VINCENT COUNTY ROADS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1136, 8 February 1884, Page 3

VINCENT COUNTY ROADS.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir,— On the 14th oif January, 1884, I addressed a letter to the, Vineeut County Chairman, calling his attention to the state of certain roads in Spottis Hundred, and pointing ont that the settlers had to repair this road (north side of Sections 27, and 28, Block III) every year themselves, and that at the present time thistles was growing on it fully Cft high ; full of large holes, and the centre generally from 5 to 12 inches below the sides, and praying on behalf of myse f and others interested that it be repaired ; and also pointing* out that the L 45 voted by the Council for the constriction of a road between Section 29 and 30 was money thrown away, as it was not required, neither was it asked for. On the 29th January I received a letter from, the County Cl rk, stating that he was directed by the County Chairman to acknowledge the receipt of my letter, and to inform me that my application to the Council should have been made through the member for the riding ; thereby shelving the matter. With your permission, I will state my reasons for making the application through the Chairman, rather than throngh the member for the riding, and then point ont some of the hardships we sailer in the matter of roads. I have made repeated applications to the Council through our member (the last 13 months since), with the result that we have always bad to do what work was required on it ourselves for the last three years. In 1879 I pat on a man to ent the thistles from off this road, and fill in the large holes to make it passable, at a cost of L 8 sterling, the Council paying L2. leaving me to pay the lion’s share, L 6 ; and this, too, when they had funds in band from the D.P Lands to repair this and other roads in the Hundred. There is also another road in the Hundred that I drew the Council’s attention to, it’s the main one from Blacks to Devonshire. T he portion between Mr Bell’s fences is under water all the year round. About 5 years since the county built a bridge at this point over the Tinkers Slndge Channel, cost about L2OO. A short time after it was completed the miners at Tinkers all started to work on a Monday morning with a full supply of water_ from their races and dams, the accumulation of Sunday, which proved too much for the bridge, as it washed it clean away several yards down the channel. It was allowed to remain there some time when the Council had it broken up and carted to Blacks, where, it remained a very long time in store, the County's engineering skill in those days net being equal to a bridge over a sludge channel R-ferring back to the road covered with thistles— This is the direct one from junctionof Dunedin main road to pre-emptive right and Tinkers, andin daily use, bad and all as it is, 1 would ask what can be the object of the Council in laying out L 45 on a road that is not required and not asked for, and refusing to make or improve a road that is actually required and in dailv use, and is being continually brought under the notice of the Council through the member of the riding and also the Chairman. I have always looked on the County Chairman, so to speak, as a father to the Council, and a gentleman that any ratepayer could prefer a request, or complaint; in fact that he is the representative of each and every riding by virtue of his office, and as such the Council could be approached through him, more particularly when tho member for the riding fails to get yonr wants attended to. In conclusion I would ask why Cr. Stronaoh was not in his place when my letter was read before tho Council.—l am, kc, John Cole Chapple. Allandale, sth February, 1884.