AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 513, 14 June 1881, Page 2

AKAROA AND WAINUI ROAD BOARD.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Mr A. C. Knight's criticism of the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board shows a great amount of animus against that body. Sir K. puts himself forward as a censor and critic, and is also like the proverbial raven when he appears upon the tapis, or the witches in *• Macbeth " dancing around the cauldron, invoking tho spirit of evil, bowling death and destruction to all who will not follow their dictum. But I think, sir, any one who takes up this position should be perfectly clear of censure. Now, let me review Mr X.'s colonial career. I believe I am right that ho was ono of th

early members of the Provincial Council, and continued so until that body was dissolved. But, sir, he always was to tho fore looking after tho crumbs of office. How many thousands he has drawn from the Provincial Treasury for so-called official services he knows best himself. And when Minister, this district knows too well the autocratic manner in which he dealt with it. For instance, take the- Wainui School, fracas, also the Robinson's Bay School, for which school he allowed the grant for building purposes to lapse, and then taxed both the Head of the Bay and Robinson's Bay Is in the £ to erect this building. And why ? Because he wanted to show, when called upon in the Council, what retrenchment he had made, and how much better it was to pay him £600 a year and travelling expenses than have a Board without a salary. But sir, 1 ask you,and Mr K. also, if these remarks are true, is it reasonable that the public should swallow an over dose of patriotism when administered by such hands? Now, sir, for the gentleman's local value after tho dissolution of tho Provinces. An Executive was appointed ; Mr X.—fortunately for himself —was a member, and having purchased some 3000 acres of tussock spurs, known as Lucas's and Wright's Run, ho was enabled, through his office as one of the Executive, to get a grant of £2000 < for this particular Bossu road that he thinks he is giving the Road Board a particular castigation for not finishing. Bui, sir, there was a binding stipulation as to the direction of this road, and where did it lead to ? Mr K. knows. And further, the Road Board have expended nearly £10,000- y of the local funds on this road. But. - this is not all. The main road to Wainui is blocked by slip-panels and gates by this champion; and further, he claims this road, although it was sold by Mr Bell, and the Government paid for tho fencing; and how Messrs Be l l and , Knight can vitiate this transaction will have to be seen. But tho Public Works Act settles the question very summarily. ; Referring to the French Farm Valley road, ; Mr K. had better ask the lessee and agent of French Farm what undercurrent was ; used to capsize the opening of the road. ' and how many fads and requests were brought forward to trammel the work, and i that after a fair and equitable arrangement : had been made with the Board. If Mr K. ] objects to the cattle being upon the roads, ; which, he says, have cost £53,000, why j did ho not come forward and give his Bup- i port when the public meeting was called, j rather than now to try and throw the onus i upon the Road Board, who were then, and ' always must be, governed by the majority < of ratepayers who place them in a position j of trust to conserve their interests and < carry out their wishes ? I agree with Mr i K. in one particular, that County Council < government would be belter, inasmuch as ' it would stop any factious ebullition f through it being supposed to be a more ( 41 stand off the grass " body. The trouble- ( some, twaddling, and litigious ratepayer i would have to approach them with all due j respect and diffidence; but beyond that I i fail to sec any advantage, if we are to \ judge by the County Council antecedents i in carrying out the requirements of the ( county." Reviewing their works after i being some years in office, I find tbat body ! hns spent between £3000 nnd £4000, and ( this has been squandered on mistakes, or j for honorarium and travelling expenses. ( Now, sir, if this style of local government j is to Bupersedo the Road Board, I feel con- ; vincod it will take a better logician than i Mr K. to convince the ratepayers that the exchange would be to their advantage. In conclusion, although Mr K. is an old politician, I fancy he is getting out of , practice, or he would not run full tilt at , this maligned body in such a Quixotic ! manrer, and that without any data or rea \ sonablo ground for his strictures. Having ( been a member of the Road Board for a few years, I feel it both a duty and a ' pleasure to defend that body, in so far as ( my feeble pen is able, and I do this from the reminiscences when a member of the time and trouble each of my colleagues gave for the public weal, and that without travelling expenses and honorariums.—l am, etc., ROAD BOARD.

