LEVELS ROAD BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6262, 8 July 1890, Page 3

LEVELS ROAD BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of th, Levels Koad Board was held to day. Present: Messrs E. T. Rhodes (chairman), A. Mece W. Balfour, and W. Hall Jones. . The first business taken was in connection with two oontra'cts let to T, Schofield (who has “ cleared”) one of which he had begun and not finished, the other ho had nob signa l for. Letters were received from Mr Howey and Mr Moore. The former had advanced £7 10s to Schofield to make the deposit on the first contract, and the latter £5 for the same purpose in connection with the second contract. Mr Moore asked the board to refund his £5, and Mr Howey offered to complete the unfinished contract in order to save forfeiture of the deposit The chairman made a full explanation of the cases. £3O bad been paid on the first contract, and there was a balance due on the work of £22 2s 6d, also the deposit of £7 10s ; total £29 12a fid. On the other side a claim for wages due to the contractor’s men, £27 Bs, was received, also one or two tradesmen’s accounts. It was at once decided that the board could not under any circumstances recognise tho tradesmen’s accounts. Neither could they recognise the claims of the persons who furnished Schofield with his deposit moneys, unless they obtained orders from him ; nor had they any right to transfer a contract to another person without the contractor’s consent. The claims for wages they would pay, so far as the surplus in hand would go, after providing for the completion of tho contract by fresh tender.

Tenders for completing the unfinished contract No 46 were opened as follows W. Stevenson, £2312s fid jB. Calvert, £23 2s fid; J. Kirby, £2117s fid (accepted). For contract No. 50, Schofield's second contract W. Stratford, £l3O 4s 8d ; Kirby, £13155; W. Stevenson, £l2l 17s fid ; J. Pearson, £lls 12s fid (accepted).—(Schofield’s tender was £llO 18s 9d). The tender for the unfinished contract will leave a surplus enough to pay the wages claims in full.

Mr Mee moved that Mr Moore’s request for refund of the £5 be lent Schofield be acceded to, seeing that that contract had not been commenced. This was seconded by Mr Balfour and declared carried. Mr Hall-Jones dissented, thinking both applicants should be treated alike. He then moved that any surplus after paying the wages claim on No. 46 be paid to Mr Howey and this was carried.

Among the inward correspondence was the following : From the Survey Department, with copies of correspondence, dated 1882, on which Chrisholm’s road (tt.S, 20021) as originally laid out was closed. One of the letters was from the overseer at that time, Mr Wright, which was an approval of the proposed change. On the letters being read Mr Mee said he had been a member of the board for 12 years, less two years he was off it, and he was quite certain the matter had never been before the board, the closing of the original road had never been consented to by the board.

Mr Chisholm attended and explained that the new road line was quite impracticable, ail on a rocky hill, whilst a traction engine had several times been up and down the original line. He was not aware till he got a map two years ago that the original road hod been altered.

The minutes for the time were referred to and it was found that there was no record of any authority to change the road, or to the overseer to give any approval to an alteration.

Mr Mee was quite sure no such authority was ever given, and that the change of road was never advertised, and he characterised the affair as “ a swindle.” Mr Chisholm estimated that the return to the old line would require sis or seven acres of land, and it was decided, os the first step towards getting the better line, , to inquire of the owner of the land, Mr Conolly, at what rate he would sell the road line.

From the Railway Department, again dealing to make a level crossing on line between Main and Seadown roads, unless the board paid the cost. Mr Balfour could not understand how the Department could take that attitude, as tho road was there before the railway was made, and the crossing ought to have been made at the time. Mr Annand said the land was not fenced along the road then, and that would perhaps explain why the crossing was not made. It was decided to obtain a legal opinion on the matter.

From the Geraldine County Council respecting collection of harbour rate.—-Formal notice passed. From the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council, re price of tenders and of fair wages. —Received.

From the steward cf Education Reserves, that he had given instructions to bave'culvert on reserve 1248 reduced ns agreed. Consent to a slaughterhouse license was given to Isaac Greaves, fur a section on the Opihi. J. Pearson ’applied for and was granted an extension of time for his contract for carting shingle on Totara Flat road, as the wet weather would cut up tho road.

