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THE ROAD THROUGH BAGOT'S GAP.
PUBLIC MEETING.
A meeting was held at Linfoot's Hotel, on Saturday
evening, the 10th instant, to take into consideration the
necessity of memorialising the Central Board of Mam
Roads to case the above road, which is on the schedule
of main lines, to be put in passable repair. Several of
the leading farmers of the neighborhood were present.
Mr. Jas. Habvet, of Nain Farm, being unanimously
voted to the chair, opened the proceedings by reading the
advertisement f orconvening the meeting, and said he had
been a resident in the district for many years, and had
?paid a great price for his land on the faith that the
road in question would be kept on the schedule of
main lines, which would not only be a convenience to him,
but the settlers eenerallv. It was true that the road
had recently been declared a main line, but instead of
any money being spent on it to make it passable, it was
expended on other parts through the influence
of Mr. Bright, who was an elected member for
the Central Road Board and a member for Stanley, to
suit political purposes. (Hear, hear.) £7,000 had
been voted through him for roads in the district
of Stanley, but nothing had been done to the road, in
question, which was one of equal importance. (Hear.)
The Surveyor on the Northern-road (Mr. Macaulay)
was somewhat to blame in the matter, whose duty it
was to state their requirements to the Board, and for
not doing so he was deserving of censure. (Hear.)
Since the memorial had been in course of signature
something had been done to the road, but it would be
of no purpose unless put in efficient repair. He could
speak feelingly on the subject, for his brother's life
had been sacrificed through the dangerous state of the
road. He and his family had bought thousands of
pounds worth of land in the district, and they had a
right to ask for something to be done to their roads.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. James Macnamaba would move the following
resolution — ' rhat the present condition of the main
line of road from Bagot's Gap necessitates immediate
action on the part of the numerous settlers on the line
to obtain frontf the Central Board of Main Roads
the necessary funds for the purpose of placing it
in a fit state of repair, and this meeting pledges
itself to use every effort in furtherance of such
object.' It was hardly necessary for him to speak of
the disgraceful and dangerous state it was in at present,
for it was patent to every one residing on and near the
line. (Hear, hear.) The Board had shamefully ne
glected them, and Mr. Macaulay had not done his duty
either, for he ought to have represented the state of
the road to the Board long since. (Hear.) He had
heard that Mr. Bankine, one of the nominee members
of the Central Road Board, had said that the Govern
ment were against them, because they would not form
themselves into a District Council. He (Mr. Bankine)
was a member for the North, and ought to know their
requirements — (hear) — without compelling them to
form a District Council, as it was a main road, and
the duty of the Government to make it whether they
formed a District Council or not. (Hear, hear.) The
Chairman was correct in«aying that two Lives had been
lost through the dangerous state of the road, which
would never have occurred if the stumps had even been
grubbed. (Hear.) That, he thought, was a sufficient
reason alone why the Board should place the road in
repair, and they should agitate the matter, and if the
Board refused to assist them, they should ask some
where else. (Hear.) He had much pleasure in moving
the resolution.
Mr. John Laintoll seconded, and spoke of the dan
gerous and almost impassable state of the road.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. Eli Gastlin proposed the following resolution : —
mat luis uuwiiuig in or opinion, and spe&KS it Wltn
regret, that Mr. Macaulay, as surveyor, has, for the
most part, forfeited its confidence, in having shown
most unaccountable apathy and neglect towards the
road in question.' He disapproved of Mr. Macaulay's
conduct in ignoring the claims of the district as he had
done. He and many others had to go three miles out
of their way to get to Kapunda, owing to the bad state
of the road. He had seen three loads capsied on it in
one day, and all at the same time. (' Yes, quite true.')
He had repaired one place himself, and thought that
the neighbors were going to assist, but they had not
done so because it was the duty of the Government to
do it. (Hear.) It was impossible to go to Kapunda or
Freeling stations with their produce unless they went a
long way round.
