The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 30.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 186, 30 April 1878, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 30.

The much-vexed question of outstanding Provincial Liabilities in connection with the compensation for land taken in the formation of various roads-in this district once more crops np to the surface under the auspices of the County Council. Their representations, however, have, to all intent and purposes, been equally, futile with those of the Road Boards. The Government absolutely repudiate the debt, and meet every argument with the one reply, "No funds available.*' It is true that a Special Vote of £500 to be expended on compensation for lands has been allocated to the County Council, but, as in the parable of the loaves and fishes, what are these among so many ? The action taken by the Council, at their last meeting, in setting apart £300 of this vote to the settlement of the

liability still outstanding on the German Bay Itoail diversion, provided that the Road Board proceed forthwith to open this road for traffic, will not we think

be cavilled at by any, considering the now well-known circumstances in connection with the purchase of this land frofij- Mr St. John, and the advantages which the public will obtain by the use of the easier and safer grade thus afforded to a most important section of the main road. As Mr Barker remarked, the vote was useless as far as regarded the settlement of the ( many claims existing, and it was better to devote it to the assistance of the completion of a work of such undoubted importance, by which the whole community would be the gainers, and the circumstances of which, had been characterised by flagrant injury and wrong to the owner of the land through which the road diversion h&d been taken. The Council were unanimous in apportioning the sum mentioned to the satisfaction of this claim, provided that the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board fulfil their part, and, we venture to think, the Board will not hesitate to accept the terms, if snch they may be called, and proceed with the work at once. But this settlement of the difficulty does not excuse the Government for the course taken by them in regard to this and other compensation claims, which, having been, entered upon and recognised by the late Provincial Government, should have been taken over as debts of honor when Provincial institutions were abolished, and we.fail to see the validity of any such excuse as "no funds available " when it is in the power of the Government to obtain the necessary funds for the purpose, and more, when it is a positive duty they owe to various private individuals and the public generally, to carry out the contracts entered into by another system of government, whose liabilities they pledged themselves v to discharge. Many of the. roads upoji which these claims for compensation still exist are, as in the case of the German Bay road diversion, formed, and all but ready for traffic, so that in reality the owners of the land are deprived of its use and benefit, while the public are in a similar position as regards the use of certain lines of roads of which they have every right to expect to have the advantage. Again, public money has been sunk in the formation of these roads, and, as long as they remain closed, is virtually (lost to the ratepayers, when it might have otherwise been expended elsewhere to their immediate benefit, or have been placed out at interest until such time as it could have been used for the purpose for which it was voted, without any delay in the ratepayers enjoying the fruit of its outlay. Public and private injury is thus being done by the Government repudiating these iust claims, and it is for the County Council, through the representative of the district, Mr W. Montgomery, to urge their settlement at ! the next session of the Assembly. We would suggest that a petition to this effect, comprising a carefully drawn up statement of the circumstances in connection with each of the existing claims, including the German Bay diversion, bo prepared, and signed by the Chairmen of the County Council and Road Boards, and forwarded to Mr Montgomery with a view to his bringing the matter before the Government. As far as the German Bay case is concerned, we trust that no further delay will be experienced in opening the road. There should be a balance remaining from the £900 voted for its construction which we presume is available by the Board, so that, the compensation being settled, there remains ko obstacle to its completion. Should the Government by the representations of the member for the County, be brought to see the justice of complying with the request embodied in the petition, there is, of course, every right for supposition that the £300 thus advanced, as it were, by the Council would be refunded to that body, and be then expended in satisfying claims for compensation not included in those Known by the now common title of " Outstanding Provincial Liabilities ;" but we would uot have too much expectation raised on this point—the idea of a Government acknowledging the error of its ways is decidedly anomalous.