AN ABANDONED ROAD.

Shannon News, 18 November 1927, Page 4

AN ABANDONED ROAD.

A PECULIAR POSITION.

The Lands'Department forwarded a tracing showing the new roadline and portion of the old abandoned County road where it traversed blocks Pukehou 5a and 4 (by Mr. George Bevan's). Mr. Waiters, chief surveyor, stated that on looking into the early history of this old road, it was found that it was originally taken in pursuance of a Governor's warant, which was duly exercied on August 9th, 1881, and the plan of the road was subsequently approved by the Governor. The then local authority, by virtue of section 94 of the Public Works Act, 1882, closed this road and issued a public notice to that effect in the Manawatu Times of August 12th, IS9O. The writer pointed out that the present public road had never been properly legalised, and was, in fact, still included in the land transfer titles, although in sub. 4G the new road was in the name of the County. <An application was recently made to the Native Land Court that a portion of the old road should be vested m the Native owners of adjoining lands, but the Court decided that it had no power to deal with the closed road under the provisions of section 7 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1920,. until the matter had first been submitted to this-Council and the Council had given its consent to the closed road being so dealt with. The chairman remarked that the Council kept having these matters handed down from x the past. He could only hope that they%ould not hand too many of them on to some future Council. ' Some time ago a circular was received from the Highways Board stating that it would assist the Council in these matters and in many cases undertake the transfers of land where it had to be taken. The Board was doing: this in the case of the intersection of Queen Street, Levin, and ArapaepaeRoadj and had acted similarly in regard to a piece of D'Ath's. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Cr. Ryder, it was resolved 'that the question be referred to the Highways Board to adjust.