MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

Colonist, Volume XX, Issue 2343, 31 January 1878, Page 4

MOTUEKA HIGHWAY BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting was held on Saturday last, when Messrs Drummond and Edwards were the only absentees. The Secretary made the following report:—Of the three contracts for which tenders were accepted last mseting lor reinstating the road round Pocock'a Bluff, only one—that of No. I—is in progress. A tender of £104 10s was accepted for No. 2 : this gum the tenderers (C. Smith and party) Bay should have been £140 10i, a clerical error having, they allege, been made when writing the tender. They have informed me that they will undertake the work for the larger sum. The next tender for the work received last meeting was from D. Hall, and amounted to £110. Contract No. 3, let to George Grooby for the cum of £12, has been left by the contractor, after working at it, with his party, for two days. He itates there is a quantity of rock in it that will require blasting, of which he bad no idea when he sent in his tender, he therefore trusts the Board will allow him to throw up the work. I have not had time since last meeting to make a plan of a bridge for crossing the company's ditch on Drummond Brothers' road, Lower Moutere, bub I estimate the cost of constructing one that would be likely to withstand the rash of water at flood time at £55, provided the material can be procured at a low rate, and close at hand. The width to be bridged measures 40 feet. I hare inspeoted the bridge in Raspberry Swamp, and although at present tolerably safe, will not long be so. I think it will be preferable to divert the road at this place, if satisfactory arrange ments can be made with the owner of the land adjoining the road, thereby saving the cost of renewing the bridge, and at the same time easing the gradient on *he east side of the swamp. Mr Green has withdrawn his objoction to a new road being made Along th« terrace through his land at Ngatimoti, and is now willing that it should be made where I recommended as being within the means at the disposal of the Board. I have arranged with Mr Salisbury for tbe purchase of three-quarters of an aore of land on the banks of the Graham river, and have invited tenders for reinstating the road there, and also on the Table Land Track. Having received no reply from the Minister for Public Works ta a letter written on December 10, respecting the amount promised for making the new road in Pangatotara Valley, I have ogam written drawing the Minister's attention to the previous letter and asking for an early and favorable reply. The valuation lists have been returned to/my office completed. The total amount shows a slight increnge on tbe lists of last year.

Resolved, That the Secretary.ascertain the cost of diverting the road at Raspberry Swamp, where reoommended in his report. Resolved, That freßh tender* ..be in vited for con-; traofc No. 2. Pooock's Bluff; and that,a special moetiDg of the Board take place on Saturday, the 9th of February, at foar o'clock p.m., for the purpose of considering suoh tenders. : , Resolved, That Mr George Grooby's application to be allowed to throw up his contract (No. 3, Pocock's Bluff), for the reasons stated in the Secretary's report, cannot in the interest of the public be complied with. . , . Resolved, That the Secretary set out the work required for making the road through Mr Green's land, Ngatimoti, and invite tenders for the same, to be sent in by the special meeting. . Resolved, That the offer of. Mr Marshall to accept ia disused road at Ngatimoti for land required through his property for a now road, the consideration of jwhioh was postponed last meeting, be now accepted. ' The Secretary stated that Mr Green had applied 'for. permission to deepen a road ditch at Ngatimoti tp c enable him to drain a swamp on his land. | .. {Resolved, That Mr Green's application be granted, provided the Secretary, on inspection, considers the road will not be injured. Besolred, That to entitle the Board to the fullest arrount of subsidy, all rates must bo immediately paid, and that the Secretary take the necessary steps for recovering any that are not yet paid at the next Bitting of the Magistrates' Court. Resolved, That in the event of any person wbose tender for work is accepted refusing to sign the required agreement, the Secretary shall accept the next lowest tender, provided such tender is not beyond the Secretary's estimate of the cost of the work. A letter from Mr Godfrey Thomas was read, complaining that through the dangerous state of a bridge on the road at Lower Moutare, he had, on the night of the 24th of December last, received a severe fall, whereby he had sustained certain injuries, his horse being injured and blemished, and his saddle rendered worthless, and requesting to be paid £10 as compensation for the same. Beiolved, That the Secretary acknowledge the receipt of Mr Thomas' letter, and state that the Board, while regretting to hear he has met with an accident oa the public road, cannot comply with his request, having (after careful enquiry) reason to believe that the road and bridges where it is alleged he met with Mb fall, are not in a state (if reasonable caution is taken) dangerous to travellers. A letter from Mr G. Drogemuller and others was read, requesting to be allowed to work out their rates on the road contiguous to. their properties. j Resolved, That the Board cannot, 'under present {circumstances, permit the rates to be worked out, ; but<will assist the ratepayers in the usual way. by contributing one half the cost of necessary repairs. ; Resolved, That steps be taken to proteot the outjside of the road on Paton's Bluff, to have the bridge (on Diggen's cross road repaired, nnd a new top put •on a bridge out he gravel road Riwaba. • Resolved, That tenders be invited for continuing •the gravelling on the road between Herriok's and (Waiwero, and for ss much other.work as possible, by the next monthly meeting of the Board. '■ The following tenders were accepted, viz.: Motueka Sub-district—lmproving road near wharf, Thomas Goodman £12. Lower Moutere-—Building two new bridgei on trunk road, William Satherly, £65., Upper Moutere—Lowering hill near Bosselmann's, L. Ewers, £12; grubbing briers, &c, W. Best, £310 i. Ngatimoti—Work by Salisbury's and and Graham river, 0. Brunei), £8 /Repairing Table Land track, J M'Gaveston, £28. Riwaka—Grubbing briers, goare, &0., £4. , A telegram from the Colonial Treasury was received r!uring the meeting, to the effect that £1433 had I neen paid to the Board's credit for the Pangatotara road. .■ ~ \ , ~..,-...; ... ■■ • ~..■;. Warrants were signed for £112 2s6d.