The Petone Short Cut. TROUBLE BETWEEN THE TOWN HOARD AND THE NATIVE LANDLORDS.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 80, 1 October 1887, Page 3

The Petone Short Cut. TROUBLE BETWEEN THE TOWN HOARD AND THE NATIVE LANDLORDS.

' fin intorenting crop of litigation in likoly to spring out of tho formation of tho now pad between tho Potono township and the Ciilway Btalioh, throiigh Tb Pbnl'n padOok. After d gooU deitl of agitation the lurgoiisbß of Petqno have prevailed upon >'ieir Town Board to form the diroot road in iroforenco to the-cirnuitous one which has )oen in juso etcrtointjo the oHtitblißnmont of tho 1 : ; JwiiKlilp, and tho thorotighfaro was recently t thrown Open for traffic. It appears, however, that tho Board did not make arrangements boforoband with tho native owners, and the To Pnnl family therefore Bought prof ossiona advico B» to their. position in tho matter" Acting upon tho suggestion of Mr. Edward Shaw, thoy last night erected a fence of K'out pnt>ts and barbed wiro across both bnds of the new road. Knrly this morning it was found that tho obstructions had been pulled down, presumably by the employe's 6f tho Town Board. An information Was thorcforo laid in tho Magistrate's (?ourt this morninjt by Honaro To Puni against Jam oh Kolly, Aloxandor Fraser. and Ctoorpre Mullindcpj who a re. alleged to have tieon enpigort-in clearing the road, Charging H<om with having wilfully dßstrSyed a fence Dolonging to the plaintiff, valued at -£G. Thfl capo has been sot down for hearing at Wednesday's Bitting of the Magistrate's Court, and itn decision will bo awaited by residents in the district with a good deal of interost. The nativesare also instituting proceedings in tbo Supremo Court to ansert their civil ri rhtu, and intend to isruo a writ olaiming £ W0 damages from tho Petono Town Hoard, m compensation for tho souure of the land covered by the road. Tho case will probably bo heard at the forthcoming civil sittings. The Board seem to have been acting upon an arrangement mado with tho Goar Meat Company, who aro tho losßeo 1 ) of tho paddock, and tho town authorities woro daily expecting to como to an amicablo arrangetnont with tho natives as to tho question of compensation.