BOAD DESTRUCTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 224, 16 May 1872, Page 8

BOAD DESTRUCTION.

(To the Editor.)

Sm, — Would you be kind enough to allow me, through your paper, to call attention to a dangerous practice carried on in the Tuapeka Valley? From Fitzgerald's store to the mouth of the Tuapeka river there is a public path or bridle track, which has existed for the last ten years, being the only means of ingress and egress available to the residents of the district. The Chinese have sunk holes and paddocks close alongside, and in some places cut away this road and rendered it impassable for man and horse to travel out of this place with any degree of safety. Surely there must be some law, rule, or clause, or whatever other name it can be called, to compel these barbarians to keep at least .a respectable distance, say five or ten feet, at each side of public paths. ■ It is but an evasion of the question co say that as there is no government surveyed road that they can with impunity destroy this' recognised chaunel of public traffic. I consider that where there is no government road a, recognised public path has a right to be protected by law. The livee and property of the residents in this district are as valuable to themselves and to the State as those living in localities more favoured with roads aud bridges, Ido not know who. iS responsible for tbis, but one thing is evident: there must be some means speedily adopted to prevent the multiplication of the man-traps on this road. As there is no probability of getting a road from the Government there is a possibility of protecting the only substitute. I would here remark that in no place have Europeans interfered with this road without replacing what they' destroyed, I may refer to this again in a future issue of this paper. — I am, &c.,

■ SUMMEBHILL. Lower Tuapeka, May 10th,