CORRESPONDENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1927, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

SOUTHERN ROADS AND ACCESS,

(.To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln your article of Sept. 17th you referred to a resolution passed at the last meeting of the County Council, namely, the new route Irom Lower Wataroa to Little Wanganui, and you state that the differences of opinion expressed over the matter were satisfactorily settled. In this your article is misleading, 'liie Mataroa banners Union pointed out to the Council that it was opposed to the route, ami also that it was useless tor southern stock drovers. r \ hey are still not satisiiod with the Council’s action. Your article in an in-and-out style goes on to point out the main South Road .should have gone a different route, closer to the beach. In advancing the new road, your writings can only he termed a colossal mass of inconsistencies and piffle. For years the

“ Guardian ” has advocated the improvement of the present main South Road, and has unceasingly asked for for bridging of rivers and creeks, and now when the work is nearing completion you advocate a new road. Think, would any sane Government contemplate stalling a parallel road on a strip of country about I*2 miles wide!

Whether the engineers were wrong or not in the route they chose for tiic main South Road. I oiler no opinion, but when flic bridges were elected oil ilie present site the opportunity of a different load was lost for ever. Surely you and the members of the Westland County Council know Clint, the road in dispute leads to nowhere unless the Wataroa river is bridged again, an expenditure that would run into many thousands of pounds. One striking inconsistency in your and the Councirs attitude, is that a lew years ago when the Harihari settlers tried hard for the Bold Head road, the Westland County Council, and the "Guardian” were against Hie proposal at every turn. Wo would refer you to a speech of the member for Westland, in Hansard No. IS, this session, wherein Mr Soddon puts up a loiceiul argument lor the extension of liie railway into South Westland. Wo would respectfully ask licit through your paper you would back up. bis efforts, and suggest that instead of advocating a duplicate road, the extension of the railway into South Westland be urged.

1 am. etc., R. GUNN, President. Wataroa Branch Farmers’ Union Matainui. September 2 : itb. 1R27.