MAKAREWA ROAD BOARD.

Southland Times, Issue 1986, 21 September 1874, Page 2

MAKAREWA ROAD BOARD.

A mßeting of the above Board was held ou Saturday, 19th September. Present — The chairman (Mr D. M'Arthur), and Messrs Trumble, J. Thomson, Keith, M'Lean, Blakie, G. Thomson, and Toshach. The mioules of the previous meeting were read by the clerk and confirmed. Mr Trumble described the impassable state of a portion of road west of Wilson's crossing, and said that unless something were done to put it right, all the money hitherto spent upon it would have been thrown away, as it was utterly I useless in its present condition. Altogether there were about 30 chains of the road in a most deplorable state of inv~ passableness. Some discussion took place as to whether the whole or a part of the work should be done. This was settled b# Mr G. Thomson moving— That tenders be called for putting in good passable order 20 chains of the worst of the road west of Wilson's railway crossing. Mr Trumble seconded the motion, which was carried. On the motion of Mr Blakie, it was resolved that tenders should be called for bridging, fascining, blinding, and drainage on the road near Mr G. Thomson's homestead. Mr Blakie moved — That it ia desirable that 30 or 40 chains of road leading from the New River to the railway station should be tussocked ; that two or three chains on the road leading to Forest Hill, along Mr M'Kellar's land, be made, and that the engineer be requested to report on the same. The motion was seconded by Mr G. Thomson, and carried. With reference to a petition from residents in the Wallacetown subdivision, praying the Board to attend to the urgent necessity which existed for a new bridge being erected on a creek crossing the district road near Mr Gorman's, Mr J. Thomson moved — That the Engineer be instructed to visit the same, and re* port upon it, and that the bridge be erected at once. The motion was seconded by Mr Truoable, and affirmed. Mr Archibald Cameron, of Forest Hill, wrote com plaining of the manner in which the Board had spoken of a memorial from him and others to His Honor the Superintendent, praying that a certain portion of the Wallacetown subdivision might be declared into a separate ward. The memorial had been referred to the Board, and Mr Cameron complained that the tone of that body's conduct towards the memorial and its object was exceedingly sarcastic. The Board, according to Mr Cameron, had also made a mistake in its estimate of the number of bona fide ratepayers signing the memorial, and it was only just that the Board should now rectify its error. Mr Cameron not having forwarded the memorial along with his letter, it was resolved that he be informed that the Board would take no action in the matter till placed in possession of that document. On the motion of Mr Toshach, the clerk was instructed to write to the Chairman of the Southland Waste Lands Board for authority to take a road through a Government Reserve in Invercargill Hundred. Captain Brown, of Forest Hill, appeared, asking the Board if a bad piece of road near Livingstone's Bush, and just beyond a contract presently- going on, could not be put in hand for repair at once. It was resolved to leave the matter to be dealt with by the members of the subdivision, they having authority to call for fresh tenders. With reference to a letter from Mr Buxton, touching the Board making a piece of road near his place in Makarewa Buali passable, it was resolved that the clerk write to Mr Buxfcon telling him that the road in question cannot be attended to until the road through Mr Saunders's property is finished. Touching a request preferred by Mr John Bain, of Waikiwi, to His Honor the Superintendent, for the purchase of a road formerly running througU Mr Bain's property, but now closed, said written request having been referred by His Honor to the Board for its opinion, the Board resolved that it had no objection to Mr Bain's request being grauted. The questiou of adoptiug the road through the Winton Racecourse Reserve, or the road leading straight through the scrub to the New River as a permanent district road was again brought up ; but on the motion of Mr M'Lean, it was resolved — That the whole matter should be let alone till next election iv June, no more than £5 to be spent on each of the respective routes in the meantime. Several accounts were passed for payment, and Mr Hamilton's tender, £36, for roadwork near Mr Baird's, Winton subdivision, was accepted. Mr Trumble gave notice that he would move at next meeting — That work in each subdivision is not let to be paid for out of the year's rates nest ensuing. After transacting some other business of a routine character, the Board adjourned.