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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1981, 27 October 1888, Page 2

Becently we pointed out the necessity of something being done to remedy the mischief done by recent freshes m the river to the ford known as Rawle's crossing and the danger to travellers involved m delay. W e also showed that to do away with the ford altogether and compel everybody to go round by Dlgby's bridge woujd be to inflict much inconvenience upon residents m the Forks district and others, and that recent legal opinions threw upon the Road Board a very plain responsibility m the matter. We at thejsame pointed out that owing to the way m which the Board's district is divided the cost of the necessary works would fall upon the wrong shonjderg if charged on the Ward system, and suggested t.hat either tho Wards Bhould be differently divided or that the cost of the work should be made a general charge spread over the whole Road district. The Board has since taken the matter into consideration and has called for tenders for putting £he fprd iq order and maintaining it m a pafe condition, but so far has taken no step m the direction of our suggestion as to the just allocation of the cost. The result has naturally been that the ratepayers pf the AUenton district have met together and, as it seems to us, very properly protested against being saddled with the coßt of a work which is of no special benefit to themselves and have resolved to petition the Board not to spend any money on Bowie's crossing at present but to close the road leading thereto, until such time as the ford can be made passable at a small outlay. This last we suppose could be done m due course of law provided the proposal to close the road were adopted by the ratepayers. If, however, it prove tl)at a sufficient number object to the closure being effected, then it appears to us that there is no alternative for the Board but to put the ford m a safe condition, but if that alternative has to be taken most certainly the cost of the work should as we have already said, be a general charge over the whole Road Board district nr charged specially to the district specially benefited,