OTAKI HIGH WAYS BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 92, 13 July 1880, Page 2

OTAKI HIGH WAYS BOARD.

TO TUB BbITOR OF THE MVKAWATU HBBAI.B. Sib,— Feeing in yom isano of Tuesday, 6th July, 18*o; a letter headfid " CH»ki Highwayß Board," and signed by Thos. Kisvao, of W»ii:awa, Imninduped, certAinly t q(friiipht, \uy t%Qßv>os portions np>i ,thin«ij, S 1 h uotice wlint If*el ta'lmt luiscoriHtruotions, if ::ot dowiifi ;ht uutrutbi, c><rtniu!y in the rtbovo named letter. 1 would ask, how many ptnons we O9?er«4 ov«t pader tha

name of Thos. Bevan f Thinking that the public may, from thn persistent attempts of .;r ThoH. Bevan und assistants to damage the Otuki Highways Board, md his motive of iltfeelinif, whioh is, the paving of rates, added to the Board having refused to enter'lain an application of his for a portion of ratepayers' money to assist in making a road from bis homestead through Maori non ratepayers' land, without their having harded over to the Board ih» necessary command over the laud, which said road wus to pass through to meet us he Bfatad the Foxton -Wellington line of road now being constructed, is highly roii'cading. Bpin* CWk t> th- B?nri), I atn quite aw «c that the Board has refused to entertain Dot only..Mtßi>74n'a application for a road, but that they have also refused other applications m general, and in some cases the services required are much more necessary. I must therefore consider that they (the Ttevtfn party) are misconstruing and garb ling the tfotions and motives of the Road Board, which they know in truth is a necessary institution, but not to be directed by the likes of Mr Thos. Bpvbh. I have not much doubt that he ia particularly ready a* a ratepayer to pay rate* and taxeu for Iho Nuppoit of gov.TniQsnt and good order t but at ihe'eame time is would bo wpII if he and others (locally) wonld not act as firebrands an? ids t inflammablo mattor, and disturb an ho. bet's uost -hut. in inelinud to br> at rot Of course there are several kinds of h»rnet9. and varying in thvir moremeuts ana stings' Them would be no ocaneion for my noticing Mr Bevan's letter if it wore like the truth, but it is wt. He- has either misunderstood, or wilfully misconstm< d the natives as to what took place between Mr isimcox, one of tho I toad Committee, und a delegate of the Committee, to the natives conoerned. - -Xsr The facts are ub follows, being from my own knowledge, as acting Interpreter at the time Let it be understood that in the, first plUce the native owners had given over gratis to the Board one chain in width of land for a road leading from the village to the Otaki river, along a Una fixed by themselves, and 'signed an agreement (whioh is present) to th t effect But through there being two ugly .rierht-angle turns in said road, which the Board W«re anxious nhould be cut off, by appointment Mr Sinicox met Rawiri to Wanui, an owner of one of the ugly-angle corners, to endeavour to induce him to allow the corner to be cut off to straiten n most ocooked line, whioh he refused. It was during the consultation, but after Rnwiri te AVauui huviug refused to pajrt with his land fur road purpose*, that s«veral jokes were passed, and during thnt time Rawiri te Wanui and Piwiki te Horohau, an assistant, repudiated their former consent to having mude a free gift; of lttnd to the Road Board for a r md, and added that henceforth they would demand compensation. .Mr Sirrcox ['■ think), findinv the natlveß intractable, gave up hope of obtaining tho laud necessary to tsr-raiten the proposed lino of road ; said in reply, in a joking manner, to some apparently jotting question, (us jokes had been passing all round) that if they obstructed rotid making they would be subject to a fino of £50, and that land for road purposes could be taken by law. Relative to Hoani Taipua's letter, I need not say anything, only as to its* local bearing. In the first place, there has Wen no driving, unless it is towards submission to law and order. It may be necessary on a future occasion to show or state something else when Ho»ini Taipua piovos (or an any rate shews) how or wh;n the Road Board, or any ■of its members, have stated that they will <">r can take nativo land without compensation. The matter is tiresome to mo, but I cannot allow false impressions such as Hoani Taipua's letter conveys, without stating my belief that the Otaki Highways Board has no thought of injuring the Maoris or ftny one el>te in any way, but if possible to co) rect certain advantages which are being taltcn by tho«m whom they (the natives) think to bo th-jir pakeha friends. I reply as to the straying of oattle on •jubiic roads Please allow ma to correct Mr Bovan aa to the power. The Constable has the power* without direction from 'ha Road B-jard, to prevaat trespass and dam age on or to the public roads by-.a^iinqls of any kind, and ia iv duty bound (whi^h he hus done without being told). Whatever aotion the native* uuy take in erecting tollgates, or other obstruction*, the public mu<t thank Messrs Thos. Bevnn & Co. for th?: extra .levy, through their .selfishness, and other Vad fediug. Ido not thinK tho High ways Hoard can prevaut them from* "investing their m«>ney in Dr Buller's bai'k,- if so disposed. I may in v fururt letter sp^ak up in your atriotute (in aub leader) connected with the above' subjeol. I should do i*. now, but cannot for want of time. I am, &0., J. A. Ekocks. Otaki, July 9. 18S0.