AN ARAHURA GRIEVANCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1918, Page 3

AN ARAHURA GRIEVANCE.

[To the Editor. 1 I Sir,—As the;Araiiui\i. ratepayers sent a Icier to the County (Uouiicn 01 Yvesi.aiid xe tne repairing «.!' mnigtrford s t.aino biiage, and as this letter was not lead before the full meeting lor consideration, we settlers and old resident.*, parents 01 boys in the trenches, beg tne favour of space in your valuable paper to bring to the knowieoge of each councillor our oftrepeated grievance.} and piotestdtions a o aii.st the maladministration of Lounty matters, as affecting our vital home interests and livelihood. We tind that the time has come lor the Arahuia people to r.se and defend their rights and home_ interests against a dilatory Council sacrificing the welfare and labour of a farming and food-producing communi y which has paid rates and taxes for ovev half a century on their land. We strongly prote t against the Couaiy Council's se.f-sssum.d power to abandon and destroy Government property to-the serious detriment of the settlers and the public generally—to wit, the abandonment of Hungerford's traffic bridge and twelve miles of main Christchurch road. This bridge is 7 some ..60 ..ft in length and is valued at £4COX Repairs required were estimated at £SOO. This twelve miles of abandoned road runs through settlers' lands from end to end. Bv whose authority were the two spans of Hungerford's bridge dismantled, two stringers 60ft long 12 x 12 carted twentyseven miles to the Teremakau-Christchur h road at a cost of nearly £2O and the other portion u*ed to strengthen the culverts, etc., to take up mining material to Humphreys? The Cmm il stated that the Government' would replace the bri 'ge after the war. The two spans wcir'si almost intact, onW about two or ihree chains from the main bridge they had been washed from. At a large public meeting held at -the Arahura Public Hall, called bv t 1 e Chairman of the County Courcil of West.land by the request of the settlers, saw- : millers' and general public to consider t>s= eost. of repairing the gao in Hungerford's bridge H w.fis ng-e.ed that- tha gap could be repaired for'.£sCo. Th? Government Engineer's estimate, was identical v. i'h th? County Overseer's estimate. A committee was appointed by the Chairman. A letter was received from a Mr Ziman. a mining' vendor, stating that he would use his influence in Wellington to get the bridge replaced. A very short time after this meeting we saw by the papers that the Chairman of the County Council, .accompanied by the Hon. J. Grimmond, D. J. Evans (County Clerk),-had interviewed the Hon. Minister for Mines and Agriculture in Wellington. The deputation asked for road and bridge access to this -vendor's (Mr Ziman's) sawmilling and mining property near Lake Kanieri, with the result that the Conntv Council had'voted some £3OO or £4OD of ratepay-rs' money f r thi= work, to be ca'hd "Ward's Road and Ward's Bridge. Three of the Councillors stated they had not been consulted, about this deputation going to Wellington to vote ratepayers' to the mining company's property for a bridge and road, so Mr. Ziman's voluntary letters can on'y be looked upon as scraps of paper. Who pays tho cost of this deputation? Now, why has the Council voted money out of the" settlers' rates to build a bridge and road for this wealthy venaor? According to vendor's own statement he owns 2COO acres of red pine bush timber equal to the best in Westiand, about ICOO acres of mining areas, also seven and three-quarter miles of the Arahura River containing; 731 acres. He has also bought the Humphreys water race for £IO,COO, also 400 acres of mining claims for several thousand pounds. He also states that one lead sft thick averages 8s to the yard. Mr Ziman is vendor, a'so general manager and sole director. He draws a salary of £250 per vear as manager and £1 per day as travelling expenses. He receives 2000 shares, having a liability of 10s per share and £SCO in cash. also 2000 shares reserved for subscription for friends of vendor in London. Now, on what grounds does the Westiand County Council claim to have the light to ta£e the ratepayers' money to expend on beha'f of such a wealthy company as this, who, according to vendor's own statement p. practically the richest property in Westiand? Fifty-two years ago I placed a punt on this river to carry passengers across, also sheep and horses at my own expense, which was considerable, and took up land which cost from £2O to £4O an acre to bring into cultivation, and have paid rates and taxes up to date. Now, owina to the wilful neg'ect of the Council in not cutting away a number of large tree* stranded immediately above the bridge. damage resulted. Although warded time and again by the settlers thev paid no notice to the warning. trees were washed up n"-ai'ist 'he bridge on t Ua , south side. Owing to the groat pi!e of trees, some four

