Pelorus Road Board.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 15, Issue 37, 10 May 1904, Page 4

Pelorus Road Board.

ANNUAL MEETING. i Friday, 6th May. Present;—Messrs Reader, Kennington, Nees, Storey, and J. Dalton. After preliminary business, Mr Kenning 1 on moved that Mr Reader be re-elect-, d Chairman ; Mr Reader had, he said, been Chairman for some years, and he “got better every year.” Mr Storey seconded the proposition, which was carried. Mr Nees congratulated the Chairman on his re-election, though he thought Mr Storey had a fair claim to the position. At the same time, he considered Mr Reader was a very good Chairman. Mr Storey sa : d that living so far away from the Secretary he thought he could do better work as a member than as Chairman; he congratulated Mr Reader on his re-election. In responding, Mr Reader said he appreciated the honour (for it was an honour to be Chairman of the Pelorus Road Board—the leading local body in the district), as it showed that he had the confidence of members. His object had always been to work for the good of the district, and he had always had the hearty support of the members. He regretted the trouble that had come to Mr C. Hart, the late member, but he welcomed Mr Dalton, believing that he would be a good member.—Mr Dalton returned thanks, and stated that he would do his best as a member of the Board for the ratepayers he represented and for the district as a whole. Mr Matthews stated that only one nomination —that of Mr Cullen —had been received- for the Mahakipawa Subdivision, and that gentleman had therefore been declared elected. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr R. Forrest, Rai Valley, wrote notifying that be had sold portions of Section 1, Rai Valley, to Mr D. J. 1 Couper, jun., and Mr J. G. Smart, and asking that the rates due on these properties be charged to the gentlemen named. The Clerk to the Marlborough County Council forwarded a statement showing the allocation of the revenue from goldfields for the ensuing year, as under :—Picton Hospital, 12 per cent.; Wairau Hospital, 6 per cent.; Havelock Town Board, 1 per cent; Spring Creek Road Board, 1 per cent.; Awatere Road Board, 1 per cent.; Omaka Road Board, 1 per cent.; Pelorus Road Board, 25 per cent; Wairau Road Board, 47 per cent; Picton Road Board, 6 per cent. The Wairau Road Board pay the expenses of the Council. —Members expressed themselves very strongly on the unfair allocation of the revenue and on the disproportionate representation of the Pelorus Road Board on the County Council. The Town Clerk, Blenheim Borough Council, wrote with reference to the amounts received by the different local bodies in the Wairau Licensing District for licenses for the sale of alcoholic liquors. The amount collected was £IO9B 15s, and the cost of administration was £12219s 9d. The Pelorus Road Board’s receipts were £sl, and their share -of the expenses was £5 14s Bd.—Received. The Secretary to the Marlborough Land and Railway League forwarded a request that the Board appoint delegates to attend a conference to be held in Blenheim on 15th June, to consider the best means of inducing the Government to resume the work of construction of the Blenheim-Waipara railway at the Seddon end, and also to urge that a larger vote be made for this line cm next year’s Estimates.— The Chairman and Messrs Storey and Kennington were appointed to attend the conference. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, Blenheim, notified that in response to the Board’s request the Land Board had resolved to reserve 200 acres between Deep Creek and Little Deep Creek as a stock and shearing reserve. —The Chairman said it had been pointed out that the area selected was not suitable, and he would bring the matter before the .Land Board, with the object of getting the reserve on the top side of Deep Creek. The Treasury, Wellington, advised that the following sums had been remitted to the credit of the Board: — Havelock —Grove, £36 3s ; Havelock —Kaituna, £10S*10s; Rai Saddle— Blenheim, £67 16s 2d. The Receiver of Land Revenue forwarded a list showing the amount of “ thirds ” and “ fourths ” available for expenditure on Slst March. The Secretary was instructed to prepare the usual schedule of works required to be done out of “ thirds ” and “ fourths.” A letter from Hon- C. H. Mills (dated Bth April) was received, in which it was stated that the question of repairs for flood damages had been fully submitted to the Acting-Minister of Public Works.—Me John Graham, M.H.R., also wrote on the same subject, stating that he had brought the matter under the personal notice of the Premier.—Later communications from both gentlemen announced that grants had been made for both Wakamarina and Pelorus bridges (already published).—Mr Matthews referred to the interview with Mr Mills on this subject, stating that he had pointed out to Mr Mills the urgent necessity for a vote for repairs to the Alfred Creek Bridge.—Touching this bridge, Mr Nees said he thought the Board should rise to the occasion and try and effect the repairs jihemeelvea;

