THE OTAKI HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 90, 6 July 1880, Page 2

THE OTAKI HIGHWAYS BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR OP THK MANAWATU HKRALD Sib,— Last March iho <>taki Highways Board passed a 'resolution 'that- the Bo,i*d w-iuld u->t make any roads iv Otaki on native land-:, till tho natives would agree to hand o«*er the land for the right of road,. Sir. this was the guarantee the Board gave

6 the r.-opayeVl.—iatSnr 1 money should not he wasted on native land's. Now I find the Committee appointed by the Boird to aran^e frith the natives re rood to Otaki iSiverm-^Ko. 3 Line, have been to the sjativflifi and told thorn tho Board is gliW. tq ma»e a road .on this line. Tho natives told them they would not allow them to make the road on No. 3 Lino. Mr Siraoox hen told them if t^iey interfered he would summon the_i and fine them £60. Now, Sir, this is not waiting till the natives hand over the I— td for a right of road when they ire told if they interfere they will be sumnoned and fined £50. This is forcing the road without the consent of tho natives, and acting quite contrary to the resolution that •waa^pas*ed" by the ""Board. Now, what guarantee Wiethe ratepayer* have for their money f .They will have* none, and the natives can stop the ratepayers from using the road. Then ifc would cost the Board more money than they have on hand to get legal ooMsession of the roads, and the ratepayers' money would be spent in lawsuits; and if bhe Board attempts . carry out this line of road without consent of the natives, they will deserve to be immediately driven from the positions they now hold. Sir, there is another illegal step the Otaki Highways ' Board has taken. They have iiithorised the'.Conatable to take proceedings against the natives and all owners of cattle runnin? within tho Otaki Highways Dis* . ict- . This step is now provoking the natives iv the district, and will causa a good deal of trouble. The native* say if they are i summoned for their stook they will put up «. tollgate, and if so there will be another heavy burden the Otaki Highways Board will have brought on the settlers of Otaki and all thef public. Now the question is, where are the Highways roads in Otaki, for thero are only two roads in Otaki, the Wellington road, and the road .leading np to the Foxton Otaki road, and they belong •to the natives. The" Road Board never made them. The Otaki Road Board has a- it got legal possession of one road in Otaki, atid now they are taking proceedings .tgainst the natives for their cattle running oa th j ownois 1 land and roads— and which wili bring on lawsuits between the Board and the native. The natives say they will give the question into Dr. Buller' s hands, jf so, the ratepayers' money may be invested in Dr. Buller' a Bank, instead of the Bank of New Zealand. The sooner the ratepayers take steps to abolish the Otaki Highways Board the better, and then we could be under one County Council, -.nd all we should want the County to do f»r us in Otaki is to keep 'ho two roads in repair,— that is, the Wellington Road, and the road loading up to the Foxton-' >taki road. 3ir, I would feel much obliged to you, if you will inform us ratepayers the course to take to abolish the Highways Board in Otaki. Apologising for the length of this letter, I I am, &0., Thos. Bevan, June. Waikawa, Juno 2, 1880. [We will reply to our c orrespondent _ query in next issue. — Ed. M. Hbkald.]