PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1350, 15 June 1872, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY. JUNE 12. The Council met at 3 o’clock-p.m. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Petition. Mr Dolbel presented a petition, signed by 85 natives. The petitioners ■complained of the evil conduce of Mr B. Towgood, a settler, in fencing up an ancient native track, which had been in use from time immemorial, whereby they were occasioned great inconvenience. They set forth that they had hitherto restrained their passions, and refrained from pulling down the fences of this bad European, but that it was in the hope of redress from the Council. Petition read, received, and ordered to be printed. Papers. His Honor laid on the table a Return of Householders unable to pay the Education Rate ; also a return of Dogs Registered during the year, which showed that 850 of these animals had been duly registered. Mr Dolbel’s Petition. Mr Colenso moved—“ That a Select Committee be appointed to consider and report upon the, petition of Philip Dolbel, to consist of Messrs Rhodes, Tiffen, Tanner, Kennedy, M aney, and the mover. Report to be brought up on the first sitting day after the H-th instant.” , Agreed to. Ripia Valley Road. Mr Tiffen moved That a select Committee be appointed to take evidence and report as to practicability of a line of road for wheel traffic from Napier to Tanpo plains via Wharerangi, Puketitiri, and the Ripia Valley. Such committee to consist of Messrs Buchanan, Dolbel, Tanner, Maney, and the mover.” The proposed line would be of great valno; the expense would not be great; and it would have the effect of opening up the Puketitiri bush. In case of the discovery of a payable goldfield inland, this would be the main line of traffic. Agreed to. Dray-road to Wairoa. Mr Lee mo ved—“That his Honor the Supeiintendenr be requested to obtain a report as to the practicability of a good dray road between Petane and A airoa in lien of the present track.” 11 was not possible that a good road could ever be marie to Wairoa by the present track; but by going up the Petane valley, and through Condie’s run, a good inland route could be found, level as far as the Mohaka river. The Wairoa river being so bad, it was not necessary for him to dwell upon the advantage of a good road to Wairoa, available for heavy traffic, and by which a light buggy could travel the whole route in one day. A dray road from Wairoa to Poverty Bay would be completed in a year or two, and if this other work was also undertaken, we should before long have a good road all through. The undertaking being one of general importance to the Island, he thought some assistance might be looked for from the General Government. Mr Dolbel supported the motion. From liL knowledge of the country he could confirm the remarks of the member for the Town. If the proposed road was made, the old one would still continue to be used as a bridle-track, being fourteen miles shorter. Col. Lambert was well acquainted with the proposed route, and would support the motion. Agreed to. Te Ante Road Toll-gate.. Capt. Russell, in moving the second reading of this Bill, said it was almost a transcript of the old Toll-gate Act, and he was confident that, if carried out, it would prove a financial success. Experience had shown that a toll was the. fairest inode of obtaining revenue, inasmuch as it made those who derived the benefit from roads pay the cost of their maintenance, From calculations based upon the traffic, he believed that the net annual result of the toll would be £SOO. The Moaiiee settlers paid

toll for a journey of nine or ten miles, and he thought it only fair that a man who travelled 30 or 40 miles on a good road should pay two tolls. Mr Colenso quite agreed that the system of tolls was lair in principle. His principal ground of opposition to the old Toll-gate Bill was that the site was not suitable; he should have preferred a gate at each of the two bridges. But he would ask the Council -if this was a fitting time to bring forward a measure which would so greatly affect the natives—a time when the discontent among them was showing itself O O' plainly enough to cause serious anxiety. Pakipaki, where it was proposed to erect this gate, was a native district, and it was in this district that Maori meetings had lately been held to consider the subject of re-possessing themselves of the lands they had dealt with. Years ago, it was a work of difficulty to persuade the natives to allow this same Te Ante road to be made through their land, Moananui and others said that when the road was made the Mamies would he taxed for 1 ravelling upon it, and they were assured that this would never occur. The Maoris would not come before the Council with a petition to state their grievances; they would do worse—brood over them in their whares, and talk of them at their meetings. At Pakipaki now, we were told, they Lad both an Upper and Lowoi Chamber in session. He would recommend the mem her for the Country Distiicts to withdraw his Bill. Mr Lee would support the Bill. At. present people might travel to Meanee from any part of the country toll-free. There was much force in what his colleague had said about the natives ; but if it wa* provided that payment of toll at one gate should clear the other, he did not think they would be greatly affected. Mr Sutton would support the bill as it stood. He could not agree with his colleague (Mr Colenso ) It would be no hardship to the Pakipaki natives, and it was clear that the road could not be maintained except by direct taxation. Mr Ormond said the present traffic past the 19th mile post—the site of the proposed gate—would yield about <£4so per annum, from which must be deducted £l2O or £l3O for the maintenance of the gate. To the returns might be added another £350 from the timber traffic during next year ; but he would he exceedingly sorry to see this i em raised, as it would give an undue advantage to other Provinces. From the tenders already received by the Government, it was plain that we must be satisfied with lower lates than we now obtained for timber, or the trade won hi pass into of hoi hands. He thought this subject had better be left in abeyance. By the end of another } r ear the i ail way to Pakipaki would be approaching completion, which would greatly affect the traffic on present lines of road. Mr Tifpen said the arguments which had been advanced by his Honor the Superintendent and by the men.her for the Town (Mr Colenso) were quite sufficient. He would oppose the Bill. Mr Kinross would oppose the Bill. Under the circumstances described by the member for the Town (Mr Colenso) it would be very impolitic. Col. Lambert agreed with the principle of tolls, and admitted that it must be still further extended ; but he would recommend the Council to wait till next year. Mr Bridge agreed with the principle of the bill, but did not think it prudent under existing circumstances. Mr A’ Deane moved that the Bill be read this day six months. Capt, Bussell would certainly oppose the amendment. The principle had been admitted on all sides to be a good one ; and ho differed entirely from his Honor as to the return* to be expected. Too much weight had been given to the argument as to the serious effect of the proposed measure on the native mind. They made so much use of bye-ways that it would only very slightly affect them. As for the timber trade, the sea voyage and attendant expenses should be a sufficient protection to local inuustry. But it was evident that the Council was against him. The amendment was affirmed on a division, and the BUI shelved,

