MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD

Colonist, Volume XVIII, Issue 2017, 8 January 1876, Page 4

MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD

The monthly meeting was held on the 4th inst., 'in consequence'df the usual day, Saturday, being New Year'sd.ay.'! 'Present • Messrs Mairnabon (chairman), .Edetsten,1 Dthicker, andA. Drummond. ■ ' '

After the confiinalion of the miouteß of. the last ijneetirigi1 v■f■' ;_ ■ ' '••■'■'•■ ' ' ■■ '•■ ' ■

Ttie: tfeeretary and Overseer read the following Teport: —I have, in accordance with instructions received last, meeting, obtained the opinion of Messrs .Fell and A'tkinstotron the legality of intsmbers of the Board being paid their expenses attending meetings of the Board. 1 have also written to, and received a <reply, from the Provincial Auditor on the earn c

Bubjeot. I have been engaged for some days, since ] the last meeting exploring for a track between Riwaka and Takakay but my wort hitherto has been principally^ eonfinedj to levelling in order to ascertain the height of the;ridge near Mr R.-Pattie'a clearing, about 3 miles along the track. I produce a Beotion of the levels I have taken, which shows the height of ' the ridge'at the place mentioned to be 1250 ft above Saw-pit . Creek, where it has-been proposed the new track should strike the valley. I estimate the distance at 5 miles by a new traok, i.e. leaving the present track on the ridge, at the point Bhown near Mr Patties clearing, winding round the numerous, spurs jutting out, and striking the valley at or about Saw-pit Creek. This would give an average gradient of 1 in 25, supposing I am right in my estimate: of the distance. . I hive travelled along for some distance the line cut: by Mr; Lindsay (under the direction of the Provincial Government) ', and as lar as I went. I found it superior to the present ■ track.. The work done on the present track, since I was there some years ago, us far as I went has been most injudiciously laid out, side cuttings having been made in many places, at gradients of 1 in 5, and at some place 3 even steeper, where almost a level track might have been obtained at no greater cost. The amount voted by the Provincial Council last session will not be sufficient to improve the track the whole distanoe over the ranges. I would recommend that as soon as tiie work is laid out a new track should be made from near the Saw-pit Creek to the ridge near Mr Pafctie's clearing, and the road improved from Saw-pit Creek down the valley to Mr Cook'B; ' any money then left could be expended from Mr Patties clearing toward Takaka. By adopting this course a very great imtrovempnt would be. made on tne existing track. I may add that I was greatly surprised to find so much traffic between Riwuka and Takaka, not a day having passed during the time I was out without several people, both on foot and on horseback, travelling along the track. Letters read from Messrs Fell and Atkinson, and from the Provincial Auditor, having reference to the legality of mfttnberß being reimbursed for expenses incurred attending meetings of the Board, Resolved, That the further consideration of this question stand over for the present, and the chairman endeavor to obtiiin,. further information.

Resolved, Tliab the Overseer lay off a new line between Saw-pit Oeek and the ridge near Mr Patties clearing, as recommended in hia report. Copy of letter to Mr I. M. Hill, trustee in the estate of the late Mrs Towers, was read, respecting a contemplated alteration of road in section No. 52, Riwaka, <mrl Mr Hill's reply, offering no objection to the same. Also, copy of a letter to Mr Sheat, trustee in the c tate of the late Joseuh Primmor, respecting an alteration of road in Rising Sun Valley, and Mr bheat's reply, sanctioning the required alteration.

Resolved, That Mr Sheat having sanctioned the alteration of the road in Rising Sun Valley, the Secretary inform W. Dragemuller that he : can now proceed with the work. Letter read from Provincial Secretary, stating that in the opinion of the Government pound-keepers are required by the Impounding Act to keep the public pounds in repair, and pointing out that they, (the pound-keepers), are liable to a penalty of £5 by neglecting to do so. Resolved, That the Secretary reply to the letter just read, aud state that in the opinion of the Board the whole remuneration received by pound-keepers in this district would be insufficient to defray the cost of keeping the public pounds in repair. The Secretary having reported tbat he had 'ravelled over the track to Sandy Bay, and had found only one very small tree across the track, but that considerable improvement could be made in the track itself, and at no great coßt, it was resolved, That the track be improved over the Fern Ridge, and in any other places where the work will not be expensive. A complaint having been made that Mr E. Boyes, butcher, is in the habit of hanging sheepskins near the public road, thereby causing an offensive smell, it was resolved, That the Secretary write to Mr Boyes and inform him thut his premises muat be kept in such a condition as not to be injurious to public health.

Resolved, That the Oveiseer have the ditch scoured and widened, and the road rounded near Starne's, on New Mill road, Riwaka.

Resolved, That Messrs Steven and Wood's tender for building store-house at Riwaka being considered too high, the Secretary offer them £25 tor executing the required work, on condition that the roof is covered with Tasmunian shingles ; and in the event of such offer not being acci pied the Secretary to invite fresh tenders by next meeting.

Kesolved, that another fine gravel screen be procured, sufficiently fine to separate the soil from the sm»ll gravel; in order that the gravel may be screened previous to being put oa the roads in the MouterH Biib-distric'B.

Resolved, That. 50 copies of the Br-laws lately passed be prnted, and distributed iv the several sub-disf.ricfs for the information of ratepayers.

Resolved, Thafthe Secretary is hereby authorised to grant permission to persous occupying public roads not .equired for present use to ereot slip bars or gates across i«i:ch roads, on such conditions as he may deem desirable.

Warrants were signed for £159 14s 2d.

Mrs. Beeves, living near Bridgwater (Victoria), was bitten by a snake on Dec. 18, and might have lost her life but for an act of resolution and nerve on her part which 18 seldom recorded of a woman. The Bendigo Advertiser relates " that the woman went into one of the paddocks on her farm to cut thistles for the pigs, using a tomahawk for the purpose, and! whilst in the act of handling one of the thistles before chopping, a rather large-sized diamond snake that was curled round it rose and bifc her on the. end of the little finger of the right hand. Without a moment's hesitation she ran to a log, placed thereon the bitten digit, and struck it clean off with the tomahawk at the middle joint. On some friends going to her assistance she was well plied with brandy and taken to the Inglewood Hospital in a buiigy, and on'arrival Dr. Btarke amputated a small piece of bone, after which the woman did not appear to be much the worse for having been bitten by a poisonous reptile;, in fact Bhe showed no signs of poisoning and required no treatment for.it, so rapid had she been in the use of.the tomahawk."

A serious accident happened on December 14, to a man named Reinmutb, a German, at Perth, near Launceston, Tasmania. It seems (says the Examiner) that he and his daughter, a girl not quite 12 yea-rs of age, were at work stripping bark, and while he was felling a. large wattle a puff of wind caught the tree, causing it to fall towards him, and before he could get clear a large limb struck him on the back and pressed him to the ground with such force that he became quite helpless and insensible. His little daughter,.with wonderful presence of mind, instead, of screaming out and fainting away, seized an axe and chopping away vigorously at the limb, soon realeased her father from,his.painful, position. She then ran upwards of a mile, and haying procured, assistance, the unfortunate, man was con\ejed home. . , . A French blacksmith has devised a perforated plate, put in rotation by clockwork, and intended ,to place behind, the lock' of. a safe. The con sequence is that the safe cannot be opened except at, certain times during busineis hours and when there is no danger of any robber,, intruding /into the offices. . ........... ■~ ;:.