MEETING AT LE BON'S BAY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 246, 26 November 1878, Page 2

MEETING AT LE BON'S BAY.

(Communicated.)

Mr Barker, the Chairman of the Okain's Bay District... Road Board, met the ratepayers of Le Bon's Bay on Saturday evening.

Mr Hall was called to the chair, and explained shortly Mr Barker's motives for calling the meeting.

Mr Barker then addressed the meeting. He had come over to confer with ratepayers relative to the erection of a pound, and desired to know their feelings on the subject, as he wished to vote with the majority, as they expressed themselves on this occasion. The County Council had a right to sanction the erection of a pound, but the expense of erection would fall on the Road Board ; and, although a matter of no moment to him personally, he would endeavor to carry out the views of the majority of the ratepayers, as, being a member of both bodies, he would have an opportunity of doing so. He considered that the interests of Le Bon's and Baupo Hidings were to a great extent one, being on the same side of the hill, and that he always had, and always would, work for this side to his very uimost.

Mr Smith said he believed a petition signed by a few residents in the bay had been laid before the County Council at their last meeting. It was a very strange way of doing things to present this for signature only to those who were thought to be in favor of a pound, and those who could give unanswerable reasons against it had been left in the dark. He had only heard of the matter that evening for the first time, and he thought that surely he had a sufficiently large stake in the bay to be consulted.

Mr Wright then proposed that a counter petition be got up and sent in to the County Council.

Mr Smith proposed, as an amendment, that two petitions—one for and the other against a pound, be sent round for signature.

The amendment was carried

Mr Barker was sorry he had not been present at the public meeting held before the County Council election - ; he had heard that the member for Le'Bon's bad made some most unfounded statements relative to him, which, although so clearly untrue, he would explain. First, with regard to the £100 which had been in the hands of the Okain's Road Board for the completion of the carriage drive as it was galled., At first he had been in favor of the being carried out, and, in fact, the contract had been let for falling the bush a chain wide, but on receiving a letter from the Colonial Secretary that the Eoad Board would be responsible for all compensation, and that represented hundreds and hundreds of pounds to the owners of the land through which the land passed, principally Mr Barnett and family's land, they at once cancelled the contract, paying the contractor £6 for breach of contract, and for what work he had done.

Mr H. Barnett, sen., took umbrage at the expression "hundreds and hundreds of pounds to the Barnett family," and said Mr Barker was at fault—that he had given his land a present to the Government, and required no compensation.

Mr Barker said he thought that Mr Barnett's claim would appear in a different light if explained, as that gentleman wished the Governmnt to fence his land (that ia to say, allow him at the rate of 30s a chain) both the surveyed and unsurveyed land at the same rate, and as Government could carry roads through unsurveyed land without compensation, it would amount to the hundreds and hundreds he had spoken of.

Considerable discussion now took place, Mr Barker making the remark that "the moment the matter of compensation is settled we will carry on the work, and supplement the money now in hand." , Mr Barnett—" Who is we."

Mr Barker—"• We's we, the Road Board."

(It now became impossible to report.)

Mr Barker was asked how it was that so much money had been granted to Akaroa side for Domains and Cemeteries, and replied—principally owing to Mr Dalglish, citing as an instance that Mr Dalglish had proposed that £10 should be taken off the Le Bon's. Okain's,, and Little Akaloa Bays Cemetery grants—£3o in all. and given to the Presbyterian Church, Akaroa. A vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Barker was passed ; also a vote of thanks to the Chairman, Mr Hall.