THE RIVER ROAD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12571, 5 August 1901, Page 6

THE RIVER ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —"But man, proud mail, dresfc in a little brief authority; plays such, fantastic tricks before high H«aven as make the angels weep," The aboive quotations fitly expressed my thoughts,, when reading in your columns the account of the St 'Albans Council's meeting. After waiting for two months the Council have received a rough sketch and a report from the surveyors who were appointed by the Council to define the boundary of the River Road, and I must say that the report .of the surveyors is very unsatisfactory indeed. The surveyor says in, his report:—"Assuming the survey taken in 1876 for Land Transfer purposes to' be correct, it would appear that the river had encroached on the towing-path to the extent of eighteen feet:" Now, I contend' that the surveyors had no'right to assume anything at all, but simply to state facts,' which are within their reach. We want the boundary, as defined' by the original Crown' grant, and nothing less will satisfy those who are determined to see this matter through. It is utterly absurd to say.that the river has washed away 18ft at this particular point (Councillor Barlow's corner), I venture to say that such a deviation has not taken place anywhere along"the whole course of the river from its source to the Estuary. But this is a question that the Council never seem-s to inquire, into. There are those living who could give evidence that the river has not altered its course for considerably over forty years, and yet tho Council will nob accept tins evidence, but have decided to submit to the Surveyor-GeiiPi-al a report, and sketch plan which the local surveyor practically admits is based'-on the assumption of, well let mo say, a shadow or something .Je-ss discernible. ' They ask the .Surveyor-General to accept it as the final boundary of- the River Road, and should he comply with their request then we will practically-have lost «gh*een feet of a road" that .lit the

prettiest walks in St Albans. I say lost, because, it - could only be regained by very expensive litigation. But apart- from this there is a principle at stake. Tf we allow part of one road to go, who can say where- it will end? Can you or any of your readers conceive a reas-cn at all sufficient for this inaction? Have some of the councillors an axe to grind, and are the rest in all docility to turn- the handle. I can't think of men elected by the citizens to look after their interests being so neglectful of their duty in an important matter like this without some ulterior motive. 1 am beginning to think that those who advocated the extension of the franchise saw the hand writing on the wall, and that the sooner we have a council of women (even though they should be past the meridian of life) the better it will be for the ratepayers and the community at large.—l am, etc., RATEPAYER.