CLOSING OF ROADS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 333, 26 September 1879, Page 3

CLOSING OF ROADS.

To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail.

Sib, —In the ; report of the meeting- of the Akaroa County: Council, appearing in your issue of the 23rd inst., I see, for want of something more definite to do, the Council have resolved to.;nieddle in the matter, of closing, what they call, old roads. What I apprehend is meant, although such; does not very clearly show on the face of the resolution, is increased facilities for closing lines \of roads laid off: on the public maps of the Colony, and which are; neither new nor old in the sense of being roads, but are simply parts of the public estate, which may or, may not some day be wanted. Mr Hay seemed to be the chief mover in the matter, so far as yonr report goes, but I see from the Christcli.urcli papers that the same subject is brought forward in the.Chairman's statement of the business of the meeting, with every circumstance of premeditation and deliberation, in which that gentleman with an; arcadian simplicity, all his own, recommends " that the Government should be asked to pass a short Bill to empower the .1 Council to dispose of useless roads,, as. there are at present 2000 acres of quite useless roads in the County; which, if disposed of, would create a. revenue for road purposes." Amongst the 2000 acres I have little doubt but that Mr Geo. Armstrong's road is* included,, but as that gentleman is quite, able to look after himself, my present purpose is not with him. The Eoad Boards, not satisfied with spending rates, subsidies, twenty per cent land fund, and special grants in the most lavish and. prodigal manner, raise the cry of the horse leech, give ! give !! in a new form, and, paradoxical as it might appear propose to sell roads to make roads,—reminding one of. the old. legend, pf the dragon, who, after having consumed everything within its reach, and being still .unsatisfied, had to turn round and feast on its own tail.

What I maintain is that the roads of the Colony, whether formed or. not, vest in Her Majesty the Queen for the benefit of the people for ever. The legislature has wisely set checks and difficulties in the way of alienating this estate. There is no *. popular clamor to shut up tho unused roads, and none such is likely to arise while tho population goes on increasing in the way every New Zealander would wish to see it do. At present the population is . under "" half a million, but competent authorities estimate that the Colony is easily capable of supporting ten millions; when that day comes posterity will want all its roads. What ought to be done wit.i unused roads at present is to plant them with forest trees, which might be quietly growing amidst the decline and fall of County Councils and Road Boards, not only into things of beauty, but into solid profit, and thus carry out a suggestion made in the m excellent report of Captain Walker, the Forest Conservator, laid before Parliament two years ago. Of course our friends the " rapacious" landowners will require to - fence both sides of the/lme of. road, but in this there could be no hardship as they purchased their acres on. this distinct understanding. .....,...-..■ It is always an unpleasant thing to do to attribute any motives-to '-gentlemen such as the members of tlfe ,G£>unty; .Council, and such is far from my, present intention, but most of tlie gentlemen are interested in flocks and herds, and "having bad the ' run of those roads so long, perhaps quite w insensibly would have [ho objection _to squaringup their paddocks by .becoming the freeholders of these pieces of "dull, senseless, and insensible." mother earth. Mr Coop, I see, with' a candour and prescience that does Mm the utmost, credit scented the coming "little game" from afar, and stood up-stoutly for therights of men against sheep. : Where Mr Hay gets his law from I do not know, certainly not from *' The Public Works Act," in which there is not a word about a fresh survey. By writing to the Chief Surveyor he will no doubt tell him:what he has frequently told all the Eoad Boards in the district that" the "plans of .the roads as ;on the official maps is all .that,is required. . As. to the period of advertising;: once in every >*three ; weeks for twelve weeks is anything but an.unreasonable time. Indeed, I should like to see the difficulties of closing roads increased rather than diminished, certain that in the common sense.words of the.late '■» Chairman of the County Council, in opposing the-ciosing of-the old Duvauchelle's Bay road, should weigh well the subject of closing any ' road, as when, " once closed it could not be re-opened." I, ■ with' many; of my fellow-electors, will watch with some interest your report of the next meeting of the Council, to see what shape the letter that the . Council of three are to draft to our Representative *#assuHies, - khbwing' : 'Mr Montgomery's well known political leanings, it is quite unnecessary to remind him that his is still a " popular constituency, and that any attempt :.at tinkering "The Public Works' Act" a view of easily selling any of "the common land fhat is of public right," will be diligently watched and carefully criticized. . • , By the way, is there any truth in a rumour now current some time that the genial John Ollivier, the commissioner appointed by -the- Governor to settle the claims for road diversions in this district; "left outstanding by the late Provincial Government, has quietly handed over to a

