MR GANE AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 399, 12 February 1879, Page 2

MR GANE AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

(To the Editor of the Pate a Mail.) Sir,—ln a recent issue of the Patea Mail appeared certain correspondence between the Patea County Council and the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer re Wbakamara deferred payment monies for road-making purposes, for the benelit of tire selectors, wherein it was stated by the chairman of the Council, ’‘.That Mr Gane had intentionally misinformed the Colonial Treasurer re deferred payment monies, and that (lie Comity Council had done everything to assist the deferred selectors.” To tire above statement I replied, that I had neither intentionally or inadvertently misinformed the Colonial Treasurer upon any one point in connection with the subject. 1 will now lay before the public a few facts, and allow them to judge who has misinformed the Colonial Treasurer.

On the I'iih June, 1878, we bought the laud and paid the ihst instalment. I waited on (lie Hawera Load Board at their first meeting, and asked them to expend from £ls to £2O, to construct a bridge a ul clear a track through the-bush, so as to enable us to get on our land, which wo are compelled to reside on, ami make certain improvements within six months. The Board was quite willing to expend the amount, but had not tiio funds in hand, so wo agreed to advance the money, the Board to repay us out of their first instalment of deferred payment monies received by.them for .that purpose; likewise sending their engineer, and appointing two. members of the Road Board to accompany him, to inspect the various lines of road into the deferred selectors’ land, as we were anxious to get the tenders out before the busy season commenced.

I sec, on referring to the minute book of the County Council, that, on the 7th of August, Or Dale proposed, and Cr Milne seconded, “That all monies that have or may be received by this Council on account of land sold on deferred payment within (lie County, be handed over to the respective Road Boards fur expenditure, in accordance with ‘The Land Act, 1877,’” It was decided by the casting vote of the chairman, that the money should not bo handed over for a month.

On the 4th September, Cr Dale again proposed, and Cr iloneyfield seconded, “ That the money should he handed over to the Hoad Boards to bo oxdmded according to ‘ The Land Act, 1877.’ ” It was again decided that the money should not bo handed over to the Hoad Boards. Tire County Council passed a resolution, that the Hoad Boards should send them a statement of the proposed expenditure. The Hawera Hoad Board received notice to the above effect, whereupon the chairman, taking tiio notice as a gratuitous insult (as the Board had the same Act to guide them in the expenditure as the County Council), stated that the members of the Hoad Board were equally as competent and quite as honest as the members of the Comity Council to expend the money. The Hoad Board ultimately agreed to send a statement of the proposed expenditure of both the deferred payments and rates to the County Council for their approval. The County Council rejected the statement, as it was not in accordance with their views, and requested the Board to furnish an amended statement, keeping the deferred payment monies and the rates separate. The Board sent another statement ; of.the proposed expenditure of the rates and subsidies, the secretary either forgetting or neglecting to enclose the deferred payment proposed expenditure.

There is not the slightest doubt that if the money had been handed over by the Council to the Road Board on the 15th of last July, there would have been a good road completed info the block months ago,, and at about one-half the present cost, as at that time men were prepared to take up the contract. Harvest operations being now in full swing, it is difficult to obtain men at almost any wages ; and what have the County Council done? After humbugging’tho Road Board and the deferred payment selectors between four and five months, they handed over £295 Is, being tile first instalment, and have stuck to the interest, which is due to the deferred selectors. They likewise agreed to the expenditure of the second instalment upon a road that is not of the slightest benefit to any of the deferred payment ,holders, the selectors in the meantime having to advance the money out of their own pockets to make tracks to get on to their land, well knowing that they are entirely at the mercy of the Waste Lands Board, if they did not fulfil the conditions of sale. Besides which, it used to take my brother, myself,, and seven horses, knee deep in mud, two days to pack and sledge one dray load across the gorge. Only the other day, it took one man and two horses half of one day to go out to Manutahi to pad; in two bushels of wheat for fowl feed. Su'ch is-the way wa have had to get everything for months, and the money-

paid by and due to the deferred selectors lor road hutking pnrposes lying in the. Bank of-:New. Zealand bearing interest .to thd credit of the County Council, I'.lmve no doubt that some persons think it a good joke to humbug the. deferred selectors ; but if they bad, been placed in the same position^they ; would think differently. The whole, of the deferred selectors sent a petition to the lion. Minister for Lands, protesting against the expenditure of deferred payment money on the Noonan Road, which is not of the slightest benefit to any of the deferred selectors, and is in opposition to their wishes and “ The. Land Act, 1877.” Tile enclosed letter from the Government is in reply to the above petition. Hoping you will find room for this in your next issue,—l am, &c., F. J. GANE.

General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 28th January, 1879. Sir, —Referring to your letter of the 24th ult, I have the honor, by direction of the Hon. 1 Minister acting for the Minister of Lands, to inform you that upon inquiry it is found that the plans of the Noonan Road have not been submitted for the approval of the Land Board of Taranaki, as required by section 59 of “ The Laud Act. 1877.” The money, therefore, which the Road Board is expending upon that road is being expended illegally ; and the Minister directs me to say that the Treasury will be requested to make no further payments to either the County Council or the Road Boirrl, until the sum expended upon the Noonan Road has been recovered, so that it may be expended for tlm advantage of deferred payment selectors, as the law directs.—l have, &c., H. J. H. Eliott, Under Secretary. The Chairman Hawera Road Board, Hawera.