MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2592, 7 May 1887, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

(to the Editob.) , : Te Rangitumau, May 5,1887. Sm.—Your issue of Wednesday reached me this afternoon. Had I known that the meeting to which I asked a few settlers on Saturday would have assumed, as you say, a semi-public character, I should have written to Masterton papers that they may, had they considered it fit, sent a reporter, Had you sent him I think your sub-leader would not have taken the tone it now has.: Possibly I am responsible that the'meeting was, as you say, semi-public, not private as I intended. When I was at the Road Board Office during the morning Mr Dagg came in and in course of conversation he said- lie understood that I had.asked a few settlers to'meet at; the Club re Road Board affairs,-would I have any objection to his being ttyerf!. I told him I hsjd not as he represents the ward, and his property

is in the part which reports said was ; likely to be formed into a separate . Board. I did not expect anyon'e else there except those to whom I had written, and was surprised to see BO many at the Club. ,As those inVited were undoubtedly there ,to talk over Boad Board matters I did not wish to stifle any facts, and therefore on taking the chair did not asßhe uninvited: to retire, particularly •as I.was aware there were many anything hut charitable constructions put on my motives. Had I known the line Mr. Dagg intended taking I should, have told him ■ I thought it would .be best ; to. confine the meeting to those invited.. You are somewhat astray as to. the,chief cause ofdissatisfaction (althoughthemanage-. J; ment is undoubtedly costly). It iytat rates collected are not appropriafeo the repairs of the roads jto properties from which they are collected, but they are allowed.to becomeand remain almost impassable. At the meeting, Mr Dagg stated I had said the cost of management was 50 per cent.; I denied h v having said this, although lam sure if V he goes fully into the matter, he will / find it is very much nearer that sum than 10J per cont., which lie put forth at the mooting on Saturday. lam not an advocate for small Road Boards, (hence my long delay in not moving in this matter before) and should prefer seeing tho Board remain intact; but as we have to pay heavy rates and cannot get our roads repaired, there seems but one course—separation. I am, &e,, J. W, Stuckey. P.S.—At the meeting, resolutions were passed to fix boundaries and get up a petition to the County Council for a new Board, not to fix boundaries and report at meeting on Saturday, 7th inst., as stated in a recent issue of yours.