ENCLOSING ROAD.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 267, 20 December 1928, Page 2

ENCLOSING ROAD.

PUKETURUA REQUEST. “ You say you car.not give me a tenure of any part of the road which you give me permission to enclose. This, of course, I quite understand and in the face of this don’t you think your demands on me are rather heavy. In the first place you wish me to construct a ditch and maintain same which might mean one chain, or 55 chains, the full length of frontage facing the old Taupo road. You aiso ask for the right to take rock from my pit at any time free of royalty. Now, you are quite welcome to any rock you may require free of charge, providing you find two gate posts (and a gate which you omitted to include), but I cannot see my way to construct any drains, for in asking permission to put my fence out was more to clean the land of weeds than for the value of the land.” So wrote Mr. Bathe, of Puketurua, to the Matamata County Council, the letter being read at Friday’s meeting. The engineer reported that he had suggested that a few small drains be dug and there was no question of covering the whole frontage. The land enclosed was approximately three acres, but was not worth much. Cr. Judd: Why not let him have the land if the road is two chains wide ?

The engineer then explained that from the council’s point / ,iew there was a danger a;, if the road was ever made up it would have r o have a very wide water course owing to its nature. At present one track was used and when that became bad another was formed perhaps a chain away. Cr. Judd: It would be necessary to put in a drain to drain the land. The engineer: Yes. Continuing, the speaker stated the posts were agreed to and though the gate was not mentioned it, of course, followed. It seemed that the writer was nervous that if he shifted his fence he might get orders to remove it back. Cr. Judd: We can assure him he can have the land indefinitely. On the motion of the chairman the matter was then left with the engineer to arrange.