Levels Road Board.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5031, 12 June 1889, Page 2

Levels Road Board.

The regular meeting of the levels Road for the month was held yesterday. I'resent — Meters O. N. Orbell (chairman), W. Balfour, W. Hall-Joncs, A. Mee, and E. T, Rhodes. COIIHESPONDBNCB. The valuation roll for the triennial period commencing let April, 1889, was received from the Property Tax Department. The Timaru Borough Council ashed the board for half the cost of lighting the street lamp at the junction of the South Boad and doulh Belt. The council considered the lamp of greater use to residents in the Levels district than in the borough.—The board pay for two lamps already.—Mr Hall-Jones having explained the position of the lamp, Mr Moo did not approve of Ibis lamp business. It was not a road board's businers at all, and if they agreed to this how could they refuse the other parts of the suburbs. In fact they had been asked and had always refused. —Mr Hall-Jones said it was probable the lamp would bo shifted if the board did not agree to share the cost, and as the place was a dangerous one, it was advisable in the interests of the ratepayers to have it maintained.—Mr Mee said their five-eighths rate would ncjt supply these luxuries. It was no road board duty to light the road.—Mr Rhodes also object eel to the proposal.—The chairman said the lamp at Perry’s corner was paid for because it was admitted to bo a very dangerous place with a busy tr.flic at night.—Mr Hall-Jones said the lamp in question lighted an almost equally dangerous place. —Mr Mee added that the road at Perry's corner was, not of full width, and that was one reason why it was granted. The chairman wanted to know where these requests would end if they granted them. — Mr Hall-Jones moved that the amount bo paid. —Mr Balfour remarked (hat if the members for the ward differed about it, the board could hardly agree to it.—The motion was not seconded, and it therefore lapsed. Mr James Kane asked the board to have a road drain at his place cleared ; it was b'oeked up and throwing Hood water upon his land.— The chairman and overseeer to examine and report. Mr G-. Martin, Rhodes’ street, Newtown, had a somewhat similar complaint to make ; a culveit being too small. —Overseer to attend to it.

Mr C G. Tripp wished to be informed of the hearing of the suit, against the board, for damages for loss of horse. Mr W. King, Seadoivn, asknd the - board to get the Government to make a crossing over the line, as he had a very roundabout road at present.—Clerk to write to the Government about it.

A number of Upper Pareora ratepayers asked to hare a piece of road shingled.— Overseer to report to next meeting. Mr C. R. Shaw was given permission to take up some pipes laid by him across the swamp road provided the road is not injured. A petition from Adair Village Settlement asked for a road to be made.—lnquiry to be made as to the amount accruing to the board from the settlement before anything is agreed to. The Steward of Education Reserves requested the board to call upon R. Campbell to clear gorsc off road adjoining reserve 12021, Pareora. Tbe reserve was to bo let in three lots in a few months, and it would be unfair to the next tenants to have to clear off the gorso left by Campbell’s neglect.—lt was objected that they could not go for one gorse grower, simply because they were asked to do it by a landlord who bad not a proper provision put in his lease about gorae spreading. —Mr Meo urged that the board should make a clean sweep of the whole district, and other members concurred. —Put, said one, ‘ you should see the roads in Temuka and Geraldine “very bad” —“horrible.” —“It will never do to let the roads get into that state.” Mr R. Cartwright, Opihi, asked for a few loads of shingle or a few chains of steep “ pinches ”on his road. Mr Mee said tbe hill was very slippery. —Agreed to. Mr E. Calvert, a contractor, who had not been able to start on his contract, asked for four weeks’ extension. —lo bo considered when contract is finished. GENERA!. KATE. On the motion of Mr Jones, seconded by Mr Meo, a general rate of five-eighths of a penny in the £ was struck for the year ending 31st March, 1890, to be payable in one sum on Ist September next, rate books to be open for inspection from Ist August. TOPER PAEEOBA BRIDGE. Mr Rhodes asked whether it was true that the approach to be made for the Upper Pareora bridge was on private land, or on a road. Ho had hoard that it was on private land. Other members had heard that, too. — Mr Jones : 'I hey must put the road hi the right place ; or if they put it wrong must buy the land and make it right. TENDERS. A tender for the old road engine, £5, had been received, and opened since last meeting, os arranged, and this was considered tco small to bo worth accepting. “ Better let it rot where it is,” remarked Mr Mee. f i he tenderer had offered more than that before tenders were called for.

