MAKING A START 31 



except in the New Forest. Nothing but an Act 

 of Parliament would suffice to get it out of the 

 muddle. 



In introducing his Bill, Sir Henry Loch had 

 careful regard to the element in the Forest that 

 was so hostile to all or any proposals emanating 

 from the Crown, and induced the Treasury to allow 

 him to make a liberal offer with a view to obtain- 

 ing a settlement of the matter, without too strict 

 a regard to Crown interests. So he proposed to 

 the various local highway boards that all the 

 roads should be placed in good order by the 

 Crown, and certain new ones made, and that the 

 County Surveyor should be appointed arbitrator 

 to decide whether the work was properly done. 



Most of the boards accepted this offer, and 

 the Act was passed. We set to work, and in 

 about two years we had good roads and new 

 roads over three-fourths of the Forest. But 

 alas ! on the western side, nothing would induce 

 the rural board to come to terms, led as they 

 were by a gentleman whose hostility to all 

 Crown action was very marked. 



As the two principal main roads passed for 

 part of their course through this district, they 

 could only be repaired up to the boundary thereof, 

 and through communication was impossible. The 

 matter grew to be a considerable scandal. A 



