The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 595, 15 October 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1880.

Residents in the Valley may have taken some interest in the dispute between the Taratahi-Cartortou Highway. Board and Mr Chew, regarding a tramway along Arnold's liue. The facts of the case, hov/evpr, may not have been properly placed before the public. In June, 1878, Mr Chew applied to the Board for permission to lay a tramway, and in July permission was granted, whereupon Mr Chew sent to England for the steel rails, and commenced operations. By the month of May, in the present year, Mr Chew had cleared the line (no easy matter), and had some two-thirds of it formed, making all ready for the opening of the railway. On June 29th last a Mr Hooper, who owns some property along the liuo of tramway, made a complaint to the Board, protesting against the tramway being completed j aud the Chairman of the Board thereupon called a special meeting to consider the question. At this meeting it was ruled " that the Board had no power to allow the tramway'to be gone on with if any one setthr objected to it," and consequently the permission to construct the tramway given in 1878 to Mr Chew was withdrawn. After this the Board referred the question to its solicitor, who gives as bis opinion " that the Board, and each individual ,member, would, be liable for damages at the instance of auy person who chose to take steps in respect of the obstruction

'which would be caused by such tramway." Thereupon Mr Chew referred the case to his solicitor, Mr Travel's, who gives as his opinion, "that the Board.would not be liable unless the obstruction was lirst of all proved." The Public Works Act Amendment Act, 1880, which >ve havo not yet seen, appears to grant certain powers to County Councils to lay tramways across-but not along—public roads. Suoh, we believe, are the facts of the case. Now in any remarks we may make, we wish to entirely disagree with those persons who havo chosen to charge tho Chairman of the TaratahiCarterton Highway Board; Mr Booth, with business rivalry in his opposition to Mr Chew's tramway. In Our opinion, Mr Booth has too much sense to so commit himself, In commenting upon his public action, wo divest ourselves at once of charging him with the slightest peisonal motive of opposition. Now what is the conclusion we must draw from the facts above stated? That while in the busiest streets of London, New York, San Francisco, Melbourne, Sydney, aud now in Willis-street, Wellington (one of the most narrow and crowded streets in the-Colony)

tramways are permitted and constantly used, in Arnold's Line in the Wairarapa, where a solitary passenger may be seen every one or two days, such a thing cannot be. The wisdom of the Taratahi-Carterfcon Highway Board, its Chairman, each of its individual members, and its solicitor, has found out that the Board has no power to grant the request. We confess that v;e admire the profundity, of the. wisdom displayed. After this it is to be supposed that the great metropoli of the world will a(i once have all jtheir , tramways taken up. Of course Ae Board hadno power to authmmtffe construction-bf

on the other no one (said .it had not. The logic of " individual linbility" 1 had to lie rafeed '.l/efore the permission , granted in 1878 could be withdrawn-.. We freely exonerate the solicitor, Mr Beard, That gentleman was perfectly . correct in giving an opinionr-It was his business to do so, only it is to be noted that Mr Travel's holds a different opinion—quite so. This is perfectly regular and above board. Does the Taratnbi-Oarterton: Highway Board suppose that our, railways are not.to be fed by tramways laid upon the public roads? Oris it waiting for a special Act of Parliament to be passed to enable it to give permission for a tramway to be laid along Arnold's" Line 1 This i? the proper and correct course. It certainly has a slight tinge of red tape about it, but that is of little consequence. Only, why did not the Board think of this in 1878, when authorisation was granted to make the tramway; and what is the amount of Mr Chew's little bill for compensation, which the ratepayers will eventually have to pay. What, too, has become of that most public-spirited individual, Mr Hooper," the one settler who objected to the tramway f Enough has been said, We advise the Board to allow Mr Chew to complete the tramway, and not play fast and loose with a settler who is endeavoring to develops tlie true resources of the country. We further advise the worthy Chairman of the Board not to construe Acts ef Parliament too strictly, and in the public interest we have this to say : Tlfat if, by the action of the Taratahi-Oarterton Highway Board, Mr Chew is unable to tram his timber to the railway, then certain large medals had better at once be struck for presentation to each individual member of the Board. We look to the Board to assist Mr Chew by every means in its power, not to place obstractions in his way. If our memory serves us correctly, a portion of the foxton and Sandon railway was authorised to be constructed upon the public road. The Tararu and Grahamstown tramway, on tho Thames goldfield, was constructed along the public road, Mauy other tramways iu the Colony will be found to have been constructed on public roads, It has been left for the Chairman of the TaratahiOarterton Highway Board to discover that so jealous has been the Government to protect the interests of tho public that no tramway must be laid along a public road, only across it. Bunkum! Mr Chairman ; simple bunkum this." The Nelson and Foxhill line runs in front of tho gateways of scores of little 'cottages, and the , people have to cross the line whenever I they wish to enter their dwellings. On the whole, the good people of Carterton need not be too proud of their Highway Board.