DIVERSION OF GREAT SOUTH ROAD.— MEETING AT OTAHUHU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 495, 14 June 1865, Page 5

DIVERSION OF GREAT SOUTH ROAD.— MEETING AT OTAHUHU.

A Ni'MBEK of our leading country settlers met yesterday allcrnoon at the C'riii vion Hotel, Otahuhu, for the purpose of considerii g tho desirability of diverting a portion of tho Gre:.t South Ifoad, and securing a straight lino by cutting off thn bond of roudleadiug to Penrose. On tho motion "of Mi\ James Ecncisian, Mr. Robert Kobertson (convener of the meeting), was voted to the chair.

The OirVimiAW then procreded to read tho advertisement convening the mroting, and stated his reasons for having called them together on that occasion. He happened to have 1 een in company with the fill] ■crintenilent last Friday, and amongst other things they had a conversation abnut tho Otahuhu Road. A few eveninge previous to this there had been a meeting at Otahuhu, Jihd many uettlere hud expressed their willingness to give subscriptions toalter the present line of road ; it was this that induced him to broach the eubject to his. Honor, and tako the responsibility of putting an advertisement in tho papers calling the present meeting, for he tlioiight it as well io etriko t , e iron while itwabhot. Uothing coukl-be. n greater benefit to the settlers generally than the carrying out of tho proposed diversion , ,"i\s it wculd cut off the very worst p.rtion of. tho road, even in cutting ulowo would be a wonderful euviog

as one horso could do aB much work as two could mniiipc at thepicfcnt time; two horece could then ■ufce forty c W |. as easily aa they now take a ton ; if thorond were mado as now pVopoeod it would no longer bo necessary to put two liors'es into a dray, for on.- horee could then'Mako the load to Auckland w-itiiout difficulty. 'J hie was a very iinportnnt mat ler, aid one wliich vitally aUected them all. He would be glad to hear the views of gentlemen present on the subject. The Superintendent, snirl that if the .solders took »n interest in the matter and would raise £300, the. work should be carried out; it would cost £1000 the Superintendent thoupht, and if he had th.money on hiincl le should do it without a-fislancc from the settlers, but if they wnuld ruieo the £300 by subsenption he would seo that Ihe alteration woi'k slionld be done immediately. The fhnirnian hoped lhc inectitig ap, roved of the steps he ha.! taken, for be hii'l no doubt the divcision contempla:cd would be a great benefit, to the di.-trict at large. Mr. Am ki-.w- thought tho infoimation the Chair man liad giien to them was r ither inengrc; they had nothing definite ns to what \, rtion of tho road i"t was proposed to • hang,-. The Cha-i;man could not tell them Ibo exact part of the road, but if any poison would look at the present line lie would e.ion see what part required alteration. After passing the Harp of i.iin some distance, inslead of swcei ing round to the left they wo Id keep on a straiphl line across the scoria land as far as the junction of tho Onchunga and Otahuhu roads. Jlr. Ani.eews thought that before the Superinten dent could expect them to subscribe, tho suttlrrs ought to have somelhirg difinite be fort: thorn. He was a great advocate for roads, ns they well knew, but he did not think the expense, of making tirent trunk roads thiough n country shoird devolve upon the settlers, but upon the Government alone; the setll rs hid quiie crongh to tic to attend to their own bje-rond.-. Ho thoutilit the information befoiethem was too meagre, and that the discission on the subject should be postponed till all tho particulars were - ! before them.

