PENINSULA ADVANCEMENT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 611, 23 May 1882, Page 2

PENINSULA ADVANCEMENT.

Sir, —I was certainly amused by your leader of Friday last. You say that the fight between the Council and the Road Boards is an outside one, and the interest of the public should not suffer. This is the first time that I have heard that the Council and tbe Boards were at war, and if such was the case, I think tbat any right minded man's war cry should be advance the Peninsula. If there is the slightest chance of war being declared between the Council and the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board, I, a3 their Chairman, shiill be quite willing to meet the Chairman of the Council, and bury tbe hatchet until we have the iron horse snorting on our shore, looking for his stable, and if it is buried a little deeper then so much the better ; but como Mr Editor, why not get the Government to spend the £20,000 on ;he tunnel, that it would take to make the Summit road, I may say that I am thoroughly acquainted with every inch of the Summit road, and feel quite certain that there are only three portions of it of any particular value to tho travelling public ; these are from Garwood's house to the Finger Post, which is at present one of tbe widest and best roads on the Peninsula. To make from there to join the Little Akaaloa road, and from that to Le Bon's Saddle would, I think, only be wasting money, as tbe distance round the Summit road would be considered too

great, and in the winter time would be completely shut with snow for weeks together. The other portion, from Le Bon's to Long Bay Saddle, is the Le Bon's Bay people's only road. Now, Mr Editor, while on tho subject of roads, I think ii there were a monster petition got up and sent to the Government, taking care to point out the excellence of our harbor, the sapping that would frequent it, it would do good. It is well known that both the Lyttelton wharves and 1 ail way are now used to their utmost to keep the shipping going, and surely the Lyttelton people would not begrudge us the crumbs that will have to fall from their table if things in the shipping line keep on advancing as they have done of late. Taking into consideration the fearful loss of life and property at Timaru that are so often occuring, does it not seem the easiest way out of the difficulty to make use of what nature has given, and what is allowed by the best authorities to be one of the best harbor* in the world. All that is wanted to utilise it is a bit of a tunnel! Have we not got to pay our quota towards the loans ? Why should we be shut out then from the plains ? We should join hand in hand in the good work, and put the matter before Parliament in such a manner that it would be impossible for them to refuse it. Mr Editor, the railway to Akaroa harbor would not be a white elephant as some of the Lyttelton crokers try to make us believe, but a blessing to captains, seamen, and Insurance companies, and a boon to the Peninsula district. Who came here into the wilds of the bush where nothing but tho wild hogs could live? Brave hearts v/ere they that faced the difficulty and have brought the Peninsula to its present perfection. The hills are now studded with sheep and cattle, when twenty years arfo nothing was seen but lawyers and supplejacks. There has nevor been a Government yet in power that has voted this little spot its fair share of money ; but friends, we must agitate and try to put something in oar William's hands, no matter whether for roads or railways, that will show them that we are not always in a comatose state, and that we no longer deserve to be called sleepy hollowites. Hoping this will bring some abler penß than mine into the field.— Yours, etc.,

E. S. CHAPPELL.