Correspondence.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 248, 23 April 1895, Page 2

Correspondence.

MANCHESTER ROAD BOARD. MEMBERS, RATES, RIVERS, AND BRIDGES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — I write to ask ray fellow ratepayers to try and secure a good Board at the election in May next, otherwise we shall be crushed out of existence by heavy rates for damaged bridges, etc. I have every respect, personally, for individual members and officials of the Board, but as a ratepayer I protest against the way in which the ratepayers' money has been squandered in many cases. At the Assessment Court, held at Colyton on the 20th current, I elicited from the Clerk and Engineer of the Board that by cutting across a very narrow neck of land in Mr A. Bell's section the course of the Kiwitea could have been turned and thus prevented a damage of about "A'loo to Forlong's road. Mr Bell was willing to allow this to be done. The Engineer and some members of the Board inspected the said neck of land and it was estimated to cost ioO ! Sir, the channel could havobeen made for less than £5 by an intellegent laborer working at it at high water and allowing the rising waters to do most of the work. In one day's work I have turned the course of the Kiwitea, and Mr Riddiford's manager in two and ahalf hours cut through a neck of land similar to the one I have mentioned in Mr Bell's section. Thus for £5 a sum of .£95 at the least could have been saved. At the Assessment Court above mentioned I also got out in. evidence that £Q0 was paid to the Clerk for assessing the properties in the Manchester Road Board District, and it was shown that in many cases he never put foot on the land, and in my case, after only seeing the front garden, he put on a ridiculously high valuation, which was most justly reduced by the said Court. Such a valuation was a farce and which farce was supported in Court by a solicitor doubtless paid by the Board. Such is the way the money goes. Again, on Forlong's road the Makino stream lias been lately bridged and the Kiwitea is without a bridge, and on the Cheltenham Cross road and Mackay's line the Kiwitea is bridged, but the Makino is not bridged. There is hardly any traffic over the Makino bridge on Forlong's road, whereas there is a great deal of traffic over the Makino on Mackay's line. Such is the way in which money has been thrown away. I am, etc., Gkorge Wilks.