ROADS THROUGH NATIVE LANDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 63, 2 April 1880, Page 2

ROADS THROUGH NATIVE LANDS.

TO THB EDITOR OP THE MASJAWATU HEKALD. Sir— l would wish to draw your attention to the following facts. "Facts are stubborn children— they " will na din*." Now, Bir, there is a cart road running from the mouth of the Waikawa Biver close up to the Government, block, and past m y property ; this runs through a Maori reserve marked on the map. lam myself an old settler. lam also conversant with Maori usage dad character. I know that this name road ha* been laid off for a cart road by the natives sinoe 1845. I also know that this road would be a great bxneftt to present, as well as future and intending settlers up this back country, or Government bloak. I, fpr one, in a prqgfmt and a future light am deeply interested in this matter, likewise it will be a present and a future benefit to present and intending settlers. '' ''''.'■ . In this case th 9 natives themselves are offering their labor in lieu of a cash payment, lam told by the Chairman of the Itoad Board, Mr Simcox, that only a balance £3 -in is due to oredit expenditure of my Ward (No. 4) ; but he was not aware if this was correct or not, therefore he offered me the various sumß of £2 and MS to make repairs and improvements in ray Ward, and also upon this road, i refused this liberal offer with thanks*. Now aMr M'Crae, also one of the ratepayers, made a just and fair proposal regarding the mutter in hand, regarding the affair of the TO chains of road, for which the money is required, and he said that he thought £10 would not be too much to do it with, saying " that . he could not see how the natives could object or stop the right-of-way through a reserve." This seemed to me a fair, just, logical and reasonable proposal with regard to my request. Mr Hadfield then tabled a resolution, which was Heoo tided by Dr Hewson, and Mr Sim oox, " That no money should be paid to any of the Wards until the natives would liana over the right-of-way, or road to the county." It is a pity that Mr Hadfield had not tabled that resolution before the Board had spent the money of the Otaki ratepayers upon the lands of the " Native Alsatia," around Otaki, which cost the rate payers in Otaki £15, and is no benefit to them whatever, only in improving native lands. If the Road Board had spent this last-meutioned sum, £45, on the road from the Otaki township to the beach, it would have been a credit to them Now, when any of the ratepayers request to have a road repaired, tho Board passes a resolution not to grant the money until the natives hand over the right-of-road to the Board. But when the Board on their part want any road made or repaired, they do not pass a resolution to ask the natives for a right-of way before completion of the work requested. Why thus spend the money of ratepayers, to improve their lands ': In conversation with an- intelligent ..native, who keeps Mb weather eyo open,' especially in pecuniary matter*, he hinted to me that ninoe tho Road Board had made heavy improvements with the pakehas' money, he valued his land at £50 per acre, and would on no account take less, as he would soon get £100 for it, as he heard that the Board wore going to make further improvements through Otaki native lands by making roads, also a road to Mr Small's farm, and the said Board will have to pay me for gravel also by the load. Now, Sir, can you tell me the use of making rouds over sandy wastes, for this is equal to any Government sinkiug fund, for the money is sunk like the vessels at the mouth of the Otaki Riv*T, and hard to raiso atraiu, and harder still to make ute of as assets to any owner— a " sinking fund " without a balance. Perhaps Mr Hadfield has studied " sinking funds " as well as Government commissions. Commissions ! who so kindly paid us a flying visit as a Railway Commission, and going at railway speed through their work. Now, perhaps, according to arithmetical progression, if a native values an acre of laud at £50 or £100 now, what will its value be when the railway comes ? We should then have to study the sum in the hoiveshoe nails. We have to work in a false quantity to obtain a quotient, as we do in arithmetic, and a bad position it is, more especially with Road Boards in allowing small donations out of funds, which will not meet expeuses incurred in improvements. For the future, as Mr Hadfield has passed this resolution, not to make any improvements in native lands until the natives have handed over the right of road to the county, I will, for. one, keep a Cyclopian eye on the Board's move- I ments, and also make enquiries of the natives if they have handed over the right of roads to the County. I should act in the I manner of Cromwell with the Long Parlia ment, and dissolve the Board, as "an useless bauble," by placing better men in their place, if the wilful expenditure of ratepayers' moneys continues -in this extravagant ratio that is now being done. I am, &c. Tnos. Bevax, Jun. Waikawa, 24 th March.