Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1880. THE ROAD TO THE BEACH STOPPED BY THE MAORIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 59, 19 March 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1880. THE ROAD TO THE BEACH STOPPED BY THE MAORIS.

> "'I •#» For some time past certain complications have been in existence as to the road from the Manawatu river to the beach. A considerable portion of the land through which it passls'is 1 owned by the natives, chief amongst whom are Natana, Kereopa, and Ihakara*, It has not, however, been passed/through the Land Court. Owing to certain petty troubles that occurred between a neighbouring squatter and some of the natives, brought about by a number of their horses being impounded by him, a feeling of dissatisfaction at Europeans using their road was created, and they duly, .warned the County Council some months ago that they intended ify erect a fence across < the road line./ Upon receipt of this the County Chairman (Mr Macarthur) > at 1 once communicated with, the Government asking them to arrange with the natives, but no no-i tice was taken of the communication. Had we. matter been promptly dealt with then, it is very probable no further trouble would have occurred. After s short time, however, another botiwr occurred through the ferryman taking legal proceedings against the

natives for evading the ferry tolls. Having gained the case, the natives naturally felt exceedingly vexed at the annoyance they had sustained, and they again warned ihe Council that they would immediately close the road. \ conference therefore took place between the County authorities and the principal natives, at which the Eev. J. Duncan brought his influence to bear upon them, and so far succeeded as to obtain from them a promise that they would defer taking such extreme measures until the opportunity had been afforded for the Government to arrange the matter. Mr Ward, R.M., therefore took the matter up, but finding they had the whip hand the natives made a most exorbitant claim. This they expressed their determination to maintain, but Mr Ward absolutely refused to promise any such amount. They thereupon had notices printed that the road would be closed one week from date. Mr Ward, however, counselled them not to take such extreme action until further news was heard from the Government. The next communication from the Government was the fouWing : — With reference to the road on the south side of the Manawatu river, irom Foxton to the Beach, I have the honor, by direc'ion of the Hon. Native Minister, to inform you that it (a former letter) was written under the impression that what was required by the natives was simply that the road should be laid off to allow them to fence ; but it has since appeared that other complications exist. I am directed to state that the Government has now done in the matter all that it seems cau reasonably be expected under the circumstances, and at the same time to suggest that the County Council should take the usual moans provide'! by law to have a >-oad laid off. Should any assistance be required by the Council from local officers of this Department in connection with the road, directions will be given to that effect upon application being made to this office. — T. W. Lewis, Under Secretary Native office. The above was so palpable an attempt by the Native Office to shirk its duty, that the Council had no other course open than to refuse to deal with the matter. The following resolution was therefore passed : — " That this Council declines to accept the responsibility of obtaining a title to I road line through native lands, and prays that the Government will at once take action to define and acquire the necessary right of road." No satisfactory answer having been received by the natives.nor any arrangement made with them, they ha\y now taken the extreme course of closing the road. This was done yesterday, and the drivers of the mail coaches had to pay five shillings each time they passed along the road ; horsemen were charged one shilling each ; and foot passengers sixpence each. The above history of the matter will show that the natives have throughout acted patiently, and that the course they have taken in demanding tolls, is only just, and evidently adopted as a protest against the Europeans using their land for road purposes without payment. They consider they have been wrongly treated in the matter of the ferry, and, conscious of their position, havo determined to exercise their rights, by obtaining payment from persons who use the road. The action of the Government in attempting to " shunt" the matter on to the County Council is both impolitic and unfair. That body knows (comparatively speaking) nothing of the question. It was created only some four years ago, whereas the road in question has been used by the public for many years. TheJ Council took over the line on the assumption of there being a clear title to it, and with no idea of a monstrous claim being at some future time made for the right of road. We therefore consider that the Government has acted most unfairly in casting the whole onus of this intricate and difficult matter on the Council. To take the necessary land and make a road through it under " The Public Works Act " (as suggested in Mr Lewis' letter) is, we believe, impracticable, as, the land not having been passed through the Court, the names of owners are unknown, and therefore could not ba gazetted. At the same time we believe the Government could,owing to its superior influence, arrange the matter satisfactorily. That the natives have asked an exorbitant price for the road we admit. Still it would be better for the Government to pay a large sum for a year or two, and in the meantime push on rapidly with the inland road to Otaki. The road now closed is at present an important link in the chain of communication between Wellington and the whole West Coast. Were it merely a County matter there would be some justification for the action of the Government in throwing it on to the hands of the Council. On the contrary, however, it is the road over which the whole of the West Coast mails are carried in addition to those for Napier. A great part of the North Island is therefore interested in it, and not merely the County of Manawatu. Still further, had the Government taken the matter in hand when first asked to do so, it might have been settled economically and amicably. Their procrastination has led to the unpleasantness which has eventuated, and it is most unfair to dilly-dally over a question of this kind until it has become involved to a degree, and then calmly turn round and say, " We thought it was only a small matter, but now we find it is a large one, and you must settle it as best you can."

We understand the authorities have again communicated with the Crovernnaent, and trust the decided action of the natives will lead to the road question being settled at once in a satisfactory manner.