Mr J. Mitchell asked for a handrail on the Opibi school road bridge.—Agreed to.

I From James Balfour and others, asking for i improvement toaroadtoTotaraValloy acbcnl it being at present unsafe for ch'ldron. To ■ be attended to as soon as the weather permits cartage of shingle, tenders to bo in for September meeting.. The chairman reminded the board of tho need of doing something to road from W. Grant's to Pago’s, and it was agreed tn call for tenders for September for shingling 60 chains. An offer of a small quantity of stone spalls in Landsborough’s quarry was referred to the overseer. A petition with ten subscribers asked for shingle on a road from Town Belt round Buchanan street and the belt, as it was in a bad state. —This road is already included in a list of roads to be shingled. Mr J. Vance waited on tho board with respect to a 5 acre gravel reserve which ho had occupied forthe last thirteen years for nothing, and which some one had made an offer for. He had a on the reserve now, and the offer must have been mado out of spite. Mr Yance being witling to pay the same as the other person had offered, it was agreed that ho should retain it from year to year. Mr Mee brought up the matter of sickness at Pleasant Point. There was, he stated, quite a scare there, diphtheria boingvery prevalent and two or three children h aving died there recently. Several residents had asked him to bring the matter before the board, es a board of health, and he thought the proper thing to do was to appoint the overseer as health officer, to inspect premises and take cognisance of nuisances, and anything injurious to health, and summon the culprits. The people were in great distress, and something ought to be done. It was resolved that Mr Annand be appointed health officer,|and instructed to examine tho Point township. Mr Mee moved and Mr Hall-Jones seconded that the overseer’s salary (£210) be raised to £250 per annum. The mover spoke of the excellent way the roads and bridges had been looked after by Mr Annand, whilst at the same time the work had been done so economically that the board was in a belter financial position than for a long time past, and both mover and seconder mentioned the heavy travelling expenses the overseer must incur in looking after so large a district, the more distant portion being out of reach in a one day’s journey. Mr Balfour suppported the motion, the chairman concurred, and it was stated that the late chairman Mr Orbell had suggested it 'lhe motion was carried and Mr Annand thanked the board. In doing so be said his travelling expenses were very much higher than he had anticipated, and ran away with a large slice of his salary so that he had determined to ask for an increase. The overseer reported as follows

“ Contracts in hand : In contract for the delivery of screened shingle for Main North road, it has been found necessary to somewhat increase the contract amount owing to the state of the road.

“ Contract No. 49, shingling Arowhenua railway station road is about finished, No. 48, shingling Blue’s road is not commenced yet. " Th-'mss Bchofield having failed to complete contract No. 46, or to sign contract No 50, steps have been taken under clause 12 of general conditions of contract to re-let the. work. Tenders are due this day. “Works &0., attended to.—Cleaning up watertables of suburban streets, repairing a portion of Main South Road with shingle ; putting a culvert and forming a portion of Ward’s road; ploughing watertables of Mount Horrible road and metalling Totara Valley road.

“ Works &o , applied for.—No arrangement having been come to re bluestone for repairs to Otipua road, it will be advisable to delay calling tenders for the supply of stone till September. Oldfield’s and other applications. Ist culverts in hollows on road past section 37, Seadown. The hollows complained of are on an unformed road, the outlets to hollows on which have become slightly raised consequent on the cultivation of the land and so backing the water on road line. The road could be made passable by putting in low shingle embankments, 2nd, bridge over large drain on swamp road hear section 19, Seadown. The drain asked to be bridged is one of three cut across this road line for land draining purposes. Unless all these were bridged the road would not be passable for stock driving. The bridge asked for would cost £ —.” The outcome of a conversation about Mr Bristol’s refusal to sell rubble at the same price as formerly, was a decision to request Mr Bristol to interview the board at next meeting. After an explanation by Mr Balfour respecting the culverts asked for on Seadown, it was decided to leave them in abeyance for the present. Accounts were passed for payment to the amount of £247 9s lid, and the meeting terminated.