rates, and suggested getting their na tive roll made up, for which purpose the office in New Plymouth would give assistance. Eesolved, That the clerk go to New Plymouth and get the native roll made up to date. (Young-O’Rorke.) PARIHAKA ROAD. B. A. Layard waited on the Board, asking for a culvert to be made to take the water off his property. The Chairman said that when the road was made the water was diverted, the result being that it now lies on Mr Layard’s property. Mr Layard promised to pay the cost of labor of putting pipes in. Eesolved, That the foreman attend to the culvert. (Willcox—Eevell.) IHAIA ROAD. W. Z. Wells waited ou the Board with a petition, asking for a special ra*e of one penny in the £ to be struck for the purpose of metalling the lower portion of the road. The valuation of the property on the road is £29,031, and he had got a sufficient number of ratepayers with the requisite valuation to comply with the Act. Resolved, That steps be taken to strike a special rate of Id in the £ for metalling about 20 chains. (YoungO’Eorke.) Mr Wells then asked if the Board could do anything at the top end, ns the drains were in bad order. He would find a horse and dray if the

Board put a man on for a week, or put a man on with the Board s man. Mr Wilicox said that was equal to £ for £ and like double rating. Mr O’Rorke said in a number of cases men went in for cheap land, and were not rated very high, the result being that the rates would not keep the roads in repair. . Mr Young said if a road is in debt it is not fair to spend other ratepayers’ money on it. Most settlers have "one in for a loan and helped the road. After the loan money is spent the rates accrue for some years as_ the road does not require much maintenance. When we want the rates spent there is not enough *noney available, as it has been used for roads which are overdrawn, and have not gone in for loans. , , Mr Wilicox thought the solution of the trouble would be to turn the district into wards. In coming to a division, the only thing that he saw to divide would be the bank overdraf . The chairman agreed that wards would be more satisfactory. Resolved, That a man be put on for a week to attend to the read.

W’ITIORA ROAD, Mr Young said that Mr A. Lusk wanted the Board to clean out a drain. Resolved, That it be done. LOWER KINA ROAD. Mr Young said a good job had been made of the formation, and he would like to see some metal put on, as the wet weather would make it bad again. Resolved, That £2O be spent on metalling. (Sorrenson —Wilicox.) TENDER. One tender (J. Clarke) was received for work on Ngariki road, but was dodined, it being considerably above the foreman’s estimate. NOXIOUS WEEDS. Mr Wilicox said that dog daisies had seeded and dropped on Ngariki and was becoming a serious matter. Resolved, That the attention of the Noxious Weeds Inspector be drawn to the growth of weeds, and request him to do his best to make owners do their duty. DEFAULTING RATEPAYERS. Resolved, That the names of ratepayers in default be forwarded to the solicitor for collection through the court. (Rothery—Revell.) BANGER. Complaints were made that the ranger is not doing his duty, as the roads are full of stock. OORRESPONDENOE. The Postal Department informed the Board that all communications to Government departments have to be stamped. Mr M. Fleming (on behalf of the Cape Egmont Dairy Company) stated io a letter that they did not require the road to be closed at Puogarehu iu connection with factory alterations. A letter was read from the Daily News, asking for a fair share of advertising,—Members were of opinion that the two New Plymouth papers should get turn about with advertising that is done in New Plymouth. Mr Brophy wrote re royalty due. —The clerk was instructed to write for particulars, ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for pavment; M. Hill, £10.165; L. Fisher, £l2 8s; A. J. Porteous, £l3 10s; A. Crocker, £l2 ; D. Anglesey, £l2; Public Trustee, £1 Os 9d ; J. A. Oolmer, £3 ; Daily News, 5s 3d ; J. B. Knowles, £4 14s 10d ; Valuation Department, £7 10s ; W. Hodgson, 4s; W. Gorkin, £1 16s Gd ; J. Peutelow, 12s 6d ; King and DsOastro, £3 ; F. Wilicox, £6 ; T. P. Hoghson, £5 6s 8d ; H. A. Mills, £8 Is; Opuuake Sawmilliug Company, £lO 2s 9d ; petty cash, £1 6s 5d ; J. DeOastro, £l2; Opunake Times, £6 15s 6d; B. Harford, £ls.