OTAHUHU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 301, 14 August 1917, Page 1

OTAHUHU

[The Otahuliu Agent for " The Times" is Mr Bathe, from whom copies of the paper may be ordered. Mr Bathe is also authorised to receive advts. and printing orders on our behalf. | ECCLESTON SETTLEMENT ~ APPROACH. WITH WHOM THE BLAME?

The disabilities under which the residents of Eccleston Settlement are labouring by having to negotiate a track instead of a road to secure direct access to their dwellings from the direction of Otahuliu again came under review at the meeting of the Otahuhu Borough Council last Thursday evening. The Settlement in question, consisting as it does of Workers Dwellings, is under the j; mdiction of the Labour Depaitoieut and as the result of complaints from the householders the Council recently wrote to the Right Hon. W, F. Massey, in his capacity as Minister for Labour, requesting that the surveyed road leading to the bridge over the railway line should be metalled and made passable for traffic.

At Thursday's meeting Mr Ma;sey forwarded to the Council a copy of a lepovt he had obtained on the matter from the Deputy Superintendent of Workers Dwellings. The Deputy Superintendent in his report said that the proposed road was on the opposite side of the railway from the Eccleston Settlement and that the Workers Dwellings Board had not received any application from the occupiers of workers dwellings for the formation of the road nor any complaints regarding access to the bridge on the Otahuhu side of the railway. It was pointed out by him that the road was of considerable benefit to the ratepayers of Otahuhu, as it provided a much needed means of communkation with Mangere and Onchunga. Ia August, 1916, the Biivugh Council applied to the Department for a loan of £IOO and consent to such loan was granted, but in the following November the Council intimated that the resolution to boriow had been rescinded and no further communication had been received from the Council. The Council had made no contribution towaids the cost of the erection of the bridge, although the residents and ratepayers in Otahuhu benefited quite as much as the residents in

Mango: e and Ocehunga. The Manukau County Council and Man-gc-re Road Board had each cOLtribu'el £125. Further t':e Workers Dwellings Board had provided for an approach to the bridge by purchasing lan J for the purpose of forming the road. The cost of the overhead bridge and its approaches w s £905 Is Id and the ba'aico of £7ll Is Id after taking into consideration the joint contribution of £250 as stated was charged against the Ecc'eston Settlement. The work was of benefit to the whole surrounding districts and the Settlement had already borne more than its full share of the cos-t. The Settlement Board had no land fronting the road, such land being owned by ratepayers of the Borough Council and the obligation to form the road was on the Borough Council, which had contributed nothing in return for the advantage derived. After the reading of the report Cr Brady characterised the same as "pure nonsense." The Mayor remarked that the road in question was of no benefit to anyone at present, because it was impassable. Cr Brady contended that the bridge and i s approach weierf little, if any, benefit to Otahuhu and were constructed chieily to benefit Mangere and Onehunga. The Government should, Cr Brady asserted, provide a proper roid as the Counc 1 inquired all its money for its own roads.

Cr Field f-uggested that the Courcil would hardly be justified in spending money on a road which had uot been dedicated. "Let Mangero take the question up," said Cr Clements. The Mayor pointed out that the Manukau County Council and the Mangere Road Hoard had each contributed £1 -•*> and it could be inferred that it was of some benefit to those bodies. Cr Mollitt suggested that the road was only a "tattle track" as far as tho Council was concerned. ('r Field raised tlio point whether it was inntended that tho Eccleston Kstato should Ijo included in tho Borough, to which the Mayor replied that he could not say. With regard to tho suggestion that the Council at ono time requested u l'>a:i of £IOO to construct the road, ''r Field txplainod that the Council then thought that the road was vested in tho (Jounc.il, but it was subsequently ascertained that it was not. Cr Brady: Bettor exorcise our powers to close it up. Cr Mollitt suggested that a copy of the Superintendent's leport should he forwarded to tho N boo! Commute, who on I.elial! of tho childj ren using tho road, had first coin- ! plained of its unsatisfactory condi- . tion. —This was agreed to. On tlio motion of the Mayor it

was resolved to reply to the Prime Minister pointing out that when the application was made to the Government in 19IG for a loan the Council was under the impression that the road had been dedicated. The Mayor remarked that many people blamed the Council for the state of the road, because they did not understand the position His sympathy, he said, was particularly with the school children. ORANGE BLOSSOMS EEATON-RAU

A pretty wedding took place in the Methodist Church on Wednesday last, the contracting parties being Mr Laurence William Heaton (late of the Main Body Expeditionary Force) and Miss Ada Louisa Ran, youngest daughter of Mr C. A. Rau, of Opotiki, late of Hauraki Plains. The Rev W. G. Slade officiated. The t ride, who was given away by her brother, Mr Clias Rau, wore a dainty Ohina silk dress trimmed with pretty insertion with wide satin belt. She also wore the usual veil with orange blossoms and carried a boquet of free/eas and carnations.

Miss Daisy Grundy, as chief bridesmaid, was attired in a crepe de chine costume, trimmed with insertion and lace, her headgear being a mob cap. She carried a bouquet of carnations and anemones.

The Misses Adriene and Winifred Martin, cousins of the bride, acted as assistant bridesmaids and were each dressed in white embroidery voile with pink satin belt and hat. The bridegroom's present to the senior bridesmaid was a pearl and amethyst brooch and to each of the other "two bridesmaids he gave a gold brooch. Pte. Stanley Grundy, N Z.M.C., carried out the duties of best man. Mr W. Gardener catered for the wedding breakfast and the r.owly married couj'le subsequently departed for their honeymoon. Their future home is to be at Kopuarahi, Thames.

Cr H. V. Stringer, who is still in the Auckland Hospital, is, we are glad to hear, making slow but steady progress towards recovery.