HICKFORD'S LINE OF ROAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 60, 23 March 1880, Page 2

HICKFORD'S LINE OF ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR OV TJIK MAXAWATU HEKALD. Sir,— lt is less through concern for mv own reputation than from a desire to correct several statements contained iv Mr M'Lennau's letter of the 12th instant, that I venture to ask for space in your columns for a few remarks. Tho Herald's report of tho last Council

meeting is not correct wherein it makes me say that Jones' line of road was never used by settlers, and that its formation would only benefit the Hon It. Campbell's land. What I did say was that Jones' road was bounded on one side by the settlement block, and on the other by Mr Campbell's property, and that it is less u.sed by settlers than some other roads in the block, and that tike formation of Jones' line would benefit Mr Campbell more than the formation of any other road in that district. I also said that when Douglas & Co. advertised said land for sale the advertisement said there would bo a {rood dry road made to each section, and although I have not a copy of said notice before me, I belieyo that it did contain such statement. I did not say that the agreement itself contained a paragraph to that effect, but when I purchased my sections Mr Dawson told me that he would form Hickford's and Jones' lines right through, and that the other road would be cleared level with the surface of the ground. In fact, Hickford's line was partly formed at the time, and several contracts were let afterwards, some of which were let by Mr M Lennan, and I have no doubt that it was intended to complete the formation of these two roads, but when the last section of the special settlement was sold there was no further need to carry on these works so far as Mr M'Lennan was concerned, lint roads are of vital importance to the settlers, in fact it is a question of life or death to the settlement scheme. Mr M'Lennan says that he would have continued the formation of Hiokford'sroad, but for the action of Mr Sanson, "as he with the other memtei of the Council levied a shilling rate and spent the money so raised olsewhere." lam sorry that Mr M.Lenuan should have written such statements, because they are utterly at, variance with truth. It is well known that I did all in my power to keep the rate down to Gd in the £, so that the levying at the rate of Is was not ray act. What are the facts of the case ? Let us see. The County rates from the Douglas Block only amount to about £00 per annum at Is in the £ ; add the subsidy, and you have JLV>) for this yem-. The year before last the rate was only fid in tho £, and the revenue was about £00, including subsidy, making a total revenue for the two years of about .-£'2lo. Now for what has been laid out on the Douglas Block from County revenue during these two years. Last year there was a vote of I'l-iO for Jones' line, and £110 for the road leading from Campbelltown to Wnitohi. This year the Council voted £:100 to be laid out on Hickford's line : total, £oGO ; giving the Settlement Block £ 110 more than twice its revenue, without deducting anything for working expenses for the two years. So much then for Mr M'Lennan's statement that the settlers' money has been spent elsewhere. Wich reyard to the price at which the land was sold, Mr M'Lennan states that i' cost 1-s fid per acre purchase money, and that improvements were nvide upon it, and that it was then sold for £2 per acre on deferred payments. If that is true, I am very glad to be informed of it, because I understood that I was to pay £3 iO.s per acre for mine, and am informed that as much as £G 10s per acre was paid for several of the sections, and the lowest price per acre marked on the map which I saw was ,42 10s, except for a few sections of the detached portion of 1400 acres, which is not so good in quality. I believe the average price at which the land was sold is about £3 ]-3s per acre, which, when it is all paid, will yield a return of £2G,-250. I may. with your permission, have something to say at a future time relative to the cost of land, and amount spent on improvements. In conclusion, I would inform Mr M'Lennan that the settlers of Sandon know more of the history of the Douglas Settlement Block than he does, and will not allow sum statements as are contained in the latter part of hid letter to pass unchallenged. I am, Sec, Hexuy Sanson. •Sanson, March 19th, 18s0. [Mr Sanson is certainly right that an error crept into our report of his speech. Ho was reported to have said — " The line Mr .M'Lennan wanted made -Jones' line — would benefit only Mr Campbell, as none of the settleis ever used it." Instead of the parenthetical clause " Jones' line," the report should have road, " the road running from Jones' road through Campbelltown, and joining the road from .Mount Stewart." That was the road Mr M'Lennan " wanted made," according to his letter. Our reporter, being unacquainted with the names of road lines in the district, inisreported Air Sanson in this particular. The report, was of course very much condensed ; nevertheless, our reporter has no recollection whatever of Mr Sanson saying what he reports himself as having said regarding Jones' line, nor even referring to that road.— En. M. Hekai.oJ