TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1514, 3 June 1886, Page 2

TEMUKA ROAD BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of the Temuka Hoad Board was held last Tuesday. Present—Messrs Talbot (Chairman), Quinn, and Hayhurst. MINUTESThe minutes of the previous meeting were mad and confirmed. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £l4O 8s Id wore passed for payment. CORRESPONDENCE. Correspondence was read— From Mr K. F. Gray enclosing account sales for the timber sold by him, the amount realised being £lB. From Mr J. E. Ackroyd, stating that he had dug a ditch in front of the Maori reserve and wanted some pipes, which be applied to the Board for.—The Overseer said the ditch ho dug was of service to the Board, and the pipes would not come to more than 7s 6d.— I The application was granted. From Mr J. W. Parkinson, stating that he had already paid the rates duo by him, —lt was decided to inquire into the matter. TOWNSHIP OP AROWHENUA. The following letter relating to the township of Arowhenua was read :

"To the Chairman of the Temuka Road

Board, Temuka

Section 127 of the Laud Act 1885, provides that: ‘ One-third of the price of any block of land disposed of on deferred payments under this part of this Act shall be handed over to ihe County Council or Road Board of the district within which such land is situated to be expended in tbe construction of roads within, or to open up, the blook for the benefit of the selectors; and one-third of the payments made from time to time by the selectors shall, as the same arise respectively, be paid over to such County Council or Road Board as the case may be. The plans of proposed roadsshall in all cases receive the sanction of the Land Board of the District.’

“ I accordingly forward you a lithograph of the Arowhenua Village Settlement, on which please to mark such roads or streets as you have constructed with tbe intention of spending the above contemplated grant on ; also, please to send me a statement of the sums expended or to be expended on the roads. You will see by the last clause of the above section that the plans of all roads which it is proposed to construct under this section of the Act must in all cases receive the sanction of the Land Board.

“John H. Bakes, “ Commissioner of Crown Lands “Crown Lands Office, “ Christchurch, 21st May, 1886.”

The Chairman said ho did not think that there had been much money spout on roads in the settlement.

Mr Quinn thought they ought to get paid for the road by the Catholic Church. The Chairman arid that road would not come under the Act.

Mr Hayhurst pointed out that some repairs had recently been done. The Chairman said that would not come under the particular clause quoted, as the money was available only for the “ construction ” of roads. After some further conversation it was decided to inquire into the matter, and see what the Board had spent on constructing roads within the township. BATE. The Chairman stated that at last meeting it was decided to strike a rate of fths of a penny iu the £. lb was necessary that a resolution to that effect should be passed. It was resolved—" That a general rate of f tbs of a penny in the £ be struck on all the rateable property within the district for the period ending March 31st, 1887, and that the said rate be due and payable in one sum at the Road Board Office, Temuka.”

INTERVIEWS. Mrs Daily waited on the Board for the purpose of drawing attention to the stagnant water near her place. There was a lot of dead water lying about there, and the stench from it and from Lee’e slaughteryard would “ suffocate” anyone. -.After Mrs Daily bad retired it was decided not to do anything in the matter. Mr P, Wareing waited on the Board to apply for a few planks for making a crossing into his land. The Board had cut a drain alongside his paddock, and now he could not get into it without a crossing. There was a gateway into the paddock by which he used to enter before

the drain was cut. —The application was granted.

THE CANAT, DRAIN,

Mr Wateing also presented a letter from bis brother, Mr J. B. Wareing, which stated that the Canal drain from Mr Wheel band’s to Mr Barker’s woolshed had not been cleaned for the last two years. There were a few chains near Mr Barker’s woolshed scarcely passable. He would take the willows in the Canal drain out by the roots, provided he was allowed to keep th»m. The Overseer said if the suggestion made in his report, to the effect that the water should be turned into the creek by the Cheese Factory, were adopted there would be very little water go down the place complained of.

