PORTOBELLO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1653, 28 July 1883, Page 13

PORTOBELLO. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Tub Weather.— During the last two days we have had bright sunshine, the mornings being very frosty. On Saturday we had seveial s-huwtM of hail, with a flight sprinkling of snow, which during the aight accumulated to -<ome extent an the hill-tops. It haj all disiupt ared now, howevtr. Police. - From what I havo heard, there is some need of the police taking a turn down amongst us occasionally. We never see iheso gentlemen, except for the purpose of delivering a s.ummons now and again, principally for jurymen. We are a very peaceable community, ai d huvo little or no use for them ; still there are exceptions to every 'Ule, and 1 bilieve there aie some bad character* knocking about amongst, us at present, an J tarn informed thdt soveral visits have been paid to oine of (he netttlerd' outhouses in the viciuiry of Hooper's Inlet, the n suit buiui? tha,t fowls, ducNs, &c. nave mybteriuusly disappeared. On Sunday night last a visit, was paid to tho rnanu actory of Mr John Uear.v, a> d some woulleuyarn, which ho u^ea in the knitting f hosiery, was taken uway. Ido not think it woulu do much harm if tho police would make their appearance amonust us sometimes. It would be tho only return visible for the taxes we pay to tho State in the ahape of property tax, as the Government have never made either a political railway or a road for us. Roads and Bridges Construction Act 1882. —There appears to bo among the ratepayers on the Foninsula mx almost total ignorance of the provisions of this Act in regard to ruad works, and I have been asked to state whether road boards can take advantage of it in getting the subsidy ot tbreo pounds for one from >he Government. I will give the interpretation suctions, go that your readers may see for themselves. " Road board " means council, bo*rd, trustees, or tho persons or body other than a county counoil or municipal corporation having care, &c. of roads, &c. under any Act "Council" means council of a county, aud in counties where the operation of " The Counties Act > 87b 1 " is suspended means road bjards of districts in such county so far as r<-uards main roads in buch roai districts. " Local body " mi ana council of a county, road boarrl, or river bo.rd. bection 7 of the At says— "The Minister by Gaze'te notice, at the request of any council, before the 31st March in any year, may declare mam roads for tho purposes of this Act but such roads may be approved of by resolution of the Hou8« (I auppose it means the House of Representatives) The House in session of 1882 declared what roads were main roads then, among which, I believe, »ero the two roads on the Peninsula— the one down the harbour side and toe other along the >idge. Section 34 All appli ations mu-t be made before the 30th June in any year, except in the case of extraordinary damages. It appears that it is for main roads alone i hat <he £3 to £1 subsidy is granted. In the caae of iiistricc roada io is only an adv ince, and must be repaid. From section 8 to 19 inclusive deals with main roads, arid it is the council of a county that takes action, which in the cam of the Peninsula means the road boards Section 20. It is the council of a borough, if such wants moiiej, that takes action. In section 27 the term " local body " is used, a>.d throughout the rest of the Act it is "the council" or ''the local b^dy" thit does everything, and they alone can get at y money for roads. Under date July 111 see the following in the news from our Parliament in Wellington :—": — " Replying to Mr Taiaroa, the Hon. Mr Johnstjn said provision was made under the Roada and Bridges Construction Act for making such roads as the one from Portobello to Otago Heads. That was the only provision that could be made." Now I confess I caunot see anything in the Act by which Mr Tuiaroa can get the r< ad in questiou made, as the Native reserve at Otago Heads is an outlying district, and has neither a council, road bo*rd, local body, nor trustees, within the meaniug of the Act, far as I can gee It nruht come under the first clause of the interpretation section in the terms used, " or the pers us or body," but then 1 ca .not see thtse terms used anywhere else throughout the Act. Section 16 of "'lhe Counties Act Amendment Act 1882,'' as I read it, makes the worns ' suspended," " not in operation," " not in force" to have the same meaning Construction under thu Ace me ns formation, completion, or repairing extraordinary damage, and for such the local body can apply for the £3 to £1 subsidy. No giant will be given for ordinary repair or maintenance, but grants will bo given for new bridges if old ones are useless through wear atid tear, or have been damaged by floods. Since the Act came into force the road boards here have expended, or will have done so before the prisoners havo completed the work they are now at, about £400, for which, if tney had taken the trouble, they would have boon entitled to get £3 to £1 for main roads.