MASTERTON HIGHWAY BOARD.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume 2, Issue 74, 14 May 1873, Page 2

MASTERTON HIGHWAY BOARD.

A meeting of the Board was held on Saturday last in the for.enoon Present : Messrs McMaster, Dorset, Rutherford, Beethatn, and J. V. Smith, Chairman. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. The following letters were also read : 1. One from the Provincial Secretary, dated May 7, 1873, acknowledging the receipt of one from the chairman, and informing him that the (government will undertake to lay off lines ot road required by the Board but stating that if such lauds were taken through laiids the grants of which have matured, it would be the duty of the Board and not of the Government to arrange for the purchase of the land required.

2. One from Mr Hooker, dated May 7, 1873, informing the Board that the contractor has not commenced to repair Belvedere road. The following tenders were received :

1. One from Job Vile, dated May 9, 1873, for forming road on Opakt, £2l ss, and for formation of road, ditch, and culverts in same locality, £4B ss. 2. .One from Messrs James and Downes for side cutting at Opaki £2 10s per chain, ami for formation of road, melailing and culverts £5 10s per chain.

3. One from Messrs Bassett and Davis for formati m of road, culverts, &c., at Opaki, £3 18s per chain, and for side cutting &c., near J. Harvey’s £L 18s per chain. The Board having had under consideration the letter ot the Provincial Secretary, dated Mav 7, 1873, in reply to that of tiie Chairman of22nd April last, transmitting Mr Vallauce’s protest against the survey of a line of road across his private property, wherein the Provincial Secretary states that it is the duty of the Board and not of the Government to arrange for the purchase of the land required in terms of the Crown Grants Act, resolved that, Whereas this Board is indefinitely liable to numerous claims for compensation on account of roads across properties the Crown Grants of which have been matured and such claims have in most cases arisen in consequence of the Government having failed to lay of such necessary lines in ■proper time, the funds of the Board are quite inadequate for such purpose, His Honor the Superintendent be requested to make some provision out of the revenue for the satisfaction of such claims, and that copies of this resolution be sent to the Eepresentatives of this district in the Provincial Council with the request that they will use their influence to give effect to the same.

Resolved I. That the road applied for byMrEockell be surveyed and pegged off as soon as possible. 2. That Mr Hart Udy jun. have permission to erect swinging gates at each end of the line called Udy’s line.

3. That the Secretary be instructed to write to Mr M. Baird, and inforni him that the Board in the absence of an engineer, and of any account of the roads constructed in the District are unable to inform him of the extent of such works, 4. That Mr C. White be instructed to mark out a straight line of road to the Wangaehu Bridge from Mr Cave’s corner, clear flax half a chain wide and have the necessary work done for strengthening the bridge. See and report upon the road at Taueru, and give an estimate of the expense of making the same, and see and report upon the Waipoapoa Creek near Tupurupuru and give an estimate of the expense of putting a culvert across the same.

It was agreed to invite tenders for the following works. 1: Tor forming and metalling 15 chains, more or less, of road on the Wainuioru line, commencing at the Taueru.

2. For erecting a bridge across the Waipoapoa Creek, Tupurupuru. The following tenders were accepted.—

1. James Hannah’s for melalling 10 chains of Carter’s line at £2 per chain.

2. That of Messrs Bassett and Davis for formation of road, culverts, &c., at Opaki, £3 18s per chain, and for side cutting &c., near J. Harvey’s £1 18s per chain. The next meeting was appointed to be held on Saturday the 17th current, at II o’clock a.m.