THE OCEAN BEACH ROAD.

Evening Star, Issue 3033, 8 November 1872, Page 2

THE OCEAN BEACH ROAD.

The Committee appointed at Wednesday evening’s meeting had an interview with his Honor the Superintendent this forenoon. The Hon. John Bathgate was present, Mr Walcott explained what had been done at tbe meeting, and stated that the object of the deputation was to obtain the assistance of the General and Provincial Governments—the General Government to give a contribution in addition to the money raised by way of subsidy by the district road board ; the Provincial Government to give prison labor to form the road, or supply the necessary metal. The completion of the work would be a great boon to the city. The Ocean Beach was one of the lungs of the city, and if the city was to extend, the want of such an outlet would be much felt. In 18fi!), Mr Duncan, on behalf of the Government, agreed to form the road, free of cost, if the laud could he got to make it a chain wide ; but there was a difficulty at present in getting that, tuough-it might possibly be overcome. Tbe present proposal was to make the road to its present width of half a chain.

His Honor thought it a great pity that the road could not be made a chain wide, A member of the deputation stated that it would take six months to communicate with absentee proprietors. His Honor said that Dr Richardson, who had taken a gn at interest in the matter, had informed him that he had cqmiminicatpd with the absentee proprietors, who had all agreed to give up the required half-chain, lie thought the formation of the road a chain wide a xi/w qua. non of its formation by the Government by prison labor. Mr M‘Jm>ok mentioned that the Public Works Committee of the City Council had resolved to recommend that body to form and metal the road to its full width from the Recreation Ground to Hillside. The Hon. Mr Bathgate said, under the Act the Provincial Executive made such regulations as they thought were applicable to local cases, and power was given to them to make those regulations applicable to the circumstances of each case. The clause read, “And the amount so alloted to each Province shall be divided amongst the several road boards therein in aid of the purposes for which the rates are leviable by such boards in accordance with such regulations and subject to such conditions as'shali bo agreed on between the Superintendent of inch Province acting with the advice of his Executive Council and the Governor. ” So ;hat everything was loft in the hands of the ocal Government. His Honor said he agreed with Mr Bath-

gate’s interpretation of the Act. So far as he was concerned he favored subsidizing subscriptions, no matter by what means the money was raised, so long as it was spent on reproductive works. If he could get the Executive to concur in that view', the d.putation might rely on getting the full share of the subsidy. Regulations w'ould have to be framed under the Act to define the manner iu which the moneys should be expended. The (question of pii-on labour raised this other' question—tluit circumstances h'a'd altered since the promise was made. The Government found it necessary to utilise prison labour to a greater extent. Formerly Dunedin and its neighbourhood had got all the benefit of prison labour, for which the Province was paying ; and the Government was desirous ol giving the rest of the Province the benefit of it by utilising it on reproduce ve works, 'lhe promise was made on condition of the road being a chain wide, and he had no doubt, if that condition could be fulfilled, it would be still given effect to. After further discussion, His Honor said his reply would be that he advised the deputation tp pay in all contributions to the Treasury—the Government did not care whether it was rates or subscuptions ; and if the Executive concurred in his view, which was similar to Mr Bathgate’s, the subsidy would be paid on then} in the same way as on road rates. As to prison labour, ho thought that would be given if the road were made a chain wide. The deputation their withdrew,