MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3844, 29 June 1891, Page 2

MASTERTON ROAD BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Maßterton Road Board was held on Saturday last at the Board's office. Preseut, Messrs. W. H. Beetham (Chairman), Mcleod, McKenzie, Wardell and T. Brown. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. From G. H. Welch, agreeing to gates to be erected by Mr. Stuckey, providing he keeps them in order. Bank of New Zealand wrote, request ing signatures of Board members. C. Dixon, drawing the attention of the Board to state of Upper Plain Road. Decided that the Engineer visit the place and report on the same. Messrs. H. and A. Vennell, of the Taueru, wrote asking the Board to close an old road running through their property, or allow them lo fence it. It was decided to inform Messrs. Vennell that there was only one road and that the Board would take into consideration the effecting repairs to it.

A communication in reference to the proposed Morgue vias received from the Borough Council. It was decided to inform the Borough that the Board considered the matter outside its province. Mr H. W. Jackson wrote, requestthe Board to take action in reference to the water overflowing his property from Tuck's swamp. —Resolved to inform Mr Jackson that the Board cannot accept any responsibility. A letter irom Mr Parker was received complaining that a drain had been filled in and a box drain substituted on road adjoining his property on theManaia, and consequently be could not get proper drainage.— Resolved that the Board's Engineer attend to the matter. Mr Griffin wrote, pointing out to the Board the necessity of repairs being effected on "Upper Manaia road.—Left to the Engineer to tfttend to. Mr Stuckey wrote, requesting the Board to pay for a saw lent by him to the Board'B overseer and returned useless.—Resolved to inform Mr Stuckey that the Board did not accept any responsibility. Deputations. Mr Geo. Bruce, of the Upper Plain, waited on the Board to. ask that a drain be put in on his boundary as the road was at present in a very wet state -through want of drainage. — Decided to expend £ls on the work. Mr McLachlan waited on the Board to ask that wire be found him to fence the forty-eight chains fronting the land he had given the Board for a road without compensation a\> Te Rangitumau. —Mr C. McLachlan's request was granted, A requisition from Messrs Larsen, Eagle, Jensen, Cameron and others requesting that the accrued thirds from their sections be expended on a bridle track to give access to tneir I properties was received. Mr Larsen informed the Board that they had not applied before because they were waiting for funds to accrue. The Mauriceville Road Board had informed them that they. had not received the money, The Chairman explained to Mr Larsen that the Board would have to ascertain that the thirds belonging to the sections had not been otherwise pledged and that they would give the matter consideration and endeavour to meet the wishes of the settlers. Mr Johnston waited on the Board on behalf of Mr W lorns and himself to ask assistance for a road along the Ruatnahunga river bank to the ford. The distance would be about 6 chains. It would cost about £8 per chain. He would give the land and tence it himself. Resolved to guarantee £ls towards the work, The Finance Committee's report was then read and adopted. TENDERS. For contract 3, Kaka-amu Valley Road, the following tenders were received :—J H Jenkins £44 15s 6d (informal), J Cummins' £4B, P Mulcahy £49 9s, P Carr £SB 15s, Sullivan and Co £74, J Cavanagh £BB 14s. Mr Cummins' tender was accepted. Engineer's Report was read and adopted Webaiti. Mr W. H. Beetham said that at the last meeting lie gave notice that he should move that the Board's previous resolution in reference to the road through Weraiti 'be rescinded, and before putting that motion be bad a few remarks to make. He had

been much abused % Dr Hosking and also by the Wairarapa Star in connection with this, matter, and so entirely misrepresented that even bis b|Bt friends read'ng the article which appeared in, the Star might think hia action questionable. But he was prepared to. have the fullest enquiry into the roattei and would give the fullest explanation whicli he considered his character demanded. Br Hosking had waited on the Board and proposed that the road be taken through Mr Bennett's property and as no member of the Board wished to do Dr Hosking an injustice, least of ..all-himself, the Wardens had visited the place and and was startled and surprised when he saw men in whom he had every confidence voting against the road. At that time he had said nothing, feeling it to be useless, but on reflection had decided to move that the motion be rescinded. Mr Dagg, the mover of the resolution to take and road through Bennett's, gave as one reason for doing bo -that

more uso would be " made of the County Road, and/-this was exactly what influenced him in an opposite direction, Large blocks

ol country must of necessity be roaded, and the more roads the better. This i load through TVeraiti was part of a ] scheme he had been thinking i over for a number of years 1 for roadirig the block. They had in the past spent large sums i in compensation and had prayed the Government" to legalise roads before the grants matured. Settlers had ; been left in a great nu.nber. of instances to purchase back roads. (Mr Beetham at thisstage instanced several cases at some length.) It, was simply because the Government had not sent a surveyor to legalise the roads before too late. There were also cases where compensation had to be paid through the Board failing to take the road. Of course there were exceptions as Messrs Holmes and Buchanan, who had given lines without compensation, but such instances were rare. They (Beetham Bros) had always advanced roading as much as possible. In the present case about 40,000 acres of good land was enclosed in one block from the Club Hotel to Braricepeth, anditwasin the interests of settlement to get as many roads as possible in the block. He should commence with the road through Dr Hosking's, and Mr Buchanan had given him his word that he would then continue a road through to the Westmere road, He contended that this could not be done so well by going throughßennett's because of the steep hill, and because the road through the doctor's property would be more advantageous for settlement, as it would give access to 1500 or 2000 acres of good land. Furthermore the road through Mr Bennett's would do him (Bennett) more harm than the road through Weraiti property would do Dr, Hosking. Another phase of the matter was that many years ago Messrs Balfour and Haines, and Mrs Rawson and Beetham Bros, had bought small sections at the back of Weraiti, and held them when Dr Hosking laid off his fences, and the doctor ought to have known that the only possible way out was through his property. He (Mr Beetham) did not feel called upon to tell Dr Hosking this,.but he had frequently spoken about the road. Dr Hosking had no right to complain. He (Mr Beetham) maintained that the road through »Dr Hosking's was the more direct and the best for the settlers generally, although the road through Bennett's would be more beneficial to Beetham Bros. His self-respect wonld not allow him to vote for the road through Mr Bennett's as he did not want Dr Hosking to purchase him a road at all. Putting all sympathetic feeling on one side the, Board should take the road because they had a right to it, and because it was the best. At the eleventh hour (so to speak) a man had been sent by the Government to survey roads, and now, on the representation of Dr Hosking and the member for the district, he had been withdrawn. It was to the interest of every settler to see 100 families on small farms where there was now only one, and the only way to settle country was to road it.

Mr T. Brown said that to simplify, matters he would put it in this way. Dr Hosking had agreed to buy the land for a road from Mr Bennett and had not done so. Mr Bennett wanted £3OOO, and Dr Hosking had offered £SOO. To protect the rights of people the Board should acquira the right even if they did not iise the road for the next fifty years.

Messrs McLeod and McKenzie contended that Dr Hosking had mot been allowed sufficient time to take the land.

A good deal of further discussion took place, the Chairman finally remarking that he regretted any disagreement bad occurred, but be was more than ever convinced that tbey were on the right track. He would therefore move tbnt the resolution previously passed in reference to this matter be rescinded.

Mr Brown seconded, and the motion was carried, Messrs McLeod and McKenzie dissenting.

Mr Beetham then moved that the road through Dr Hosking's be taken andjthat it be pegged out and laid off as soon as possible. Mi McKenzie moved as an'amendment that in the interests of the ratepayers the road through Weraiti be not taken.

The amendment was put and losl and the motion carried.

This concluded the business, and the meeting adjourned.