The Chairman asked whether it would be right to ask owners of property adjoining to contribute towards cleaning the drsin, as bad been dons in other places.

The Overseer said that was a difficult question. The Canal drain drained a large area, far beyond the properties adjoining. After examining the map of the locality, and some further conversation, it whs resolved—“ That the Canal drain from the Middle Swamp road to the Boiling Down road be cleaned, and that the Overseer report on the part near Mr Barker’s woolshed.” THE MOARI RESERVE, It was rssolved—“That the Overseer be instructed to take immediate steps to compel the Maoris to clear the gorse on the road through the Maori Reserve.” TEMUKA TOWN BOARD. Mr Quinn said he expected that a deputation from the Town Board, consisting of Messrs Gray and Blyth, would wait upon the Board that day in reference to the encroachment of the river, Probably they hart forgotten it, As the Board would meet on Wednesday night he would like to know whether anything could be done. The Chairman said he did not think anything could be done. It was not a matter in which the Road Board was interested, and, besides, he believed a Board of Conservators alone could deal with the matter. It was a heavy undertaking. It would be necessary to get two-thirds of the ratepayers to consent to a Board being appointed, and it would not be very easy to get them perhaps. Supposing the district was proclaimed, the Board would have a very small area to levy rates on and a tremendous amount of river bank to protect. After reading some clauses of the Act bearing on the subject the matter dropped. overseer's report. The Overseer’s report was read as follows ; “ May 31st, 1886. “To the Chairman. “ Sir,—l have the honor to report for the past month as follows : Contract Ho. 59, breaking stones at Rangitata, and No. 56, filling sides of Main Waitohi Road, are nearly finished. “ Owing to more of the bank having been washed away, the contractor for making a cutting near the Oxford Railway Bridge declined to proceed with the work. As the river at this place is not safely crossable in a line with the roadway I have arranged with Mr Rock Thomas to allow the Board a right-of-way across his paddock, the Board to pay him £2 for the use of such right-of-way for twelve months. i cutting has been made at a small expense, giving access to a good ford across the rive r . “ The culvert at the junction of Paterson’s and the Upper Swamp roads is nearly completed. There is a wooden culvert two feet square leading from lhe drain on the Upper Swamp road to the Canal drain that I would recommend be taken up altogether, and the whole of the water allowed to go through the culvert now being built to the creek at the Cheese Factory. “ I have not yet been able to get the repairs done near the Orari river, owing to there having been too much water on the road. I will., get this work done as soon ns possib’e. There are some repairs needed on the north side of the Orari. They could be done at the same time, “ The drain running through Mr Malarkey’s land requires to bo cleaned. I would suggest that Mr Malarkey be offered a yearly sum to keep this drain clean.

“ One of the concrete culverts on Walker’s road requires a wins - wall building to it, as the water is making its way into the road by the side of the culvert. “I have examined the Waihi bridge, and find that 1G of the girders are more or less |decayed. The piles, capsills, and corbels are sound; the decking is in a bad state, and some of the railing is broken. To re-deck the bridge with black birch decking, replace the girders where required, repair the railing, etc., I estimate wonld cost £—.

“Be watercourses through Mr W. Deßenzy’s farm —A good deal of gravel has been washed off the road from time 10 time, and left in the largest watercourse on Mr Deßenzy’s farm. This, together with a wiia fence across the ford, ['revents the water flowing as fast as it otherwise would across Mr Deßenzy’s land, and thereby causes more water to run along the road. —I am, etc., 11 E. Archer.”

It was agreed to adopt the suggestion of taking up the wooden culvert loading from the drain on the Upper Swamp road to the Canal drain, and to allow the water to flow to the Cheese Factory creek ; to do the repairs on the north side of tiro Orari river; to authorise the Overseer to carry out his suggestions with regard to the dram running through Malarkey’s land ; and also to build a wing wall to the concrete culvert on Walker’s road. The Board then adjourned.