A BACKBLOCK GRIEVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 3

A BACKBLOCK GRIEVANCE.

Sir, —As I think you must have some sympathy for the backblocker in God's, so-called, Land, kindly give notice to tlio • following' complaint, if 1 may so term-it. I may mention that through a groat doal of Poverty Bay there have boon erected a largo niileago of telephone linos, and noarly ,all by piivato enterprise. Thoso connect with tho different Government bureaux, and are tho only means of communication moat backblockors have, except by a weekly or fortnightly mail, or through the proverbial bog-hole and over swollen rivers during the winlct. Now, surely wo are entitled to some consideration as regards tho use of tho bureau connections. When any message is sent through tho bureau'on to another lino we havo to pay tho usual rates. Considering tho Government get' some revenue out of us, although wo constructed our own lines, and that they sold us the Ericcson machine nt, I oxpect, n good profit, it certainly seems hard that wo aro to bo taxed on our own industry to tho tunc of £4 10s. per annum each, which is the amount reported, mb to pas, and wliiub. I wont

pay, for I will cut the wire off to tho Government bureau before I pay such an extortionate rate. At the timo of last election wo heard great orations over the bad roads the backblocker had to endure, and the great consideration •io should receive, as lie was the backbone of tho country: In this littlo itcin I mention, it seems that littlo consideration the backblocker is going to get. I do hope some kind political friend on the Opposition side will give this matter his attention, and see what an ho dono for us, as many of us are on that ?sklc, and hope to continue there. Hoping this letter may find space in your columns at some future date.—l am, etc.. • BACKBLOCKER. East Coast, July G, 1910. ' . 1- .i——