THE MAIN ROAD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 971, 6 September 1871, Page 2

THE MAIN ROAD.

[to the editor.]

■ Sir — I have react the letterdn this morn* ing's paper, signed by " One who knows the Country,'' and I must say I endorse every word so far as he goes, but I do not think hojias.gone far enough in nhowine the great objection against the OmotuHidtn ronte.nHe says that the distance between Marsden and Greymonth will be only, 11 miles. ; The County Chairmansays 12i miles,* whilst I affirm that it will exceed 13 miles, via Meehan's store. This route traverses the roughest and most broken country in the Grey district, independent of crossing an insurmountable range. If the Greymouth people persist in having the road made via the Omotumotu Creek, and the General Government allow the public money to be squandered hi doing so, it will be found when itt is completed that it will be nearly useless, excepting for cattle, ad- the gradients will be so steep (some reported to be one in ten, with a long reach), that few will a /ail themselves of it. Is it right, then, that public money should be thus wasted? or was it right to mislead the Commissioners by giving them to understand ther6 v were no engineering difficulties to bo encountered via Omotumotu as to which course would the better .subserve the mining interest ? " One. who knows" has fully shewn that the country between the Limestone and Grey mouth is likely to be of more value than the other, and as to the agricultural capabilities of the country, it has long been known to contain some of the finest land in the County, but independent of any advantages that are to be found via Welshman's, the great saving is in distance, for whilst one is fully 13 miles, the other would not exceed 7 miles, or thereabouts, and making it direct -would save at the least six, if not seven thousand pounds, besides having a level road nearly all the way. Now if the Greymouth people are so anxious to benefit the mining interest, why not make it as short a distance as possible, so that the cost of conveying goods to the, centre of the district Bhould be reduced, and men thereby enabled to live for less. This would have been one way to benefit the mining community, and the other way would have been to have spent the '■ surplus money which would Lave been thereby sa ved in making from 20 to 30 miles of cross roads in the district. The thanks of the Colony at large are due to " One who Knows- the Country" . for bringing this subject again before the public, for it must be remembered- that there are others interested besides Greymouth people. There are the inhabitants in the back country who want their provisions delivered to them -at the lowest possible price, and that cannot be : if they are hawked nearly double the distance. Again, why should the Colony be put to double the expeuse ? Are six or seven thousand pounds of no value ? If there was an equivalent to be had by doing so there might be some reason ; but when it will only tend to make provisions so much the dearer, the sooner the Greymouth people reconsider this subjedt and come to the conclusion to make it direct so much the more advantageous it will be to the mining interest as well as their own. ■i lam, &c., ■ .. .-: -,■■'■ ■•- N.R.