MR OLLIVIER'S AWARDS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 369, 3 February 1880, Page 2

MR OLLIVIER'S AWARDS.

To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail.

Sib, —In your last issue we observe a " local," giving a communication re the above surveys, from tho Chief Surveyor, handed to you by Mr Montgomery, M.H.R., which, if permitted to pass unnoticed, is calculated to do us an injury. We therefore trust you will permit, us to correct it. The impression apparently intended to he conveyed in the paragraph alluded to is that the delay in .uaking these surveys rests solely with us. The facts are as follows :—On 2Und April last, Mr Knowles Under Secretary for Public Works, personallj instructed 113 to prepare plans for the conveyances under the awards, and to hand them to Mr Nalder after they had passed the Survey Department, which instructions reduced to writing wo received a few days afterwards. Wβ then communicated with tho Chief Surveyor, who, under date 2nd May, promised all plans and data bearing on these claims, some of which are coinpl 0 <ed, in ten days. We prepared everything to start the field operations at that time, but received no plans, and consequently went on with other work. On the 17th June, being still without the data, wo called at the Survey Office, and were told that everything would be ready in a dayor two. On 6th August, having still no word from the Survey Department, we wrote that the claimants were very anxious about their awards, and begged to know if there was any chance of getting the tracings; to which, under date I lth August, the Chief Surveyor replied that the tracings were al] made, but owing to press of work he " had not looked further into the matter;" if, however, " any particular one is wanted, it shall be sent at once." On 4th September, being still unsupplied, we asked for the Le Bon's claims, and Messrs St. John's and Breitmeyer's, which we at length received on 14th September. These were the very first particulars that came to hand. Surveys and plans of these were sent in as stated in your " 10ca1.." The particulars of remaining claims were received by us on the 10th November, in a letter dated 7th of same month, except the following :—No. 15, J. Pawson ; No. 19, R. Marshall; No. 18, J. Barker; No. 21. J. Brown ; which the Chief Surveyor, in his last mentioned letter, states have been surveyed by his own staff, and therefore will not need surveying by us on behalf of the Hon. the Minister for Public Works.

The whole of the correspondence we have referred to is in our office, and we shall be happy to .show it to you, or to any one interested under the awards, in vindication of ourselves.

We should not have taken any notice whatever of the insinuation we now wish to repel had we not during the six months from May to November, during which we waited for these tracings, repeatedly told claimants that the delay was not with us. —We aie, Sir, yours, &c,

FJ3NTON & WILKINS.