PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 16

PORTOBELLO ROAD BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the PortobeSo Road Board, held, on May 26 eented This was approved, and held over for adoption until after the official audit On the motion of Mr Macandrew seconded by Mr Miller, Mr James Dickson was unanimously re-elected. chairman.-The ZvTand Seconder said the chairman had carried out the duties of chairmani for six years and had given a great deal of attentfon to the duties.-Mr fulton endorsed the opinio* of the mover and seconder, and added that Mr Dickson had always acted in a. fair and impartial manner.— Ihe GnanJ thanked the members for their renewed expressions of confidence, and welcomed the new members to the board.— Messrs Seaton, Ker, and Johnston (new members) returned thanks for the welcome extended to them. • The members of the boaru, standing in silence, on the motion of the Chairman it was resolved:— "That this board desires to place on record its deep sorrow at the death of our beloved King, Edward VII, and its heartfelt sympathy with her Majesty Queen Alexandra and members ot the Royal Family in their great affliction. Mr T. Begg waited on the board and made some suggestions as to procuring metal, and it was resolved that Messrs Dickson (chairman), Macandrew, Miller, and Fulton be appointed a committee to inquire into the matter and report to a special meeting if necessary.—Mr Macandrew mentioned that it might be considered advisable to get a portable crusher for the work. . Some correspondence was head in regard to cattle wandering on streets,, a letter from a resident at Broad Bay advocating that the eating down of grass on roadways in this way was a public benefit. lne writer (Mr A. J. Morrison) stated that the eating down of the grass prevented the roads from becoming an " unsightly tangled mass of long rank grass."—The argument of the writer did not appeal to the board, and the letter was minuted as received, Mr Morrison to bo informed that the matter was one that came within the jurisdiction of the board's ranger. The Chairman mentioned that votes had been granted as follow: —Beach roadCamp, £SO; rlooper's Inlet road, west side, £100; Portobello Beach road, £100; Turn-bull Hill, £SO. Tenders had been accepted for two of these amounts. In regard to two other roads, Mr Olark, MP., and Mr Dick were present, and he (the chairman) explained that the late Mr E G Allen, M.P., had obtained £2OO for Dick's road and for the Papanui Inlet road £IOO These sums were expended by the Roads Department, and through Mr Clark a. further grant of £IOO for each of these roads was supposed to have been expended, but it now appeared that the votes were not obtainable. It was made to appear that two sets of votes had been granted and expended, while only one set had been expended. The object of this seemed to be that if the department could prevent the expenditure before March 20 the amount could be voted again the next year. —A Member : It helps to swell the surplus ! (Daughter.) The Papanui road had been left in a half-finished state, and was worse than if nothing had been done to it at all.—Mr Clark, M.P., said the merging of the Roads Department in the Public Works Department had probably mixed up matters a little. The vote for Dick's road was put on the Supplementary Estimates. Votes not expended did not lapse. He would be pleased to do all he could while in Wellington for the board. Personally, he was sorry he could not get more money votes last session, but the Government had not the funde, and each member had to battle all he could for his ibar© of what "spoils" there wore. —It wan decided to write to Mr Clark, M.P., officially in regard to the unexpended votes before next session of Parliament.

It was decided to expend the full amount of the grant of £IOO on the Beach road at Ellis's, between Turnbull's Hill and Waverley.—ln connection with this work a suggestion was made that it should be done by prison . labour, but a general opinion was expressed that under that system, the board did not. get value for the money expended. The offer of Mr William Meade to form Oakden'e road at Vauxhall fga» the sum of £l4 was accepted. Mr N. Lane forwarded an account for £2 14s 7<J, damage to.a week-end crJb on which a gum tree nff «•£ '.f-a had

f fallen. —The board resolved to recognise I no liability in the matter, the question of lopping the trees to be left in the hands of the members for the subdivisions. The bank book showed a debit balance of £330 15s 7d, against which there ie outstanding £2O in unpaid rates. Accounts amounting to £l2O iss 3d were passed for payment. Mr Macandrew gave notice to move at next meeting—" That the usual rate of gefc in the pound be levied over all rateable property in the district." The customary ballot at the first annual meeting of the board to decide what members should retire' at the end of 12 months resulted as follows: —For Portobello subdivision, Mr David Seaton; Broad Bay subdivision, Mr Miller; North-East Harbour subdivision, Messrs A. Johnston audi H. V. Fulton.