HICKFORD'S LINE OF ROAD.

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

HICKFORD'S LINE OF ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MAJJAWATU HEItAf.D. Sib,— lt is with reluctance that I find myself necessitated to ask you kindly to allow me space once more for a few remarks re Mr Sanson' a letter of the 23rd inst., as his statements therein are auoh as I cannot allow to go unchallenged. He anys it is not to much for the sake of his reputation ns from ft desire to correct several of my statements that he wrote his letter. Now, although it is certainly very oandid of Mr Suuson to tell us he does not care touch for his reputation, I can scarcely [ believe him, as, to all who have studied this Hickford's line question, it will bo patent I that he considered his reputation infinitely more thun his interest when he asked for £600 to be spent in forming and metalling v small pieoe of road opposite his own see tion, while all the other roads in the Settlement might languish. I have been informed by several people that he told them he wished to get this expenditure in order that he might sell his sections at a profit, but no doubt this is a mistake, as, when I spoke to Mr Sanson about it the other day, he said it was not true. Be that us it may, I as a ratepayer protest against spending so largo a portion of the races lavishly on favoured places, even if in front of a Councillor's section. In connection with Jones' line, if Air Sanson really said what he tells us, it is very remarkable that a reporter should have so misstated it. Your correction, Mr Editor, places him in a far worse position regarding the truth, for Mr Campbell never by any chance uses Banks' Line, which is solely used by the settlers, and is a very important road to them. I will pass rapidly over his remarks re Mr Carnpbell, having prptoue3 to ; {nake, roads, as I think that point is settled by his own confession. In his speech at the Council he stated that the Hon. B. Campbell had promised to make roads, and now he acknowledges that he was simply told, not promised, and that by Air Dawson instead of Mr Campbell. He is wise to charge even that to an Absentee. Were Mr Dawson

brre, it is possible he might give us a differ* ent version. , - • .; Again, afc»n#llier«Xftmple of Mr Sanson' « weathercock propensities, we Drill compare the following statements. In his speMR, at the Council he said : " Although Mr Ganipbell had disposed of the land, he was aiilf interested in it, for, it beiusr on deferred payment, a great deal was certain to fall Uttok tfpon hirt hands." And now in hid letter he says, ho hiut no doubt that it was intended to complete the formation of Jonei' and Hiokford's roads, but the last section being sold (therefore our interest at an end) there was no farther need on my part to carry on these «voiks. Can you, Mr Editor, understand how a man can make such contradictory statements?— but, I beg Mr Sanson'a pardon — perhaps there is a mistake on the part of the reporter — or bit the printer this time ? And now, as regards the rates * My remarks were based upon the statements Mr Gower made ut the last meeting of the Council, that his reason for asking the expenditure of £300 was that the Campbell town settlers had increased the rates in his riding to the extent of £300, and as Mr Santfon seconded the motion for the expenditure, it is but reasonable to suppose that be ooinoided with Mr Gower's statement. In his letter, however, he tells us quite a different story, making out now that the rates and subsidies per annum only amount to £120. If this ia really the case, how is it that this Champion of the Public, who does nothing for his own interest, wishes to spend the rates for the next two years and more in front of hi* own section when half the amount would be sufficient ? We will, however, review Mr Sanjon'ri calculations, and see how correct he is. To show the relative amount of rates and expenditure, he predits tue settlement with' the rates and subsidies for two years, and debits it with the expenditure for three, besides charging it with money spent on the Featherston Block, for,' although. Mr Sanson may think he knows more about the settlement than I do, I beg to inform him that the whole of the £110 which he says was spent on the settlement, wan spent outside of it, on that portion of the road running through the Featherston Block towards Waitohi. Now, as he has debited the settlement with the expenditure of three years, it will be but fair to credit it with the rates fur the same period. Taking Mr Sausou'd own figures, we have for the rate* of the County for tho last two years, with subsidy, £210 ; to this we will add this year's County rates aad subsidy, £120, and also the Highways rates and subsidies for the three years, which we will put down at £330, although I believe they are more, and we have a total of £660. The expenditure against this, according to Mr Sanaon, afte^, deducting the amount spent on' the Featherston Block, is £450 ; deduct this from tho rates and subsidies, and we have a credit balance to the settlement of. £110. If to this we add the rates and subsidies of the Douglas Block for the three years, we should have a credit of about £1550. I think the above is sufficient to show that the settlement and the Douglas Block have not received a fair equivalent for their rates. Tlie next fallacy we come to is Mr Sanson's statement that I said the laud was sold at £2 per acre. If Mr Sanson refers to uiy letter, he w II And that I said nothiag of the sort. What I said vas, not thufc the price of his section was Jt'2 per acre, but thut the minimum prioe of the luud in the block was £2 per acre. If Mr Sanson will take tho trouble to call here, I shall be most happy to show . him the account sales of the Block, and A^i give him any oilier information he may require in connection therewith, so as to prevent him rushing into print with imaginary , statements gleaned from maps, and so forth ; and as to Mr Sanson's concluding remarks, if he considers himself the impersonation of Sandon, I certainly do not, lor with all due deference to him, I should be inclined to believe there are us good men as himself in that district, and as I have never uttered one word either for or against tho Saudon people, I cannot see what right ho has to try and drag them into this dispute. I think I have now said sufficient to explain matters, uvd although it m»y suit men like Mr Sanson to keep themselves prominently before the public, I have other things to attend to. I am, &b.» J. M'Lenxan. Oroua Downs, March 29, 1880.