MAORI HILL AFFAIRS.

Evening Star, Issue 15478, 28 April 1914, Page 1

MAORI HILL AFFAIRS.

TO THE EDITOE. ' Sir, —lii your issue of the 25th inst. there appears a letter from Cr M. Finnerty in reply to ours of 21st inst. In his statement of the steps that were taken in connection with this proposed road, he says, that the two ratepayers concerned were to find £ls, which, with £lO, the amount of their combined rates for the year (£25 in all), would more than pay costs of survey and transfer.

In your report of the last meeting of the Maori Hill Borough Council the following appears: Messrs M. Finnerty and Jas. Booth wrote stating that they were prepared to purchase the blind road lying between sections 75 and 76, block 5, Dunedin and East Taieri districts, for the sum of £ls, the money so acquired to be used by the council towards the cost of making a road through Mr N. G. (should bo N. A.; Booth’s property. Their combined rates for the present year would amount to about £lO, making a total of £25, which would cover all expenses. Now, sir, we feel sure that any person reading the foregoing will see that there is a difference between finding ot giving £ls towards a certain object anc the buying of a portion of land for £ls that sum to be devoted to the same object in both cases. Now, as either one or other of the statements must be wrong, we would like to know which one is correct, as we do not wish the public to be misled in this matter, and we are quite sure fromCrM. Finnerty’s letter that he has no wish to do sn either. In regard to _ what the City Council ought to do in this matter, being outside the question, we hep leave to differ with Cr M. Finnerty or that point, our contention being that if the proposed alteration is to benofi'i them, then certainly they should heai all costs of alteration. In regard to what he says with reference to the means we used to obtain signatures tc the petition, we will be only too pleased to meet himself and those whom he believes have been misled into signing the petition at a public meeting of those concerned whenever he chooses to call it, and in the meantime we claim the privilege of reserving our defence until he calls the same.—We are, etc., J. C. Somerville, D. V. Harbour. April 27.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Afc Mr Butler’s meeting at Maori Hill last night Mr D. V. Harbour asked : Is it- not a fact that Mr Finnerty has already got two roads to his property ? As some of those present might not understand the position, I should. like to explain. It is true that there are two roadlines, and one would have thought that Mr Harbour, who has lived in the dis trict the greater part of his life, wouk have known the difference between a road and a xoadline. These xoadlines are zigzag, made up of short, sharp angles, and have a gradient of about 1 in 3, so that for every 66yds that one travels one would climb about, 66ft towards the sky. I an, not the only person interested in these roadlines, and although Mr Harbour singled ms out in his question I woulo not like to say that he was not actuated by friendly motives.—l am, etc., M. Fiknertt.

April 28. P.S.—About 10 years ago the Govern ment allotted £IOO for the purpose of forming a road to these properties, but it was not spent, because these roadlines are impracticable.—M. F.