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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 72, 27 March 1877, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR OF THE AKAROA MAIL. Slß,*-r-I notice in your issue of the 23rd inst. a letter, signed " Interrorem." Would you kindly allow me a ; small space in your valuable paper in answer to " Interrorem's" uncalled-for remarks. Your readers will perhaps agree with me when I say this "'person is what I shall term an emptyheaded, .knowrnothing, unscrupulous person, who would like the world to think that he knew something of me or-my to capabilities as a Road Board member. ■Now I beg to tell this unscrupulous gentleman that I know more of the Long Bay road and its requirements than most of the

people residing in our particular district, as I think it is most likely that I travelled that way under very peculiar circumstances some seventeen or eighteen yeais ago, when perhapsforany thing I know, "Interrorem" was punching bullocks in Pigeon Bay. : I also beg to inform that unscrupulous individual that I have been for some ten years past a consistent .advocate for the construction .of a good road to Long Bay. Some of my best friends and acquaintances have lived there for the last sixteen years, and on many occasions I have urged on the Government the* necessity to have a good road made there, so as to open up to all the land in the different bays, but for some reason the oldest settlers in that locality have never cared -till lately whether they had a good road made to that locality or not, but I suppose that it has been a matter of land purchases. Now that the land. is all bought up, I quite agree with the residents of that part, that it is quite right that they should have a good permanent road, so that they may convey their produce to a market. Now, Mr., Interrorem, I shall make a few remarks about the Survey department. I beg to say that Mr. Town send, with others, was requested by the Government through the recommendations of the Road Board, to lay out a new road. I-think, if I remember right, the .road, was to start from tlie saddle of Gerriian Bay hill, and leading through Mr. Inman's property, thence to the top of the hill. My remarks at the meeting of the Road Board were never intended to throw scurrility on Mr. Tbwnsend, that gentleman being an old friend of mine; I should be the last person to do such a thing, as I have always had great respect for. him, and should consider myself a coward at heart were I to attempt to do such a thing as your un-called-for remarks would lead the public to believe. What I said at the meeting was, that as I knew there, had been a road laid out there, and Mr. J. Wooddill being the best practical man at hand, having had . a great, deal of experience in road-forming matters, I considered that it would be a great saving to the public for Mr. Wooddill to re-survey that particular line, and find out the pegs of the road that Mr. Townsend laid out, as a new survey would be a.great cost to the ratepayers. I also said that if we advertised for a surveyor we might possibly get a stranger to the place,, who, through the want of knowledge, would perhaps make agreater blunder than the first surveyor who marked out the old line of road. I did not attempt to hold up Mr. J. Wooddill as a practical surveyor, as I know he is not; but knowing that gentleman for a number of years, I beg to say that Mr. J. Wooddill, in my opinion, is. one of the best .practical roadmakers that we have in thin district, and is the most capable man that I know of grading .a road after a surveyor. Now, Mr. " Interrorem," I suppose from your remarks that you mußt know something of road-making, and there is not the slightest doubt that some time or other you have been a contractor. Perhaps you are looking out for a contract on that particular road, and. expect, through the insufficient capabilities of the members ofthe Road Board, to make a pretty good penny, out of the same. But let me tell you, sir, the eyes of the Road Board members are sufficiently open not to allow you br any' other ' contractor to gull them in any way whatever; that they simply mean to have for every pound spent a good pound's worth of work done, and to be done in a .satisfactory manner, being perfectly aware that they are spending the public money, and not their own, and the red tape is not all used up yet. B. SHADBOLT, Member of Akaroa and Wainui Road Board. March 24,1877