Three tenders were received for carting metal on Mount Horrible Hoad. W, Stevenson (accepted), £2O 3s 2d; K. Forgan, £25 15b 8d ; J. Bogore, £2B. OVEHSBEB’S KEX'ORT.

The overseer, Mr VV, Annand, reported as follows, on works, etc., for the month “ Conlracls on hand:— The following are now finished: No. 27, metalling Scadown main road ; No. 28, carting broken metal, etc., Claremont road ; and No. 29, reforming and shingling Main South road. No. 30, spalls, Main North road ; tho balance will bo out in about ton dajs. No. 31, reforming and shingling lower end of Mount Horrible road; —Hie contractor has only now commenced work on this, tho contract time for which expires to-day. “Works, etc., attended to : Eeforming and repairs to Balfour's to Brother’s road ; clearing drains on Tengawai Downs road, Totara main road, and Point road ; and repairing Totara main road with metal.

“Works, etc, applied for:—Anderson’s road :—Some slight repairs to cutting are required, and an outlet made to divert. Roads in Kensington ; There are 40 chains of unshingled roads,some of which are badly formed. Mr Mlzgerald has agreed to let his application stand over till spring. Re roads in reserve 1263. On enquiry 1 learn that the most urgent and necessary work is the completion of the road to connect the lower end of the reserve with Reaconsfield : some stone culverts and a considerable quantity ef earthwork will bo necessary. Hornbrook’s road, length 80 chains, connecting Seadown estate with Main North Road, becomes almost impassable in wet weather. It requires about 500 yards of shingle to put it in decent repair. The contractor for shingling adjoining roads has offered to do this. Estimates were given for each of these works. The works applied for were ordered to be dealt with as follows:—Anderson’s road—hoard's teams to do the work; roads in Kensington—Mr Jones and overseer to see about reducing amount of work asked for; Hornsbrook’s road to be shingled under contractor’s offer, A petition was received for improvement of a hollow in the road west from Mr D, M. Ross’ house.— Overseer to examine and report at next meeting. ROAD TE4NSEEBS. A number of deeds tran.ferring roads were received from Mr D. M. Ross. The procuring of these deeds has been a slow process. Mr Mee said he ought to have one, which had been under way seven years. —The chairman was authorised to pay Mr Ross for work done, after verifying the list of deeds. X’OISONED WHEAT. Mr Mee stated that he had been to Oamaru since last meeting, and had been told by many farmers there that they had found poisoning very effective. The secret of their success was that they used sugar with the poison, to counteract the bitterness of the poison. That seemed to him very reasonable. They must do something in that way, as all, their neighbours were providing poison.—lfc was agreed that something should be done, but there must be some restrictions upon the distribution; a large quantity of poisoned wheat was wssted last year j simply thrown away. It was agreed that the overseer should prepare the wheat this year —50 bushels for a start. —The chairman was inclined to try turnip or rape seed, and it was agreed to poison ten or a dozen pounds, to be mixed with the wheat, some to be poisoned separately. GOBSE ON ROADS. • Mr Hall Jones moved —“ That the overseer bo authorised to serve notices to all owners or occupiers of property who neglect to clear the gorse from the roadside adjourning their properl ies, and should they neglect to comply with the notice, to be empowered to get the work done and recover the cost of so doing from the said owners or occupiers." Seconded by Mr Rhodes, and carried. The board then adjourned.