A FENCED ROAD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 230, 15 September 1914, Page 4

A FENCED ROAD.

Awhitu Trouble Continues. County Council Worry. To the la-t meeting of the - Franklin County Council, John T. Jones, of Waipipl, wrote j saying that Mr Ridgley had been j carting earth and iilling in a swamp | on the blind road through his place, j which the Council refused to open ! tome time ago. As the said work j was likely to do damage to his j property he asked the Council to j have the earth removed. Mr A. Manna wrote on behslt of 1 Mr 0. Ridgley, asking the Council to ' take tlia necessary steps to have the j road between himself ai.d Mr Jones j opened up. Mr Ridgley was ab-ut to i build on his property and to immediately erect a stable on the corner of this road. Still another document was read from 0. Ridgley (also signed by J. Ridgley, C. R. HerroH, E. Bregmen, W. Watso-\ W. McCarthy and W. H. McNaugiitoj), saying: "I am sorry to be compelled through inconvenience to again approach your Council in respect to the obstructions still remairirg en the road running through Mr J. T. Jones' property. A few days ago I went to the trouble of making tij tree fascines and placed them across J the worst places, so that as a short road 1 could with advantage pick up tha home separated cream belorging to ths different settlers, but to my turprist; 1 found on my first attempt that it had been set afne and destroyed, by eome person, thereby preventing me from using the public read. I must now respectfully ask your Council to at once accede to the request some time ago sent in to you-a petition on which the iigratures r,f 25 ratepayers were attached—asking thai the fences be removed from this road so that we as stttlere, aud wouldbe users of the road, will have no more trouble in the matter." The chairman explained that some time ago this land was all in gorsa and Mr Jones applied for permission to plough the road so as to eradicate the noxious growths. The road was fenced^on one side. He thought that Mr Ridgley had a better outlet by the present fairly level road; the proposed new road was rot even formed and there was a gully in it, Cr Renall said that Kaihau's property was at the back and they were opening that up. The proposed new road was shorter. The old Road Board orca gave Mr Jones the right to fence the road across for 12 months: he was to plough and crop the road so as to clear it of noxicus weeds. Two cr three crops had been taken from it now. This was a public road, dedicated and laid down 40 yearß ago. Having put the fence up Mr Jon?s kept it up. He (the speaker) advised Mr Ridgley to cut the wires and then kt Mr Jones take action. He thought the closed road was the better one. Cr Renall read the Act, and held that the Council had no option but to comply with the rtquest that the road be opened. The local authority was legally bound to remove the fence. No one had a right to obstruct the highway. Being asked for his oj. in ion, Mr McArthur said he did not think the road now closed was needed. Cr Renall: The point is that this is a public road. The chairman said they wanted the road opened so as to make the Council apend money on it. Cr Lyons suggested that the difficulty might be got over by Mr Jones erecting swing gates. Cr Renall adopted this suggestion, aud moved that Mr Jones be asked to erect the gates. He thought, this would be acceptable to the people concerned. Seconded by Cr Lyons and carried.