COASTAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 448, 19 June 1902, Page 3

COASTAL CORRESPONDENCE.

A CORONATION SUGGESTION

(To the Editor of the Times)

e Sin,—-I should like to suggest that n prominent place in the procession migl be given to tho surfacemen who have bee r recently discharged by the County Corn r cil, who have apparently devoted the e last £SO to an object which is at its be: 6 simply a matter of amusement for tho; 1 who are fortunate to live in or near towi ' The out-of-work roadmen might appro 3 priately be followed by as many sorrowfu '' looking back-block settlers as can struggl • through the mud to see tho last remnar 6 of the Council funds frittered awa; J Room might also be found for tho tw hundred or more roadmen who, before th ] County went jingo mad, were employe ' in this district in opening up the bac 3 blocks, but who are now dispensed wit. * owing to the fact that the iunds whic! j kept them at work havo been expended ii raising the pay of members of Parliament in Royal visits, military displays, am Coronation festivities. It will, no doubt , be a consolation to a frontier settler ti . know that a band is sweetly playing in at ornamental rotunda fifty miles away although perhaps if the money were de voted to building a refuge for aged poo: it might have a deoper personal in terest for them. Tho contemplatior of this aspect of affairs does noi tend to a feeling of enthusiastic loyal by in thoso who have been deprived of thei) means of earning a living, or in those settlers who are dependent upon their labors for the means of transport which enable ♦hem to bring their produce to market, Nor does this conduct of affairs tend to that good feeling between town and country men which should exist. Townsfolk cannot always outvote countryfolk on these matters, but to use their power in this way is to level themselves with the citizens of London, who are now spending millions in barbaric display while thousands of the most miserable creatures on earth are starving at their back doors. It is an old and true saying that every country is governed as well as it deserves to be, and if the late action of the County Council suits the country settlers this is just the kind of Council they deserve. If otherwise, ife will be well if the division list; on the Coronation vote should be carefully remembered at the next election. It may also be possible that the conduct of the Government may come under review on a similar occasion. No one except those who are unfortunate enough to have to try to use them can have any idea of the state of the back country roads. The new Department of Roads seems to have been called into existence solely for the purpose of stopping all road works. Hardly anything has been done by it for the last six months, even to maintain works already constructed ; works are fast going to rack and ruin for want of maintenance. Of course, the usual reply of both Council and Government, is that no funds are available, but while funds are at call to pay for or subsidise any form of showy distraction for the benefit of the towns, country people aro not willing to be put off with any such excuse. The truth is probably that there is a certain amount of money available for road works, and that it will be allocated to those districts which are most strenuous in their demands for it. One thing is certain, that far out settlers are perfectly sick and tired of promises which are apparently only made to be evaded or explained away. Unfortunately they have no means of expressing dissatisfaction that will be attended to except the ballotbox, but it is sure that the requirements of back-block settlers for roads—not political works, but roads which are urgently wanted to drive stock and haul produce on—must receive greater attention in the immediate future, or such settlers will be compelled to consider whether a change in the representation of the district is not desirable. —I am, etc., Back-blockeb.