PUBLIC MEETING.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 435, 21 September 1880, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting of ratepayers and settlers was held in tlio Criterion Hotel on Saturday afternoon to consider the step taken by the Akaroa and Wainui Eoad Board in appointing Mr Herbert Hewer to act as ranger for the district, and the manner in which that gentleman performed his duties. As a proof that the grievance —if such it can be called—has affected numbers, the meeting was attended by more people, perhaps, than any public meeting , held in Akaroa for some time

past.

Mr Dnxbury took the chair. In opening the meeting, be stated thrt perhaps tb c moßt proper plan to have adopted in.the present case would have boon to have called the meeting through the Chairman of the Road Board, but still as such a step was optional and not compulsory, he had not adopted it. Many present knew, and he did not wish to deny it, that ho was the '■ Ratepayer" who had called the meeting, He had done so, because he considered the step taken by the Road Board to he a most unjust one, and !;•' wanted to hear the opinions of his neighbors on the subject. An opportunity was now given I hem of discussing (.ho maltor and expressing their opinion thereon, which he trusted they would avail themselves of. Moreover, ha

(Mr Duxbury) had been requested to take the step he had, as many besides himself considered the members of the Roan Board had arrogated powers to themselves to which they had no right, and diat stiuT

cient publicity had not been given to the appointment of Mr Hewer to act ac ranger. He had heard that tho Eoad Board accusod the ranger of going on to roads other than specified by them. Such singling out of roads was not in the Board's power, as according to the Act all roads were public roads. Again, it was well known some 15 feet roads had cost more than the 20 feet roads. Several people had roads running through their land and enclosed with fences, and it would be very hard if the ranger were empowered to open the gates leading, on to such lands and impound any cattle they might find, or if not impound levy blackmail on them. He would, as a case in point, refer to the lands held by Messrs A. 0. Knight, of Tikao Bay, and Baker, of French Farm. These gentlemen had roads running through their land, and fences and gates on them, and he knew for a fact that they made a practice of sending down a man the last thing at night to see that the gates were shut, still any one passing throngh at a later hour might leave them open, and so allow their cattle to get on to the roads where they would find Mr Hewer and party—who might be called Legion—ready to pounce on them and drive them to the pound, or else levy black mail on them. Ho disputed the power to levy driving fees, and did not believe any .Resident Magistrate would give judgment for the same. He saw by Mr Piper's letter (which appeared in TriE Mail) that certain conditions and arrangements had been made in the matter of this appointment oi ranger, and he would like to know what they were. Perhaps Mr Chap poll, Chairman to the Road Board, would tell him These conditions might be laws, but they certainly were not gazetted, and he did not think the Road Board had the power to make or pass laws. He had Mr.Williams' word to state that Hewer had no right to enter Messrs Curragh and Funnell's pro. perty and drive cattle off, a step which, it was proved, he had taken. He considered the Road Board should have callod a public meeting before taking the step they

had

Mr A, Condon enid he would not mind a man being appointed a ranger if ho were one that could work, but this man neither would nor could.

Mr J. Sunckell, jun., considered that the ratepayers had paid large sums towards the construction and keeping in repair the roadßthroughoutthedißtrict,and he thought they should be protected. He agreed with the step taken in appointing a rangor, and considere-l ho should have power to impound off all the roads, and not be restricted to those over 20ft wide, as many roads only 15ft wide had cost moro than the broader ones.

Mr C. Grenn asked whether tho Road Board had the power to appoint a ranger Was such an appointment legal ?

The Chairman replied that not being a lawyer he could not answer the question.

Mr Mnrtindalo thought that the object of the meeting woe to ascertain if tho appointment were a legal one, and also to take steps to protect the interests of the ratepayers and settlers, if the Road Board overstepped their bounds.

The Chairman observed that the appointment of a ranger was made on the Plains and in agricultural districts, where cattle trespassing waR likely to bo the means of damaging , the growing crops, but that in a grazing district liko the Peninsula, whore the erecting of fences was a difficult job and where after being erected the fences were constantly liable to be broken down owing to landslips, it was an exceedingly harsh measure. He thought the Akaroa and Wainui Road Bonrd had arrogated too much power to themselves. Another point to be looked at was the- desirability that the grass on tho side of the road should be eaten down, as if allowed to grow the danger of fire would be very great. That the Board should apoint a ranger with a fixed salary to look after the coach roads might be a good enough step, but to appoint the man they had, and to order him to watch certain roads, the remuneration for which work was to bo driving fees, he did not believe in. He called upon Mr Chappoll, who was present, to produce the document appointing Mr Hewer to act as ranger. Mr Chappell stated that he had not the document with him. He understood that Mr Duxbury was one of those who had suffered some inconvenience through the appointment, and such being the case he was surprised he had r.et demanded Mr Hewer's authority for impounding his cattle. He would like to know what was meant b}' tho so-called " blackmail."

Mr Checkley suggested that the Road Board should follow the example of the Mother Country, and lease certain of the roads for grazing.

The Chairman thought the coach roads should bo protected, and that the police should do the work, as that body would be above toadyism, a vice which any private man would be likely to be too strongly

exposed to,

Mr Whitfield thought a fair spirit had not been shown to the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board. Ho thought they might have made a mistake, but still tho roads should be protected. He did not believe in any roads being exempt from the power of the ranger; be knew that those roads which were 20ft wido had not cost more money than the narrow ones ; if the Road Board intended to grapple with the matter, no document specifying any particular roadß as being , exempt yr otherwise should be

A ratepayer present believed no provision whatever would be found in the Trespass of Cattle Ordinance empowering tho levying of driving fees off roads. If. these present would take the proper steps to test this point he believed they would find his opinion correct, and once the levying of driving fees were proved illegal the objectionable practices at present carried on would be knocked on the head.

After further discussion, Mr Stewart moved, and Mr Phillips seconded—"That a deputation, consisting of Messrs Duxbury, Whitfield and Breitmeyer, be appointed to wait upon the Road Board at their next meeting, to urge upon them the necessity of cancelling or otherwise amending the appointment."

A vote of thanks having been passed to the Chairman, the meoting terminated.