ROADS TO CROWN LANDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 4 March 1909, Page 2

ROADS TO CROWN LANDS.

COUNTY COUNCIL REPUDIATES

RESPONSIBILITY.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD GIVE AC

CESS TO SELECTIONS.

At tho last meeting of the W'aimea County Council a letter was received from tho Commissioner of Crown Lands, asking the Council to give access to section 5 block x, Tadmor. The Chairman, "on behalf of the Council, has forwarded a reply to the Commissioner, in the cours'e of which he stated that section 5 was not on the rate roll of tho County, nor had any thirds from this section been submitted to the Council for allocation, consequently tho land had no claim on. the funds of the Council. The Chairman went on to say that in the opinion of 'the Council section 11C sub-section 2, of the Public Works Act was sufficiently clear to indicate that it was the duty of tho Government to provide practicable lines of road to all Crown lands before disposing of them, and to construct the same— if not to the iatisfaetion of tho Council, at least sufficiently to allow settlers to reach their holdings. The Council, while anxious to assist settlers to the fullest extent, admitted no liability or responsibility for the providing or construction of access to new selections, nor for the maintenance of impracticable tracks adopted as access in the sub-division of Crown lands. The Pokororo, Graham, Pearse. and Baton Valleys were eases in point. Tho roads ia these places wore merely one chain reservations along tho banks of the rivers, impossible to use and impracticable for construction. The settlers reached their selections on the sufferance of their neighbours, and before anything could be done to assist them tedious negotiations had to be entered into for a practicable route, a survey must be made, and probably heavy " compensation paid. The Council was quit© willing to expend any moneys supplied to it for these purposes, to have the survey made, and to arrange for compensation, etc. but on no account in futuro would it undertake the work out of the general fund of the County.