To the Editor. Sir,—ln your issue of the 7th inst. appears a letter signed A. C. Knight, commenting on what he calls the shortcomings of the Wainui Road Board. Whether this is an impartial criticism and worthy that gentleman 1 will leave the ratepayers to judge. The first portion of the letter refers to the application made by the Board to the County Council to assist in the repairs to the Duvauchelle's Bay and Head of Bay bridges. As these are on the main coach road, bearing the traffic from three ridings, and the funds of the board being inadequate at present to meet the costs of repair, there was no inconsistency in asking the Council to assist in this work, more especially as in the event of their being destroyed that body would have to make them good at a considerable loss to the ratepayers. Mr Knight in an airy manner eviews the failure of the Board to road the French Farm Valley, but by his own showing he proves that they (the Board) V,'4re fully alive to the interests of that portion of the district by getting these roads laid off by the Chief Suiveyor on a fair grade. With regard to the action taken by the Board to get a practicable road through the French Farm property, they endeavored, in the first place, to make an exchange of road for road. This, if it could have been effected, would have been best for all, more especially the French Farm proprietors, as the present line of road passes through the French Farmhou.e; but the difficulties surrounding this course were so great, owing to the entail nature of the tenure, that the Board was forced to relinquish that project, and fall back upon the Public Works Act. This they strictly conformed to, but were thwarted by the Government withholding their sanction to its completion, without any ostensible reason. Thus the matter stands at present. With regard to the Mt. Bossou road diversion through Mr Rhodes' property, at the request of the Board that gentleman consented to exchange road for road. This necessitated the'etdppage of the old road—which by the ordinary course took some time to effect —but since the papers were returned from Wellington the Board has done its best to have this matter settled, and it remains to have the deed signed to complete what A. C. Knight calls "the futile and spasmodic attempt of tho Board." While upon this subject perhaps it will not be our place to review the action taken in a similar case. Tho Provincial Government negotiated tho .light to make a road through tho Tekau Bay

property, agreeing to the terms to be paid, and practically took possession by fencing it on both sides and forming the same. It was generlly understood by outsiders, that the price agreed upon besides fencing was to be ten pounds per acre, and it will be conceded that this was a fair value at that time. Bat unfortunately before the purchase money was paid, Provincialism became a thing of the past, and in the attendant disorder occasioned by the change of Governments the records ot this transaction were lost. When the old Provincial claims were submitted to the Government this was included in the list, and adjudicated upon by the commissioner, the result of which is every way unsatisfactory to the district; " not only in the value of the award itself," but in the manner in which the Public Works Act, and the local public body has been ignored in this matter. The relative quantity of land given in exchange is very much in excess of tbat taken, and an injustice has been done by stopping roads without appealing to the ratepayers concerned. In addition to this, the present proprietor has the assurance to fence the road exchanged across in several places, entailing considerable trouble and annoyance to tho travelling public. The writer then refers to the main road maintenance opining that the work is creditably done. If we gauge this opinion with the result of that gentleman's efforts during his ministerial term of office in the last Provincial days it will not be difficult to judge of its value. He ventures the puerile remark, that the cattle are doing be3t to keep the road in repair ; the 'Unfairness of this sneer will be_ apparent when it is remembered tbe action lately

taken by the Board to prevent damage by straying stock. At the meeting called to consider this question—A. C. Knight was conspicious by his absence. Under these circumstances ordinary good sense should have entailed silence upon this point. I may also state that for the last fifteen years the roads have been kept in a very fair state of repair, and it would have been time enought to complain when this was neglected. Perhaps the fact of the Board being able to conduct its business without the. assistance of this local Solon has had something to do with his iritable remarks. Mr K. then goes on to say that there is

little to show for the large amount expended. I may remind him that works like the Mount Bossu Road swallow up large sums of money in their formation, and when he considers the comparatively useless position of this road, even to the Wainui people, the district has cause to complain of the action taken by him during his term of office against the wishes of tho residents, who advocated what bave been a cheaper and more useful line of road—l refer to the one by way of the Wainui Pass. As the matter stands at present the Mount Bossu Road will be an extremely expensive one to keep in repair, owing to slips etc., and it only opens up a few holdings. With regard to the Board incurring fnrther liabilities these will be met by current rates and there is no need to fear on this head, as they are keeping well within their means ; and the present difficulty of meeting its engagements would cease if the rates due were in hand. So we can at present leave the necessity of striking a special rate to the fertile imagination of Mr A. C. Knight, who I feel assured will find some difficulty in indue-

ing a sufficient number of ratepayers to assist in throttling the Poor old Road Board " out of its mherable existence " at the present time. Refering to the mergance of any Road Board into the County Council this at present would be very embarassing to that body, as they are not in a position to strike a rate this year, and it will absorb most of the expected revenue to meet their current engagements, with the Hospital, Charitable Aid, and other incidental expenses. Not wishing to trespass further on your valuable space. I am, etc.— * DAYLIGHT.

To the Ekiioj,. Sir, —I quite agree with Mr Knight tha it is about time the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board ia wiped out. As for all the work they do, or business they transact it is 3imply a farce. This is about the procedure of business. Ratepayer calls and interviews Board ; explains what is wanted retires. Korero by Board. Reply.—" Clerk will visit and report," or " Board have no fundß to spend just now. You may get the job done and pay for it and when we are in funds, you can look to us for it." A truly nice way of doing business! I should suggest to Ned that he give up the ghost. He has the Chappel to die in, and the Stone to cover him, on which can be en graved his Inst poem, written by a certain pedagogue, not 100 miles from Mount Beggary. I have no doubt the other members of the Board will follow his remains, and I am sure the King of Balguerie Road will act as chief mourner. I am, etc. — RATEPAYER.