MANUREWA STOCK ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18772, 28 July 1924, Page 5

MANUREWA STOCK ROAD.

Sir, —In Mr. Sexton's reply to " Progress " ra a stock road through Manures, ho lays stress on the vote at a meeting of ratepayers. Certainly, ho was not to blame that the attendance was so poor—l think about twenty-four out of between three and four hunt'xed on the roil. In future the meetings will be well watched, for the Wildest imagination did not conceive thatv so expensive and ridiculous a proposal as Mr. Sexton States would ba carried. The land allowed to be used as a temporary stock road, after being fenced' and notice boards erected at. the ratepayers' expense, proved to ba useless, as the board could not bring cattle on to private property, At tb»i» meeting called to discuss fcho matter, one of ths two owners of tho track in question, offered to give his portion for a road; the owner of the remaining portion declined to sell his part, and the board has since decided to taka it under the Publio Works Act. Mr. Sexton is well aware that any local measure adopted am only be temporary. Already the powers that be arc planning to keep the cattle off the main reads.' The old railway track under offer, and the portion to be taken under thu Public Works Act, is simply a 6coria track. It would cost hundreds of pounds to make it into a road to comply with the board's requirements. Tho ratepayers know only too well that once this track is dedicated, constant pressora 'will be brought to bear to have it formed to its proper width with footpaths, etc. Manurewa is a go-ahead little town, working people in the large majority, and there is a limit to the amount one can pay in I would suggest that we make passable the raads we have, attend to water and drainage matters, before assisting to put roads through private property. I for one, strongly object, to helping to cut up properties; ,the owner reaps all the benefits, even if he given the land for a road not needed. The jsooner we form a ratepayers association l;he better for Manurewa. Watchbe. \