gentleman in Wainui Pkidirig, a considerable amount of acreage of unmade roads, j* running through the gentleman's property as part of his share of compensation. jf so I have no hesitation in saying that.the : genial John omitted on the occasion to consult the ratepayers as required by law, ** and that his construction of an obscure section.of "The. Land ,Acf, 1877 "will not * hold water. As the matter is one involving many inlerests'down here, could not Mr Montgomery get. the Government to lay the genial's report on the table of the ilouse* —Yours, &c, AN ELECTOR

1 . :There has been much said and written about the great intelligence and sagacity of the shepherd clog, particularly the Scotch Collie, and yet his 'merits" are not overestimated in the least. ■ We have known and have bred, thorn for years* have sent them to almost all parts of the "country, and have always received favourable repoftk from the purchasers. • In-all , reasoii'able things the Scotch collie will give unbounded satisfaction, and no more trusty or faithful friend can be had tlian he invariably prove himself to*be ; but those who expect him to. do their work in their own particular way, withotit having first been taught how it should bedone,will be disappointed. These dogs will herd; drive and tend sheep, naturally, for they have been bred for this purpose for .so many years that it has become an . inherent pip-, pensity, but they must be accustomed to the .stock and the stock to them, and must brought to understand just how youTWiSh your particular work done before, you can expect them -fd prove entirely satisfactory. This is one of "the greatest troubles which "is experienced ;by purchasers of .trained dogs, for they expect to have them " start in/'-'the first morning they"arrive,-and'-drive' 'the stock well, and they .disappoint, their owner, as-any one.would well ■ know they "would; if he would give the .subject any thought, generally., much better satisfaction is experienced by purchasing a pii J3, and then gradually accustoming him. .to your own particular work,- than , in : .buying a well-trained dog. The, very firsi? thing to do when you get your pup is. to accustom .him to your voice and command, and until you do this thoroughly you cannot commence handling your dog. The best and -soonest way to do. this is to always feed liim yourself,- and make it a point 'not' to permit the. pup-to- be played with-and .mauled while too young. Our advice to those who want to have a ■ first-class dog :\i to let the pup run comparatively wild, so it does not get into mischief, until he : is at least eight or ten months old, by which time lie will have gotten: steadier.and more, easily managed, though you can in : the meantime take him with.you when you go for your stock. Do ■.'not force your dog, but.let him take to his work gradually, ;an;d by all means/treat him kindly, for- there is one peculiarity about this breed : .if ■ you - break the will of the pup by harsh treatjnent, whichris as useless asit is , cruel,' the dog will be useless.. After-he has once reached full growth with his' courage unimpaired there is but-little danger of having him- made cowardly and sneaking, "Whether a ; dog be a good one. when full' grown or not depends.a great deal on the one who handles it, for a.violent-tempered man will make a cowardly dog out' of., his pup, while a careful, kind considerate man will soon have ail "animal which will repay iiim for all his care, forit will .be" invaluable in. herding, driving, and tending almost all kinds of stock • will be inva.lu-. • able as "a watch-dog; carefully guarding the premises at all times, and will be a source of pleasure to the members of -hisowner's family. We.know of no dog which will better please the farmer, stock breeder, poultry fancier, or country, gentleman, than a well-bred Scotch collie.