MOUNT BOSSU AGAIN.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 336, 7 October 1879, Page 2

MOUNT BOSSU AGAIN.

To the Editor of the, Akaroa Mail.

Sir, —As you are more generally informed about these matters through being one of the favored few whose occupation gives you a glimpse behind the scenes, perhaps you will put me right if my hearsay, which is not admissable evidence, is incorrect.

In your report of the 27th instant, Mr M'Kay waited upon the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board to complain of an encroachment of the above road now in formation through his property, and that upon a paltry quibble of survey pegs, which might have been moved (who knows),' but it does not require any very far-seeing diplomatist to fathom his object. It is like the horse-leech—give, give more compensation, and that after the Road Board has paid him handsomely already for a chain wide through his land for road purposes. It certainly matters little whether this chain is ten feet higher or lower in these particular spots, and so the public would say, if they knew the rough hill-side, which is scarcely safe to feed goats upon. I believe lam correct in saying that Mr M'Kay has a Government road running nearly parallel with the new one, only a few chains lower in the gully, for which he gives no account, forgetting had that been formed he would have had to fence both sides, instead of occupying it as one of his paddocks, without even paying the £2 : per acre.; But there appears something strange in the erecting of this fence. What does it mean? Did Mr" M'Kay know "of some little inaccuracy in the grading, and think by fencing he could screw more money out of the Road Board. If he did I do not think it redounds to his credit.

While upon this subject, I think Rhodeß, flat, part of this road, should have a little comment. There appears to be a very happy family located at the lower end of Wainui, who stick well together and agitate most perseveringly for the general weal, always wanting the lion's share of the good things, irrespective of the claims of their fellow-ratepayers. Even poor French Farm they leave out in the cold. But Sir, I aui digressing. What a generous offer, they (this happy family) made to the Road Board Avith reference to the Rhodes' flat diversion, i.e., if the Board would spend £500 upon another outlet to their portion of the district, which has four already to the Plains, they would not oppose tho giving up a portion of a useless and impracticable road which Mr R. H. Rhodes would accept for this good line which cuts his property through tho middle. I wish the ratepayers who are not well up in the policy of this happy family to understand that this £500 was merely the thin end of the wedge, as the whole length of this new road would be through private property for about two and three-quarter miles, and if we take Mr M'Kay's compensation as a basis it would cost the district some £2500.

Now, Sir, I think the farce of bouncing should be checkmated by some other part of the district coming forward en masse, especially those interested in the east side of this district, whom I would advise to form a committee to represent their claims, and also to agitate as persistently as this happy family, always keeping in mind Dan O'Connell's motto—agitate, agitate. Yours, &c, EAST HEADS..