Napier Harbor Bridge, Mr Routledge moved the second reading of this Bill. He reviewed the history of the project, which was originated by the late Captain Carr. The importance of the work had been repeatedly urged upon the General Government ; but their reply had always been that they considered it a provincial undertaking. The matter would have been brought before the Council last session, but his for Honor’s statement that there were no funds avail able. Meilfchers were all aware what a difficult crossing it was to the Western Spit ; horses couM not cross at ebb-tide, and on that account passengers were often delayed five or six hours. On the occasion of the Mohaka massacre, the Militia and Volunteers might have been on the spot in time, and have done essential service, but for the marry- hours delay at the ferry. No further back than yesterday, the very high wfad prevailing made it a matter 1 rof great difficulty and danger to cross, and passengers were delayed for hours on each side. The crossing was always attended with danger to inexperienced men,, three of whom had been drowned some--18 months ago;, and even the ferryman,, notwithstanding his skill and experience, had twice been canied out amongst the breakers and capsized, narrowly escaping with his life. Cattle and sheep bound for the northern districts, instead of being brought through the town and across, the harbor, were invariably driven by a circuitous route via Pekapeka, about 30 miles ’round. An opportunity would be afforded by the proposed bridge to the Petane settlers to bring their produce to market; as it was, it often remained on the Western Spit till it was spoiled. There was great risk,, too,, in punting wool over; and lie was acquainted with instances in which it had been, damaged, by salt water in crossing the entrance,, whereby serious loss had been occasioned. The bridge would al«o greatly facilitate the carriage of railv ay timber from the Pohui Bush. After the expenditure of thousands of pounds on the Taupe line, surely something should he done to connect Napier with this, great trunk road. As it was,, gentlemen travelling, instead of reaching Tara wera in one day, were frequently so delayed at the crossing as not to. lie ableto get beyond Te Haroto, Several estimates had been ghen of the cest of the work. The most favorable was by Mr Wright, formerly Provincial Engineer in this Province. He offered tobuild the bridge, with iron bark piles,, which would last from 20 to 30 years, for .£6,000, or £2,500 cash, with a 21 years’ lease of the tolls. A similar bridge, with iron screw piles, he would build for £3,500, with a 21 yeais’ lease of the tolls. He (Mr Boutledge) believed it would bo cheapest to raise the whole sum required, and take over the bridge when finished. The present traffic, he believed, would yield £SOO per annum, and this amount would annually increase, thus being amply sufficient both for interest and sinking fund. A gentfeman owning properly in the Petane valley was prepared to lay out a township, on a good site, as soon as this work was undertaken. Mr Kinross seconded the motion. There was already a large traffic to the clistiic.t, which was rapidly increasing in importance. He considered the bridge, as a speculation, would pay. Mr Rhodes thought the cardinal point for consideration was whether the bridge would bo in the way of •st earners or sailing vessels in the harbor. Mr Routledge explained that it it would not. Jt would start from the beacons, and follow the line of telegraph poles to the other side, at a point about 200 yards beyond Benkers’, the water being shallow all the way. Mr Rhodes continued. There was one more point. The member for the country District (Mr Tilfen) bad proposed a line of road through the Ripia valley, which he said was a better route than the one by Petane. The road might do away with the necessity for a bridge. Mr Sutton would support the bill,, believing that the bridge was that it would pay, and that ifr would improve tho harbor. Even if the Ripia valley road was commenced, it could not be finished under two years.

Mr Lee would support the bill, which lacked very well on to his own motion for a dray road to Wairoa. It would assist in opening up the important district of Tanpo, and the producing districts of Mohaka and Wairoa ] and would form part of the future trunk line to 4uckland. Mr Dolbel would support the motion. He had asked the Government in 1865 for an estimate of the cost of a bridge, and they replied, £30,000. That was the way with the Government ; if they did not w ish a particular work to be undertaken, they gave an extravagant; estimate as to its cost. Mr Colexso raised certain technical objections to the bill. The terminus of the bridge, as at present; laid out, yould affect the old custom house reserve on the Western Spit, as well as the reserve known as Meanee Quay. He had always been of opinion that the bridge was wanted ; but thought it should be from the Western Spit to Battery Point, instead of the circuitous route proposed. He thought the time had not yet come for this work; and when it was finished the Council would find themselves called upon, year by year, for grams to roads beyond. He objected to a bill of this kind—in reality a Government measure —being brought forward by a private member —it would not be tolerated in a larger assembly. Mr Ohmond would vote for the second reading, though he should wish to see several alterations made in committee. Before a work of this kind could be undertaken, there were many points into which the General Government would require to make strict inquiry ; such as the maimer in which it would affect the flow of water, and the navigation of the Harbor generally. Mr Routledge having replied, the motion was agreed to, and the bill read a second time. The Council then adjourned till 7.30 p.m. (To be continued in our next.)