A DISGRACEFUL STATE OF THINGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 10

A DISGRACEFUL STATE OF THINGS.

Sir,—Will you' kindly allow me space in. your valuable columns that I may mako public the neglect of our--County Council? Here'we are living in a county wkere metal'is. to. be,,found in abundance, in-fact- the, road., is simply sur-. rounded by metal. have, to pay rates, and. if .'.. we happen to be one ,'day overdue .we are. charged ten per ' cent, extra.. And what do: wo get. in return? Nothing in most cases. . We ratepayers on the . Matarawa-Woo'dsidb. Koad -.'-seem, to get nothing : in return for', our rates. Our road .was formed, I. might say, over twenty odd years ago,, and only on one' little, part has there been' any metal placed by the council at. all, and Unit even has never-been attended to-since it ■was laid, which. I might- say was a- good, : many years ago. Now, sir, what I want to know is this: Do';,you think, it fair that .wo should,be. charged rates and' never get hardly a sixpence laid out on; pur, roads? Our roads,. I might say,' arein a disgraceful.; state; mud Vand deep : ruts everywhere.- :' IVo-- write letters- : to: the County. Council : to ask them to,' I 'do. something in' tho matter, arid they - only seom to laugh at thenu So what-are! we to do? Our worthy local, councillor .came over our. road.the -summer .before last, and.then.-went:back-.and reported: at. themeeting, that our. road -was,, in. good"or-, der. : Well, sir,'w'hat,road .on' earth is' not in good order in. the summer? 'Can you''tell '.me one that is not? 'Sir, 'ifmetal .was-'not to be ' got for miles around, well then.it would be different. But hero we live surrounded by metal, the only place that has nono .is the road,, ,;Tho furthermost metal pit is not more that -a mihvand a quarter, away, and we. have to plunge through mud nearly. 1 up to our -knees nearly all the . year round, 'just' to. please 'the' councillors: I wish you would send a reporter along—] it would fairly astonish him to see:such a road. . It is not more than about seven furlongs of mud, so it .would/- not cost ; very much to metal it. - I. think,it. is pure negligence on the. part of the councillors, not having had it. metalled years ago. Don't yon.,think.i sir, that the law. should pass'-'i an Act .that' no; ratepayer, need pay- hisvor .her rates, in.,-cases ; :like >io above.one?. ; T just' think; it would .'awaken' some of these sleepy, councillors. If wo were to -fetch' any'fair-minded man. forward and-show him the, two roads, the one coming-our .way and .the .one which 'certain councillors:; travel-on,-he would: be- fairly amazed, at the: difference of the two. I'will admit;that more, ratepayers live on. the other road referred to, but then'our piece is not .onetenth the length of the other. i. Well, sir, if the councillors have any go in them at nil, I think thjs ought to, move them a little. :As the facts of this letter are well known about here, I need not be afraid to'sign my name. ■ Thanking you for your kindness,—l am, etc.,. ... , .. . ,L. J.STEATFOED. '; Matarawa. September 5,.-1910. i ...;