'I'lio Chmhmax faid that perhaps he. had been pr< mature in tailing this meeting, .but at. least it was n stop in the right directi< n. ■ It, would bo bettei, perhaps, fur them to appoint a committee to wait upon his Honor, obtain all (lie inlotmation they couiil, and call a meeting that day weekMr. AM)H-\v.s did ii"t reflect for a moment upon thecouse puisutd by their Chairman, for he bi-lii veil Mr. IJubeitspn had done his duty, and was entitled to their 1 est thank?, ;uid ho thought the suggestion to appoint a committee to wait upon tlie Slip , rintendent, was a very good <<no iudtcd, and should be adopted. He hud un impression that if the Miperintentlont would give .lliem tho money, they wi.uld be al h< to perform tho woik much cheaper than lie woul.l. 'J he CiiAtUMAX thought that if the woik was going to be done, it should be l<y tender; it would be a good way to employ sonufoftho immigrants. Mr. J. Brx'MM.is vished to know if (lie proposed alteration would run through private property. Air. J. Gokj'On, with re»:ird to this question, begued to say that ho had been infomied on good authority that there was a lino of road already laid out, us it w t ;< the original intention to cany out the road us now proposal; so that there was no necessity for tlnm to take steps to find out the owners oi tlie property ; the present line was made because it could be carried out a little clicnper at the time. Mr. K ens remarked that they would all feel the bent iit < f the aiicialion bcti re two year.- pas-ed. It was ust-lix- n> s<iid n. di] utation to the Superinteii-lit-tiT, as he could only tell them what they already knew. It was i.ow simply a question o; whether liny could raise the A3lH\ 'for if that were done the road w< tilii be made. It would cost as much to cut away tic jibs of the prCFcnt road as to make the new piece, especially as the stene was already there. The Ckaiuman : Ifthe settlcre are going into it, the sooner they do so the better, as no expense need then Le inclined on the present road. ; Mr. Goiiiox thought it would expedite matters if a mot en were tabled editing clearly tit what points the dhcrsion should begin and end, and the gentlemen who -nere to wait upon the Superintendent would have something ■ definite befoie them; he believed that would brirg tho matter to a speedier end. 'J he Ch.mi.man thenpht tilth a course would be a needless cr.c, as the diveiMon cont< mplatcd by hie Honor oxtirdcd from Ligar"s point to Dilworth's po'nt. Mr. J! As sett pirppsecl.thntlfr. Jnnus Eobcitson,, Mr. ]iogers, and Mr. Andrew? be appointed a. deputation to -nail upon his Uor.or, and to get nil information on tlic subject. Mr. jS.nihiVS wcuitl second this, ptovided that Mr. !<<■belt lvobcr'soi.'s nnine were substituted lor his own. 'J lie motion was then • unanimously agretd to as follows : — "Thiit Jlr. .limns linl ertstn, Sir. HoVcrt Kolicrtfnn, and Jlr. Itrtcr.-. In- ii| lt.inU.t ■>.- n tU<i iitntit n lioin thiMiiti-tinp. to c<.nfer viilh his Iloiur the Pupfi'ii tei d< lit on til. question of 11n- im.|i-cil' t!fvii,t;cn t f the (ireut Somli Keml; ami that the.-Mm-SJ.ntkinijn 1 e :,];)<t.iiit. tl a < oii.m.ttee t<. a< <iuire fuither ii.luiniulicii on the li.a.ttr, pievi. Us to cal.iiig anoll.er 31r"i)c<a:i:s raid that a foitnigl.t hence they would just bo a- far forward as they who ai that moment. Mr. J mis BmiFinsox llitnight they h d taken the wisest cii-.rsc. Iγ cUirg the thirfc ttlicialy, they would be in a better position to raise ti; , scriptions lie was much disappointed to see sut'h a small number of Otiilmhu eettlcis pifsmt, Imt gJad that so many of the Mang:rei sctiltrs liod come, f.Tllitiv at least knew the value of good loads, for they liad to pay well for tlirm. II» had ottcn wondertd till bowns tired, that the liltrration now contcmi'lated had never been made, and when he saw the advertisement ho said it should have bt en cone long since, and w:is a step in the right direction. He bolievfd the matter would now assume a. more tanJble shape, and they would have something definite before them at the next meeting. Mr. J. IJalt, believed the subject lull been takrn up in earnest, and was i» the lunula of men who would carry it to a, euccess-ful issuo. Ho knew the Superintendent was willinc to do his part. The CiiAJMiiK lie was of a. different view before tho "eeling commenced, fcut he was now convinced they had tiiUen tho right cotir.-o, and that after all very little time would be lost. Mr. llai.i. suggested the propriety of opening a subscription list at once ; it was generally very difficult to get n meeting-together. Mr. U.u jiby begged to propose " That a subscription be entered into at once." 'iho deputation could then go to tho Superintendent and say " we have got so much towards the diversion." He did not think this would he a prematura step, but he would leave it to the meeting to say whether or not, it should be done. Mr. Anihip-Wk thought it would be wrong to commit themselves to u thing 'hey lcew nothing about. It might bo a div< rsion to Iho moon for nuf-lit they know nf pirsent. Hγ thought sueh a course would be crude as it might > i-l bo ioumt that the alteration wns ii'.t wanted li'is fiient.s know that ho was anxious to op. n up roads, but he alwnjs preferre<l facts to iv delusion. Let them know exac '. what they wcro going to do before pledging tliemL-fi-.es to iinvthino-. llavo it. first laid down that theio wan to bo'a diversion of tho ro H d, that it was a proper and desirable one, and that tho .- uperintendent had been consulted. The subscription list could then bo opened, and after that, if the settlers did not como up to the mark, they all deserved to bo summoned for for their subscriptions. Mr. J- Ut'iiEKTSOs agreed with the last speaker. It would be premature to open the list at present. Mr. BabsEtt was also of this opinion. There would bo a very "small amount to piveent to tho Superintendent, but if they waited a week longer, he, thoupht the. wholo amount required would bo raised. . . > : _ Mr. Ratiihy withdrew his motion. Messrs Robkiitsox and Bas-ett moved and. seconded "That, tho meeting stand adjourned, and that tho Chairman bo authorised to call a meeting for next Tuesday. ,, A vote of thanks having boon passed to tho Chairman, tho meeting separated. ,