"HAPPY EKETAHUNA."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 542, 24 June 1909, Page 5

"HAPPY EKETAHUNA."

3 ■. St—Under the heading , "Happy Eketa--8 htnta" yon;report a statement made by Mr! c Massey_ -'in' the House of Representatives, 1 wEich, if not taken notice'of, may create a ! wrong impression in the minds of . yout > readers who may not know the facte. He 1 quoted, from toe Eketahuna "Express" a ! statement made by the chairman of the * Eketahuna 1 Comity Council, ."that it was 1 time a protest was made against the/ex- ' penditure of the ltoads Department on un- •' nedeissaiy thoroughfares in the , district. Roads were being constructed which were not 1 for or needed, and the upkeep of which, would, be a burden on the locaF au- • thoritios." : \ . . ~ Mr. Massey asked, was there another district in the Dominion where the chairman of a local body found it necessary to protest, against farther, expenditure of public money.' on roads; and bridges ? i This, latter question is . misleading, as your readers will see, when compared with the newspaper report given'.in the first portion of this'letter. Mr. -Maisscy omitted the word "unnecessary" before roads, and added the word •"bridges," of wliich no mention'was mado, and thus altered the .meaning very considerably. The protest was made, not against the further ' expenditure of public money in this distrirt on ; roads .and bridges, , but against expending money on-particular roads which the oouncil considered not necessary. At this . particular time we could not get assistance for, other roads that' were urgently needed 10 ,'give : settlers access to their, sections in the | backblocks. Mr. Hogg was interviewed, and the .road that was .'situated- within - our county .has not been p'rooecded with. The remarks °made> by, Mr. Masse;,. Ii have no doubt, were: mado.when lie was endeavouring-, to. get a ' thrust at a political. opponent, but they, are, nevertheless, an injustice to a district settled ■ chiefly by small dairy aiid sheepfarmejs,; arid many of them will be'greatly surprised that one who is championing the interests; of the small-'farmer should make such a misleading statement. . ' ' ' At tho opening of a bridge, sonie years ago, the-Hon. Hall-Jones, after-being driven over a large- area Of ;our roads, said the -settlers wore to be congratulated on : the roads the Government had made for them. He was very much when he" was informed that tee settlers had formed, and" metalled these*roads out of loan ■' • moneys, without assistance from the Government, 'and had not only formed and metalled roads to give access' to' their own properties, but also to thousands of acres of Crown 'lands. The settlers also roaded the ■ timber reserve at Nireaha,. from which the Government -sold the cutting rights for-timber of some 600 1 acres at' £16 per; acre. , . - '• The humber of loans raised'in this county % is - 54, totalling £35,403, and this alone < should show, the sclf-reliance that -has been ' showniby the settl6rs;of:this district. ,I fosl i snre , tbat ; had' Mr. Massey known tie fuil i particulars that he Would not have made such < a 'Statement, even though to get at an od- '( ponent.—l am, .etc., ; • ' : THOS. MOSS, S .Chairman Eketahuna County. ' Eketahnna, June 21: .]