GATES ON PUBLIC ROADS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 2767, 28 April 1903, Page 2

GATES ON PUBLIC ROADS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —Allow me to correct a sunll error, which appeared in youi report of the last meeting of the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board whioh should have read : "Mr McPhail made the gates," instead of "erected the gates." Mr MaPhatl, in his letter, stated that the gates were erected long be* fore he owned the property. Now this is-* not cor*ecb, as the present gates were erect) ed in his time and were used by the publio without any inconvenience to the traffic, which was heavier then than at the present time, one bullock driver's oheque alone* 1 amounting to £42 15s, for one winter's driving ; yet he could drive through them without having a man to go on in front to oj,en the gates for him. I cannot think how any man in his san<_ senses could siga a petition for the removal of those gates after having had the use of them for so long tinself, and still having the use of gates on the road. I think, for the size of hi. property, Mr W. D. McPhail has more gates than any + other man in the district, there being no less than four on the formed roads and two on the unformed, which are used for driviaj sheep through It therefore comes a-J a sur pri c that he. of all men, should the cause of "no gates."—l am, etc., JOHN NEWBBGIN. to the editor. Sir, —Will you kindly allow me spaoe in your valuable paper to place a few facts be fore ratepayers on the above subjeot. About 23 years ago when the Mount Bossu Road was formed, two double gate 3 were erected"* by Mr McKay and ourselves—one known as Waterfall gate aod the other ai Wiight'a gate. These gates stood a good many years until Messrs Donald and Alex bought the property now owned by Mr J. 0. Buckland. Shortly after the McPhail's bought, new gates were erected by ourselves and the McPhoils. The new gates put on at the Waterfall were made by Messrs A, McPhail, een., and J. Hooker, M. A. McPhail also took the gate post up to the place where the gates were erected—exactly on the spot where the fir_t gates were—and no objections had been made to tkem. Now Messrs W. D. McPhail and H. Niblett would try and make jou believe, became Mr A. McPhail is on the other side of th%> hill, he could not help to erect agate on this side. Mr McPhail admitted at the Road Board Office Borne few months ago th»t he helped with the gates. With regard to the top gates we erected them ourselves. Nowjig* Mr Editor, the facta are these :—Mr A. McPhail is interest- in no less than six or seven gates across formed public roads ; we are interested in two gates on formed publio reads, and Mr W. D. McPhail four gates ol public formed roads. Surely they might let us have swo when they have ten or eleven between tho;n. Mr H. Niblett turra any way the wind blows over the matter. He told Mr H. Buckland, when he had a petition out for the bottom gate, he would neither sign for or against the gate as he j was nntja ratepayer in the district, which led Mr t& Buckland to understand that he was quite agreeable he should have it. Shortly after this he writes complaining about the gates. Next thing he tells myself and o!l prs that he wished he had never complu.ued to thf

Road Board or had any!hire to do in thfmatter. Then he turns the other way aud ■igos Mr McPhail'- petition to ' aye the gates removed ; and, aUo. he writ -3 to the Akaroa Mail on the suhj-.c!; to have them rem*.v I. Now, I b lieve, if the ratepayers who si ; ied Mr McPhail's petilton knew the faota Oi the matter, the\ would never have signed it.—l am, elo ,

MARK WRIGHT.

A. R. _*ai___