MUSH-DISCUSSED ROADWAY.

Otaki Mail, 16 August 1922, Page 3

MUSH-DISCUSSED ROADWAY.

! COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH I MATTIiH.

COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH MATTER. Major Tatum, pi" Manakau, wrote the Horowlienua County Council on Saturday to reconsider the taking ol portion ol his land i'or a public road, at the request oi Mr R. Bevan. He was puzzled, he said, by the statements made that a bridge estimated to cost £IOOO was reiiune.i io enable Mr Bevan to gain access to his seclion, lie called on Mr. Bryant and learned that the inspecting councMlors had not been anywhere near the place used by Mr Bevan to get to nis land. Mr Bevan already had a good level access, which he had been using i'or some time past. The formation of the road and cart tra-ck to the lord was mostly over hard shingle land, and was used ai! the year round by settlers living at the back oi Mr lievan's section. A light gig, trap or motor car could he driven without iron hie right up to Mr Bevan's gate. At( present .several were using this road and lord to cart heavy loads oi firewood. On Sunday- last a number oi ratepayers went to see for themselves whether a bridge costing £IUOO was necessary to give access to Mr Bevan's land, and surprise was ex- , pressed that lie should endeavour to force a way through private land j when lie already had such a good approach to his section. The writer said I lie was informed by Mr G. Bevan, who was one of ttie trustees in the estate, that the right oi way and the area fronting the main road were given to Mrs Henry Bevan in exchange for some land at the back, and was for her sole use. Major Tatum pointed out that any money spent in improving the existing road would be a benefit to Ihe settlers who were now using the same, and made it unnecessary to take his property lor road purposes. He was sure neither Mr [levari or the Council would like any ui the land close to their dwellings taken couipulsorily when a much better road was already in use. The writer attached a plan or the locality, setting out the present outlet, and the proposed one which Mr Bevan was seeking. He would be pleased to show councillors over the routes at anytime. Messrs. Park and Adams, solicitor-. Levin, lorwarded the memorial which was to be sent on to the GovernorGeneral in connection with the land which it was proposed to take to give Mr Bevan access through Major la turn's property anil us-.ked lhal same be executed at Saturday's meeting. The chairman (Cr. .Monk"' staled thai in company with Cr. Bryant and the Engineer, he inspected the property on Friday. B*' the route that Mr Bevan was' asking for it would only necessitate taking a piece of land a chain wide througli an acre ol ground to connect up with the existing right-of-way, but the alternate route suggested by Major Tatum would not only necessitate a much more lengthy road, about 50 chains, but tite erection of a bridge over the Waikawa River. The position, said the chairman, was that when Major Tatum bought the land lie must have known of the right-of-way to Mr Bevan's. and the Council must give Mr Bevan a, ce-s The Council could do that by taking a piece a chain wide through an area of an acre. By the other way the bridge would have to be built m a cost oi £IOOO. He could not sec any

other way put. of it. j Cr. McL-eavey: Ts there any option» j The chairman: No. r r nrvant supported the chairman s report on the inspection of the routes. Cr. llai-kne-ss considered there waonlv one way of dealing with the matter, and that was by giving Mr Bevan the access to which he was entitled. On the motion of Cr. McLeavey, seconded by Cr. Harkness, it was deciclod xi'-st the memorial re taking land through Major Tatum's property he smned bv the chairman and Cr. Bryant, and'sealed with the seal of the Council •