or five feet through ,the river was forced to the north side, washing away the approaches, letting down two spans of the bridge remaining immediately below about two chains from the main bridge. All the settlers ask for is that the ~gap in the bridge be repaired. Ihey required facility for industiy and to promote pro-duction-to enable them to contribute to the war loan and pay the interest thereon which the whole of the industry has to bear. Twenty-one young lads, natives of the Upper Arahura ana Biue Spur, sons of farmers and miners out of a population of less than 100 people volunteered and went to the front, .b'our of these brave lads have laid down their lives for King and country. Most of the others hase been wounaed, but are still sticking it out. A number of these lad* have an interest in land on the north side of the Arahura. They worked on their land until the day they went to Tientham. Sir Joseph Ward in his speech prior, to leaving for England stated that all interior roads would be kept open at any cost so as to increas • production. It is food that: is. .wanted most at present, not gold. Why c'id net the deputation of the two members and the Clerk of the Council interview tin Minister of Agriculture on behalf of th" settlers and brave lads who are fighting for you, so as to keep the roads and bridges open to the lands and homes of those who are g.'ving their all for liberty and freedom. Wbere is the consistency of the Council remitting the rents to large mining companies to the amount of hundreds of pounds and then voting hundreds of pounds of settlers' rates to this vendor's mining property to make roads and bridges? The ratepayers did not ask them. All this money has to be paid away in a week or two as the contracts are finished. This money, the Council says, will be paid back in t*vo years. . What security have they got for ihis promise? This company will apply for exemption. A scrap of paper security is no good. Now, Mr Esitor, we settlers think it is time to call a halt to this maladministration of County matters. The Council does not consider tin welfare of the settlers. For years the settlers have suffered by the neg'ect of tbi". body, which is continually springing fresh surprises to burden us w : <h mtce taxes It. was th* Council that advocated the selling of the Harbour Board reserve, the people's birthright, a property wor'h hundreds o f thousands of pounds" for £23.000. Thev then agitated and got all the setielrs' land declared a Harbour Board rating area. Now they have to pay an unjust tax for all time, sawmillsrs exempt. The next surprise was objecting to the Government valuation, again caus : ng expensive lawsuits, etc. The Council fighting the ratepayers with their rates. Now, the latest surprise is taking the settlers' rates to foster mining exploitations. We are now compelled to send a large petition to the Government asking the Government to take over the admini-tia'.ion of our roads and bridges, as the Council is incapable. We would suggest to the Government to appoint two returned soldiers, one as clerk and one as eng : neer. The two would not cost as much as the Council's office. Dispense with the ten road overseers and nine members. It is the duty of the whole country to see that the brave lads who have saved the whole country from slaverv and our fami'ies from worse are well treated. We want loyal men put in public positions. The Government have been lavish in grants for Westiand and the County Council is continually blaming and abusing the Government for neglecting Westland's wants. Westiand has been visited by four or five members of the. Crown besides a number of members of Parliament. In fact, it has been better looked after than it was when the member for the district was here. As a matter of fact, no Minister would pet along with such an incapable body. The way the Council supervises the work of tho di-tiiot (here is a sample). The river had encroached, threatening the roads and bridges, also the homes of the fetters. A motor car arrived on the scene with the Councillors and road overseer-;. They examine the breach. Thry. then hold a meeting and tell the settlers they will do their best for them. Then they return to town and telearaph to Wellington for the Government Chief Engineer to be sent down at once. As a matter of fact, in one instance at the Arahura the incurred by numerous of Councilors, road ove"seers. surveyors, e'e, s"ores of pounds and <hen nothing was done. As an example of what can done bv a few earnest "ion wk<-> ,a"e elected on fie Charitable .Aid "Rn-rd, by strir*. r«er,„~>v thev wined off the overdraft of £?SCO in a few months.—T "rn. e+<\, WM. MACKENZIE HARCOURT.

Hokitika, Oct. 31, 1918. (We have found it necessary to excise portions of the letter as they were libellous.—Editor "Grey Star.")