THE MANGERE ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7005, 30 April 1884, Page 5

THE MANGERE ACCIDENT.

I WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? We have made enquiries to find out what body, authority, or party is responsible for : the dargercu* state of the gravel pit at Man- ! gere mountain where Robert Pollock lost hi* life. At first sight it would appear that the Highway Board were responsible, as they receive fees for allowing oattle to depasture on the mountain and adjoining land, and the general impression, even iu the neighbourhood of trie district, is that the control of the mountain was vested in that body. Such, it appears, is not the case, although strong colour has been given to tbe supposition from the board having put up a notice prohibiting any person takiug gravel, scoria, timber, or other material from the mountain without the cousent of the Board, and this notice is posted at the approach to Mangere bridge. The Board have mdeed for some time been auxious to obtain the control of the hill, and have taken the proper means for that purposa. They were led to this step by the tact that not only were the gravel-pits used by the residents of the di»trict without any control or supervision, but by those in aJjoining districts, who not only took the material but cut up the roads by the heavy traffic with this metal. Iα the cours* of a conversation with Mr. W. Edwards, Clerk of the Mangere Highway Board, we have ascertained the nature of the steps taken for this purpose. In April, 1883, the Board applied to have the mountain constituted a recreation ground, and vested in trustees. In reply to this appiication the following reply was received from the Commissioner of Crown Lands : —" Memo, from Crown Lands Board, Auckland, April2s:h, 1883. The Chairman of Mangern District Board. Mangere,— Sir, — Your application of the 29th ult., to have the management of the Mangere Hill constituted a public recreation groand, and vested in certain trustees, has been recommended for the favourable consideration of the Hon. the Minister of Lands." The application with the recommendation referred to was duly forwarded from the Crown Lands Board to the Hon. the Minister of Lauds, but no action having been taken the Highway Board determined to appeal to the Minister of Lands, to whom they renewed their request, and they received the following reply, dated December 22, 1883 : — "Sir, —I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of tne 17th December relative to your application for the Mangere Hill to be constituted a reoreatiou ground, and in reply to inform you that there are native claims in coonpc tiou with the hill which will have to faadjusted before the laud can be dealt with —i have, Ac, H. W. Eliott, Undersecretary." There the matter ended, and tbe Board was left powerles* to act or enforce the prohibition, of which they had given notice. In defiance of the notice, metal was continuously carted away to Onehunsjsi, and adjoining districts, and when proceeding* were threatened, the Highway Board waa defiantly asked to show their authority. Of course, in the absence of any authority they were powerless to act. Now the question arises, has the Land Board the power to take action and enforce regulations to ensure the working of the gravel pits, so as to give rise to the least possible dang«r ; or, - iu consequence of the native title referred to j in the correspondence, must the matter reat solely with the Minister of Lands? The ([ueetion is of very cous:d< rabie interest, and the sooner it is settled the better for all parties, so that no iur'-Lw accident* may occur. We may add tnat the Landa Board have already exercised authority in regard to this mountain. The Mangero Board commenced to opeu a gravel pit on the face of the hill fronting Unehunga, and a resident in Ouehunga wrote to the Crown Lands Commissioner that the hill was being defaced Upon this an order was sent by Mr. Tole to the Highway Board, noc only prohibiting) further operations, but ordering that the" excavation should be tilled up, and this wae accordingly done. There should certainly be some eupervision of the working o: all these pita. They are more dangerous than mines, judging by the accidents which have occurred, and yet the Government appoint an Inspector of Minos, aud compel proper means of working to be adopted, but leave the unfortunates in the soria pits to their fate The jury at the inquest yesterday should have made some general presentation on tho •übject. If, as tuey say, the pit should be shut, up because it is uuadfe, then somebody is to blamo for ullowiag it to be worked while it was unsafe.