ROAD OBSTRUCTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 11997, 4 September 1909, Page 7

ROAD OBSTRUCTIONS.

COUNCILLOR IN.. TROUBLE. "!■ At . yesterday's' meeting* "of- 'the Mackenzie County one.of the members' bt Sl'Smith, was'charged with obstructing the: pubroad road opposite his farm at Rocky iCutting, by making use of it as an 'implement .and general farm too| yard. Mr Rutherford said; that-life' had heaAl further complaints regarding implements having been left on ..the roadside by Mr Smith, and he understood that: air accident lias been narrowly averted. Had not .Mr .- Smith been told to clear away the obstruction, and to cease leaving his farm implements oh. the roadside?? The chairman said yes, lie had, been asked to remove them. Mr Rutherford: Then why has"he not. done so?, ... -^ ' Tljc' chairman said'lie should have done so; if was" very wrong, 'especially on the part of t a member of the" 'Council, to set such a bad example. . - - Mr Guthrie then "opened out" rather forcibly on 3lr Smith for thus offending He said that there were all, kinds of farm' requisites on ihe road ontside! Mr Smith's place, and besides the danger which these created, they looked very bad. Quite recently a horseman riding past got mixed up through his horse shying, anions t a tangle of. wire netting, posts and implements. It was a very bad .example for a member of the Council' 1 to set, and he would like to know whether Mr Smith was going to he allowed to defy the Council. "• Mr Smith said he did not know why i he should be singled 1 out for this persecution, which was a matter of personnl spitel Mr Rutherford said it was n<.ti>iu3 of the kind so far as he was concerned. Mr Pmith said he had mov.nl the implements back off the *oad-iine 'as •he had promised he would do, ijioi.gh he admitted there were a few potts 1 and some wire netting still on the j roadside. He had shifted Lis [ back, and had not gone beyjad the law ii: doing so. Mr Guthrie: That' is .iiirotioiiu' .'?.* Mr Smith: "Well, I am prepared'to challenge you at any time.'' The road, he said was a 2-chain one aad lie had shifted his fence back- so that the implements were on his own private property, and were across a big | ditch that was there, this providing a I protection to the travelling public. He I moved that Mr Guthrie be given notice to remove the obstructions which he had' on the public road, in the shape of gates arid stables. They must all be treated alike.

Mr Guthrie said they should settle Mr Smith's case first. The way Mr Smith left his implements about the road, constituted an eyesore and a disgrace. He suggested that the chairman should goiip and inspect the obstructions. The chairman emphatically declined, saying that he had no intention oi meddling in bucli petty things. Addressing Mr Smith, he said: A\ hat ar© you going to do in this matter Mr Smith i 1 can't understand how any member of the Council could give any shadow of reason for such a complaint as this. Mr Smith Baid it was all a question of what constituted a nuisance. He failed to see that there was any nuisance. The chairman: You should not haggle over the matter; why not remove the obstruction. . Mr Guthrie said that the implements which Mr Smith had removed back a yard or two on to his boundary still constituted a legal nuisance. The chairman said that was not so, and he asked Mr Guthrie to yuote his authority. ••....■ Mr Guthrie promised to do so after the meeting, but did not *do so. He said it was an offence under the Police Offences Act. Mr Schlacpfer said tho implements had been removed back from the road, but they were not ornamental as now placed. The chairman: I am ashamed of the whole business.

Mr Guthrie said that if they allowed Mr Smith to defy them, the general public would do likewise. - .Mr..* Smith..then promised .t0,., move the 'posts and netting still remaining on the roadside, but said he would insist that Mr Guthrie be made to renioye the stable which he had hiiilt on? the roadline. He explained that lie had left his implements at the'roadside:, because it. was the only stand he ■ could get--for ithem near his homestead. :% Mr Guthrie moved that; Mr ' Smith be given one week in which to remove the and failing this, that the : Coiincil take action agninst him. ■ The chairman said hey did not : w>sh f o T»"«ht'>e matter too far/'and as?; Mr Smith had promised to comply with the request, Mr Guthrie; might withdrhwhis niotion. '-:'; -''--, ; . ': -Mr-Gnthrie nereed to do so and the matter was allowed to drop with ;a final reniark by Mr Smith. thn|i he would see that similar meted out to Mr- Guthrie. ..;