Mb. P. White, in seconding, said the farmers re
siding at Bagot's Gap had been there 14 years, and
never had a road to convey their produce to market.
Persons travelling on the road in question in its present
state were endangering their lives, and the Central
Road Board, and Mr. Macaulay as well, were deserving of
censure for the manner in which they had treated the
district. Mr. Bright, the member for Stanley, had got
money voted for roads in his district from the public
revenue, and they were justly entitled to have their
main roads made likewise. (Hear.)
Mr. Charles Davey said he was glad to find, from
the resolution placed in his hands, that the proposed
Committee were all old hands in the district. He had
s?en a person travelling on the road in question that
very day who had his horse's shoulder dislocated from
falling down. It was an impossibility to travel over it,
or go to either Bail way Station with their produce in
its present state. He considered Messrs. Bright and
Bankine had been too apathetic towards them, and
would condemn them accordingly. (Hear.) Land on
the line of road had realised £3 10s. per acre on the
faith of its being a main line. He would propose the
following resolution : — 'That the following memorial
be forwarded to the Central Board of Main Roads, and
that Messrs. Harvey, Gamlin, Macnamara, White,
Davey, and James O'Loughlin, form a Committee for
obtaining signatures and otherwise promoting the
object.'
The Chairman then read the following memorial :—
' To the Chairman and Members of the Central Board
of Mam Roads.
' The memorial of the undersigned landholders and
others, residing between Kapunda and Sheaoak
Log, respectfully showeth —
' That your memorialists beg to state that the road
recently placed on the schedule of main lines, leading
from Linfoot's Hotel to Sheaoak Log and Gawler, is
one of great importance.
' That a portion of it from Linfoot's Hotel through
the Gap to King's Belt is impassable for vehicles of any
description, and is dangerous to life and limb, in con
sequence of which your memorialists, who are mostly
farmers, are prevented from availing- t.nATnuAliroa «f f-.o
railway accommodation at Freeling and Kapunda for
the conveyance of their produce unless by in airing a
considerable detour.
' That the said road, or part complained of, could be
denned and repaired for a moderate outlay, which, if
done, would be of great advantage to the neighbor
hood.
' Your memorialists, therefore, pray your honorable
Board to put the said part of the road into passable
repair as soon as possible.
' And your memorialists will ever pray, &c.'
Mr. John Babber, in seconding, said he had bought
his land on the faith of the road complained of being a
main line and kept in passable repair, and blamed the
Road Board for not doing so long since — (hear) — who it
appeared had quite ignored their claims. Their forming
themselves into a District Council had nothing to do
with the matter, for the road in question was on the
schedule of main lines.
The resolution being put to the meeting, was carried
nem. con.
Mr. Geoege Davey proposed the next resolution
— 'That a deputation comprising the members for
the district be respectfully requested to present the
memorial to the Central Road Board, and urge the
claims of this road on the Board's attention.' He
thought but little was required to urge their claims, for
the road was in a shameful and neglected state, and the
Government ought to repair it the same as they did
other mainlines. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Michael O'Brien, in seconding, said he fully
concurred with all the previous speakers had said,
and it was the duty of the members for the district as
well as the Central Road Board to see that their
interests were attended to.
Mr. Edward Fudge supported the resolution, and
in doing so censured the Central Road Board, and
their Surveyor for the manner in which the road had
been neglected.
Mr. Gamlin proposed a vote of thanks to the
Advertiser and Chronicle for sending a reporter to
report their meeting. They were the farmers' papers,
and had fought their battle against the squatting
interest.
Mr. James Macnamara, in seconding, said the
Advertiser and Chronicle were truly the farmers'
papers; and at every gathering the farmers ought to
return thanks to the Hon. J. H. Barrow.
The resolution was carried unanimously, and re
sponded to by Mr. J. M. Bichards on behalf of those
journals.
The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman termi
nated the proceedings, which were very orderly
throughout. ?
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