THAT NEW ROAID.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 October 1927, Page 4

THAT NEW ROAID.

• (To the Editor.) Sir, —Will you he good enough to print a few remarits L wish to make in reference to your lending article of Sept. 29th, your article being in reply to rnv letter dealing with Lower Watu-ron-Little Wanganui proposed new road. I would have replied to you earlier, but the present is a busy time on the farm. Firstly, you say we are at variance with our brother settlers at Hnrihari. Admitted ; but with your knowledge ot public affairs you must know this is a weak argument.' Matters are bound to crop up in which neighbouring unions must agree to differ and my union intends to explain its attitude to the Hnrihari branch. Secondly, you say the new road would be of special benefit as a stock route. Just as emphatically I state it will never lie used by southern drovers. Thirdly, in your previous article you state the opinion was held by some that the engineers erred when they laid off the Main South road so close t:o the hills and that any roads made nearer the beach would eventually shorten the south road. Now you waver and say the new road would only be supplementary and adjunctive to the main road. You are clouding the issue when you accuse my union with denying access to settlers. They are divided in their opinions about the proposed new road. They already have two ways out. one by metal road to I within an hour’s drive of their holdings and the balance by good open river : bed. tit was stated at last Count'd meeting that the Wataroa was easily ! fordable at the Lower Gorge.) Anothei iby the Saltwater track, which the ..Westland Council recently voted money to repair. 1 must explain that my union was first brought into this bust ( ness to protest against the motion: before the Council which asked to hav<

grants shifted without consulting the settlers concerned. The settlers here and myself fail to see why you and a

councillor should sneer at the good roads on the flat. Ry your sneers you arc condemning the work of past councillors who helped in the development of our fine settlement. Anil yon leave the impression that Wataroa rates are cither insignificant or greatly in arrears. The writer admits that when you purport to see the Wataroa being bridged again within 6 or 7 miles of the present splendid structure, you arc much too far-seeing for him and therefore retires from the controversy feeling fairly confident that the Public Works Department will require more tangible evidence than either you or the Westland County Council have given, before they commit themselves to tho enormous expenditure that would he incurred in opening the new road you advocate. f am. etc., R. GUNN, President. Wataroa Urn itch of N.Z. Fanners’ Union. Mataimii. Oct. 10th. 1927. [There are none so blind as those who will not see, and our correspondent no doubt residing adjacent to good surfaced vehicle roads, is still denying his fellow settlors at Lower Waitangi and Lower "Wataroa the l ight to shorten egress with their stock. There are many square miles of already occupied, as well as new country, which the country will tap, and the country will he used for stock rearing—-and must ho brought out. The Harihari settlors concur m the view as to the utility of the road. So, also, the Government Survey authorities, and a splendid line for a road has been laid off. A great area of new country will lo served and surely the remote parts of Westland need opening up. The dog-in-the-manger attitude of a section of the settlers at Wataroa. already

well served with roads, in denying equal facilities to others, is really surprising and difficult to understand in | the light of the events as they appear Ito us.—Ed. “ G.”]