tho Government had been very generous, and he thought that the Board should go the limit of their overdraft in an effort to repair the , bridge. Personally, he was prepared to sign a guarantee for a further overdraft. It was a question of finance, and when the new rates came in the overdraft would be reduced. — The Chairman said that what they wanted was a vote to recoup the Board for the extraordinary expenditure for repairs rendered necessary by the flood.—Mr Nees said the Board would have a better chance of getting a vote if they showed the Government that they were willing to help themselves. Other parts of tho district had had the big share of ordinary expenditure, and all he asked was that this bridge and the approaches should be put into its previous condition. They would find that the bulk of the rates would come from the Pelorus district, because the new valuation had put up land values, in some cases, fourfold. The Chairman entirely agreed with Mr Nees’ suggestions, but the question of finance was a difficult one.—Mr Matthews said the work would cost about £lso.—Mr Nees proposed that the work be authorised. —Seconded by the Chairman, and carried. Mr F. A. Smart, Ganvastown, asked permission to construct a tramline across the Wakamarina Road, in the vicinity of Section 15, Block XIV, and also a small water-race for sawmilling purposes.—Mr Nees proposed that permission be granted, subject to the approval of the Inspector.— Seconded by Mr Storey, and carried. Messrs Greensill Brothers, Mahakipawa, directed attention to the unsafe state of two bridges on the Mahaki-pawa-Mahau Sound Tracks also to two broken culverts on what is known as “ Taylor’s clearing.”—Left to the Inspector to attend to. Mr F. Coombe, Cullensville, forwarded correspondence from Hon. 0. H. Mills, enclosing memo, from the' Minister for Mines, with reference to the Cullensville - Waikakaho Track. The Minister stated that the work of clearing the Track had been noted foe consideration when the Public Works Estimates are being prepared.—Mr Coombe urged that the Board take the matter up, as the Track was in a dangerous condition.—Mr Storey said that the Waikakaho side of the Track . was now never used.—The Secretary ! stated that some work was necessary I on the Cullensville side, and the Board resolved to help the settlers in their ! efforts to get a grant. • * / I The Assistant-Health Officer’ (Dr j Yalintine), wrote with reference to the . appointment of a Sanitary Inspector for Blenheim and district (the letter I was published in our Friday’s issue), j —Several members of the Board were s not in favour of the proposal; they t pointed out that the settlers in the Pelorus Road Board’s district were t situated so far apart that the risk of j contagion was very small. - One j. member said that the Road Boards , were being asked to contribute so as f to lessen the cost to the towns. —Th Chairman suggested that the Board [ attend a conference between the Town , Board and the Assistant - Health , Officer; they could then decide as to s what was best to do.—Mr Storey said he was entirely opposed to the appointment of these Inspectors—- [ there was too much inspection already. —Anotho ■ ph-.’.se of the matter was [ that the Board’s quota of the cost of , the Inspector was £lB, while that of the Awatere Board, with.three times the area, was only £l2.—Eventually, it was resolved that those of the \ Board’s members who cofild attend the conference would be present when the Doctor met the Town Board. With regard to the land required [ from Mrs Jones, for a road, that lady wrote stating that she would take £3O for the land needed.—lt was stated \ that only an acre and a half would be [ required, and it was resolved that an , offer of £2O be made. ) GENERAL. • Mr Dalton said he had been asked i to bring before the Board the ! necessity for repairs to the footbridge » over Dead Horse Creek, and the i Inspector was authorised to get the > work done. Mr Dalton also brought up the I question of the Deep Creek Bridge, but the Board decided that they could - not at present deal with this matter. ■ : Mr Storey brought up the subject • of wages for day-work, and stated that men with good teams would not work at the rate paid by the Board. He 1 thought the wages were too low.-—The Chairman suggested that the Inspector | use his own discretion as to whether he would pay 16s or 19s a day for a i three-horse team.—Mr Dalton and Mr Nees were heartily in sympathy with the payment of a fair wage.—Finally, the Secretary was empowered to to engage teams at prices suitable to their quality. Mr Storey was authorised to get some patch metalling done at North Bank. The Inspector was instructed to get the half mile of the Forks Track, connecting with the Onamalutu Track, completed. Accounts amounting to £BOB 5s 6d were passed for payment, and the Board adjourned. ’ , J