PRIVATE ROAD CROSSINGS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 250, 16 August 1928, Page 4

PRIVATE ROAD CROSSINGS.

PROPERTY ENTRANCES. Council’s Relation to Owners. Mr. F. C. Killgour, of Te Poi, wrote a letter to the Matamata Council on Friday, strongly taking exception to the alleged spoiling of his crossing.

Owing to the disgraceful state your employees left my gateway In after grading the-main road from Te JPfii to Matamata it was impossible for me to get in or out without getting bogged, and as I had to get my manure in somehow there was no other course: left open to me but to get a few loads of stones that were lying on the roadside and fill up the hole to get a temporary entrance. Asthere have been some complaints I am writing to inform you what I have done. The stones are still on. the road, only they are doing better service than before. I may state that m y gateway was in good order until your men graded the road.” The writer concluded with the pious hope that what he had done would meet with the council’s approval. A memo from the clerk stated that the road had recently been formed up, presumably in readiness for bitumen surfacing. Mr. Killgour’s entrance was probably one of those which had never been formed or culverted by the owner, and in such case he could have no claim against the council for carrying on normal work of road construction. The duty was on the owner to make proper access from the public carriageway to his property. Had he done so the county would either have left his work intact or assisted him with any necessary alterations.

“ His helping himself to countyowned metal is absolutely wrong, and his example will most likely be followed by others unless it is made known that such practices cannot be tolerated.”

Cr. E. J. Darby commented that the man had no right to remove the metal.

The Chairman The main question is whether the council should put in a crossing under such circumstances. Cr. Darby moved that the clerk and the engineer go into the matter and report at next meeting.—Carried.