A DUEL. GOVERNMENT v. COUNTY COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 45, 22 February 1908, Page 9

A DUEL. GOVERNMENT v. COUNTY COUNCIL.

AMUSING YET SEfeIOUS. The serious and the comiG are nicely blended in a dispute between the Government and the Collingwcod County Council. It is 'one of those battles about roads, a typical fracas between t!he' ''big j fellow" of Wellington and the "little chap" in the- back-blocKs. During last session Parliament agreed to a gralifc in aid of constructing a portion of the Collingwood-Takaka-road. According to a lengthy letter by "Ratepayer" in The Post on Monday, the County Council "decided upon a certain route as presonting the fewest natural difficulties, both tor construction and maintenance, and obtained, the consent of the landholders affected, except one. . . . At this stage, however, the department sont a surveyor to survey and report upon an alternative route, strongly advocated by the one dissentient landholder referred to above. The surveyor crime aiid went without giving any notice to the council," added the writer, "but it leaked out that, presumably, on his recommendation, what 1 may. perhaps, call 'the department's line ' was to be gone on with at once/ The latter did nob speciiy "axe-grind-ing," but loft a suspicion of it. Therefore a representative of The Post waited on the Hon. J.vM'Gdwan yesterday to hear his reply to the allegations. The •visitor saw a huge pile of papers — reports, maps and tracings, telegrams, and other documents — ail connected with a country road involving an expoudituro of about £300. The Minister opened by referring to the objectors' "assmnption of knowledge which they do not possess." "Our officers," he said, "have no particular desire for a particular road, except from the public point of view." The line which the Government had decided to take would make the connection 47^ chains shorter than the route proposed by the council, and the grades and dangers apprehended by "Ratepayer" were not so formidable a"s ho had imagined. The slopes, were 1 in 17, and 1 in 16 at the worst, not much more difficult than the ground for half of the council's ' oute. The council's proposed deviation would make two sides of a tri^iiglo and the Government intended cutting across the base. "The only thing to warrant the council's idea," concluded Mr. Al'Gowan, "would bo tho prospective Continuation of the road and the bridging of the mouth, of the' Parapara inlet. That would bo <v very, serious ihing for tho future. There is nu -reason- why the Parajiava inlet should not bo a useful harbour." There the matter remains. The department is convinced • that it is right ; tho council is equally sure of itself. Probably neither will bo able to satisfy the ether, and the general taxpayers wiil never learn the inner things of the little "difference." It is only ono of many i but few pet into print, in the cities.

Elizabeth Wiilicinta proceeded against John Rankip at tho MayiHtrate's Court yesterday s[trrn<.Km f«n using "AsuHicg languagp. Mr Rirldc-ll il'.smissrd. the information, but no. costs were allowed.