THE CROYDON ROAD DISPUTE.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 15, Issue 1189, 31 May 1892, Page 4

THE CROYDON ROAD DISPUTE.

A< ou rtfittt'is are awar*\ Me-srs Ji. pickson, Smith and others have complained about the closing of the old main road into the Croydon Bush, and they have good grounds for their com- . plaint, seeing that the rp^d in question ; has been in use for over a quarter ot 23, 1 , century, and that the New Zealand Agrir ■ cultural Company actually gave the land \ i for part of the road. As an outcome of theijr complaint, Ranger Campbell was

instructed by the Land Board t-» visit Croydon and re port, 'but- _ though he has beea expected for some time, he did not put in an appearance until last Wednesday, an 3, strange to say, he sent no notice to the complainants of the date of his intended visit, though the other side seemed to be aware of his movements and with tUeir solicitor accompanied him on his trip to the bush. Mr Dickson had to go to Riversdale by the train on Wednesday, and did not hear of the ranger's visit until his return next day, when he made it a point to seek out Mr Campbell and ascertain what had been, or was going to be, done in the matter. Our reporter, who was present at the interview betwetn Mr Dickson and the ranger, though avi in his reportorial , capacity, was specially asked by the latter gentleman not to make any notes of the interview, as the conversation was a private one, and we were therefore J surprised to see an alleged account of the ranger's visit and his recommendations thereon appear "in another place." However, let that pass. It is stated that to open up the old main road some 4 or 5 I sections would have to be cut up : this ■ Mr Dickson assures us is wrong, as it could be taken aiong Mr W. £. White's boundary line and would then only cross , a corner of section 786. The merits of the case we do not now propose to go into, as the whole question will probably be discussed at the next meeting of the Lnnd Board, when a petition now in circulation will be presented. We append a letter from Mr Dicksoa on the subject. TO THE EDITOR, Sis.— l nave seen a brief statement of Ranger Campbell's visit to Cioydon Bush in regard to the load that has been closed and tb.6 decision he has arrived at to suit all parties. Now, Sir, aa the ranger has Riven his opiuion of the matter, I claim the privilege to state the facts concerning the road in dispute to the public as to huw it will ttflvicc i ham in obtaining the r fencing material and firewood in the futura. In the first place this road is thu most accessible to all Bettlers who have to coma to the bash for their fencing material, oa acconnt oC its essy grade for a distance of one mile without a, single gulch to contend with, and i 8 the only road oa this side of tho bush that taps th« most and best blpck pine and firewood that the settlers require. If this road is closed it wiil give Whue, the bushman, a monopoly of all this timber, to the exclasion of the public who will be the greatest sufferers ; and as there i 9 a petition going round to the settlerfi to have the road kept open, we hope that thuy will sign it, noi only for their own benefit, but oa the side of justice, a& this road has been open for the 1 \Bt twenty years, und ia the same n»d thiu all the pr< v;< us contentions and disputes were over with tiie two former Commissioner* of Ctown Lands, by White claiming this road aa his own. To settle those disputes, Mr Sp mv, the Commissioner, came down, and smied the grievance by taking the contending parfciea that the road was for tho public mri not !or tun special uae of one or two in lividuals ; and so he ended the dispute at one--. But- as soon as tin* bush was proclaimed a V.Ua c Ssitlemeat, the surveyor took upon liiinstjlf to c o ; e b B road without consulting n single resident or settler in the district as to whether the roaii wa9 wanted for the needs of the public or not. Now, if the surveyor had enquired atnong-t ihe settlers if the road was wanted or not, he wuKl vi'ry soon havo found that it was ttie most important and the main access to the basb. As soon as we kuew that the road wns closed we sent a protest to the Board, und asked to hay« the road kept oi.en,buo were informed that we were to j late ; bun if an ecror has been commit te.i in igumuee, and if t!at error can be lemedied to 3uit ihe majority, as in this case, then it ougat io b« done at once. We applied to the Board to send down two of their members to make a personal inspection of the ground, but, instead, ttu-y sent Kango.r Campbell. Now, the fi.Bt thing the B/.ngur does, begets Mr Biakiean.iMr Poppulw. ll(Whit-'a lawyer), and driveß to fchu ground i.f the party who are opposed to thia roai being opened. But to do justice to the question m dispute, he ought to have n-jiifi-.d tiit-. othei pony ; bu-. no, thut vvoul i uot have huit»;d sljeirpuruuse. By the merest chance one of the settles «ut sight of them, and went to give his opiniou on the question, but he mi^ht as wdil have remaued at bombasine quest on was prc-]udg«(-i before they left Gore. The Kang.-r tuuntiouß in his repovt that by spending Ll<> a (jood road will be niad« to satiafy «ll pirii-sj but we wish to inform the Bacgei that it would take the whole of the Uourcil'd rates for the year to make a road whore he pioposes, where m, by giving this road, there will be no need for money or expeutes being incerred for years to come. By continuing the present road alongside of tUc surveyed Keotions it would uot bo nucedsary to cut up any of the factions nor do any mjus'ice to Whi c ; and if it chu'c be settled in this manner we will have; totaku stronger moasuiea to have our petiiiou gra»t«l. Thanking you iv auticipatio«,— l sun, &C, B. DICKBON. Oroydon, 30th May, 1892.