The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1894. GATES ON ROADS.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 44, 30 November 1894, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1894. GATES ON ROADS.

The question of erecting gates across roads is one that has been the source of great trouble in most country districts. Local Bodies have been in the habit of granting permission to erect gates, but travellers contended that they were not bound to shut such gates after passing through, and sometimes settlers took the law in their own hands, and removed such obstructions. In the Public Works Act passed last session the matter is dealt with, and authority is given to local bodies to grant permission on the following conditions, contained in section 118, which says : Permission to erect a swing gate across any road shall not be granted unless and until after notice of any application in that behalf shall have been given at least once in each of two consecutive weeks in some newspaper circulating in the district, and the cost of all such notices shall be defrayed by the person applying for such permission. Sub-section 2of Section 120 provides that the local body shall have power to make by-laws providing penalties for leaving any such gate open, or for damaging the same. Subsection 3, of Section 120 provides that “ every person damaging any such gate, or any fence authorised to be erected across any part of a road, shall be liable to the person or body authorised to erect such gate or fence, or at whose cost it shall have been agreed that such gate shall be erected and maintained, in like manner, and any such gate or fence shall be deemed to be the property of such last-mentioned person.” It is also provided that the local body may order the removal of such gate at any time without being liable for any compensation to the owner thereof.