The Sandy Ford Trouble.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 248, 28 August 1902, Page 3

The Sandy Ford Trouble.

For years there has been trouble over the Esk Creek, .Otaio. At flood times it is liable/ 'like moat other shallow streams, to oat oat a new course for itself. The County Council was threatened with litigation unless it took certain protective measures, aud it was ti>reatened with litigation if it did. Being, as the Scotch have it, «'between the devil and the dsep sea," the Council set up a committee consisting of Messrs Walker, Rhodes, Lyall and Hardie to visit the place and report. At yesterday's meeting a letter was received from Mr Copeland, Brookfield, St. Andrews, one of those most keenly interested. He stated that he saw by the report of last meeting that a majority of the Councillors who, inspected the Sandy Ford were in favour of making up the road and maintaining it in its present position. Mr Rhodes opposed that, he understood, showing himself up in bis true colours in the matter atid so got it blocked for another month, as he has been doing for Borne ye&rs since the writer first approached the/Council on the matter. Mr Rhodes had always got it shelved soma way or other, even th« inspection was onesided, although he sent Mr Rhodes, aa member for the district, a paper naming the parts to be inspected on both sides. But he only inspected the one side where it was

never .deputed that pome water went. The part where nearly all the water went, namely, 12681, which Mr Rhodes' own evidence in committee bore out to be the case and which has been disputed ho never put a foot upon. Tint was the part; that required inspecting. In reference to the dama on that property he said that 'the Engineer and Vf r Rhodes were not doing their duty to the-ratepayers in allowing the water to be dammed on to -the road. He reminded Mr Rhodes of calliag the writer over to the road one morning in 1899, when with some men he was putting np some turnip fencing. Mr Rhodes said, " Oh, Copeland, what are you doing there." He told him. "Oh," he said, " I thought you might be doing something to that creek." " No, Mr Rhodes," he replied, " I have never lent myself to, anything of that sort." He stated this to show with what interest Mr Rhodes was watching the one side and how he was treating the other. He had treated Mr Rhodes and the Council respectfully as far as he knew and failed to see why he should want to do Him any injury by turning the w»ter out of its natural course on to his property. He thought the damage it had done since Mr Rhodes held office ought to arouse his sense of justice if he had any. This matter was getting pretty widely known and would be looked into further unless justice was done:

Mr Rhodes appealed to the other members of the committee to answer this. He would not say anything. Mr Lyall did not know what Mr Copeland wanted them to do, but they certainly' looked fairly over the ground. Mr Walker said certain allegations were made against Mr Rhodes that were incorrect. The committee were very particular to go into the whole matter, going down both iides of the road. The committee was entirely impartial. As far as Mr Rhodes was concerned he did everything to assist the committee by his knowledge of the district and did his duty as a member of the committee. Mr Hardie said the letter was a very silly one, evidently written by some irresponsible person. The letter, was read too soon, before the committee's report was read. The. committee was entirely non-party in the matter. j

It was decided to reply to Mr Copeland that the reflections on Mr Rhodes were unwarranted. The committee was perfectly impartial, and the attendance of Mr Copeland and son and their engineer should have been sufficient to safeguard their interests. The letter was quite uncalled for. Mr Hardie reported that he was of the opinion that they should make up the road and put in a ford but make no decorations.

Messrs Lyall and Ross concurred in this.

Mr Walker favoured simply putting the road in repair but not putting in a ford. Mr Rhodes said keoping the road in repair was a costly matter. He would like to see the Engineer's idea carried out, i.e., to encroach on Mr Hampton's land and build a bridge. It was proposed by Mr Walker, seconded by Mr Ross, " That the road be repaired, but in no case shall the road be raised above its present level, only holes and ruts to be filled np. Mr Lyall proposed as an amendment and Mr Hardie seconded, " That the centre of the road at Sandy Ford crossing be made up to its original level, and that a ford be left at the upper crossing, the height of road not to exceed the level of adjoining land and to extend from ford to ford."

A further amendment, proposed by Mr Rhodes and seconded by Mr Douglas, pro forma, that the Engineer's proposal to build a bridge on Hamilton's land, and leave the road a 3 at present, was put. Both amendments were lost.