DAMAGE TO ROADS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 852, 28 August 1933, Page 3

DAMAGE TO ROADS.

Council’s Protest to Plantation Board. INVOCATION OF ACT? A hint that powers conferred under the Public Works Act might be invoked was contained in a letter received by the Selwyn Plantation Board this morning from the Selwyn County Council. The letter charged the board with damaging the council’s roads by the cartage of timber and firewood. The matter caused some concern, and was discussed at length, Messrs C. H. Adams and G. Hall being appointed a committee to meet the council and report to • the board. The board's superintendent (Mr R. G. RobinsoiV) characterised the letter as a wholesale condemnation of the cartage of timber, and said that the time would be ripe for a complaint when damage was done. The letter stated that the council viewed wfith concern the damage to the roads under its jurisdiction caused and likely to be caused by the extraordinary traffic constituted by the transport of timber and firewood from the board’s plantations. There was no doubt that the transport of the timber was causing, and was likely to cause, extraordinary expenses in repairing roads used. Amicable Settlement. “ I would call your attention to sections 173 and 174 of the Public Works Act, 1928, which give the council full power to deal with the matter,” continued the letter, which went on to state that the council was anxious to arrange the matter if possible in an amicable spirit, and it might be possible to come to some agreement without invoking statutary powers. The letter added that the council was aware that the board’s superintendent had stated that no damage had been done or was likely to be done, buf 4 the council was unanimous in stating that damage had been done. It was suggested that the chairman and superintendent of the board should meet the chairman and clerk of the county council, so that the damage done could bf pointed out as a preliminary move towards a settlement. The superintendent said he did not say there was no prospect of any damage being done. He had said that no damage was done so far, and Mr G. Hall, a member of the board and a resident of the locality, agreed with him. Mr Adams said that sometimes damage was done and other traffic came along and smoothed it out, but the damage was done, although it did not show. Reasonable Request. The chairman (Mr W. Stewart) said the council’s request was a reasonable one, and the council should be given an opportunity to put its case before the board. Mr Robinson said he had never seen the council’s roads in better condition during the fifteen years he had been in the locality. Some of* the roads quoted had not been used for. the transport of timber. Mr R. Nairn suggested that *if the discussion were reported in the newspapers the board would be placed in the position of having placed its cards on the table too soon. If a conference were to be held, nothihg should be said beforehand. Ihe secretarj l - (Mr C. W. Hervey) said the vehicles referred to did not belong to the board, but were operated by men under contract to the board. Mr Stewart: It would reflect on us. [f the council blocked the roads we would have to review our royalty contracts.