OLD DUVAUCHELLE'S BAY ROAD.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 477, 18 February 1881, Page 3

OLD DUVAUCHELLE'S BAY ROAD.

To the Editor.

Srn, —The Akaroa County Council, as will be seen by advertisement, will be called upon to-morrow to decide as to the stoppage or otherwise of the old Duvauchelle's Bay road. The conception of its stoppage, I believe, emanated from the skilful brain of a Mr Joseph Libeau, who, having property on both sides of the said road, persuaded the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board that the interests of the ratepayes s and the public would be best served by their closing the road in question, and thereby enhancing the value of Mr Libyan's property to a very considerable extent; yet the history of its stoppage—or rather attempted stoppage —appears to have been a series of blunders from its commencement until now. At first an expensive survey svas nvide, which was found to be useless ; next, the Board blundered in the matter of advertising, necessitating the proceedings to bo commenced again. Twice has Mr Libeau niana.red to secure a majority at the, legal public ttoad Board meeting by the assistance of his "cousins iind his uncles and his auats ;" and on a previous occasion I believe it passed through the ordeal of the Upper House, Oumgh the then Chairman (latter, h)sq), and the present Chairman also 8 rongly opposed its passage. That the road is and has been used largely by foot passengers as a short cut, no unprejudiced person can deny ; that Mr Jos. Libenu has the road fenced in for grazing and is in peaceful possession is also a fact. Then, why take all this trouble? 'J his is a query which naturally arises. There are hundreds of roads similarly fenced in on the Peninsula which are never travelled, and apparently useless ; yet why single this one out tor stoppage, and thereby deprive the public ot a convenience simply to benefit or satisfy the caprice of a single private individual ? In matters of this kind the utility of the County Council ought to be apparent, were they thoroughly independent and less subservient to Itoad Board influence, as the members of the one body are almost all members of the other ; yet their conduct in this matter will be narrowly watched, as ifc involves a very important public question—viz., the alienation of a portion of the public estate and the deprivation of the traveling public of a convenience for the benefit of a private individual only. Land at this particularly favored Duvacchelle's Bay whenever required, either for cemetery or road purposes, has always commanded fabulous prices, and if with all its bolstering up the Head of the Bay is to be in futuro the important place we are l<. d to believe, why commence by curtailing the public conveniences and facilities of communication as in the present instance ? Surely this must be wrong. Will the County Council multiply the wrong?—l am etc., ECLAT.

Akaroa, Feb. IG, 1880.