THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 196, 4 October 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE.

MONDAY. <MT. 1. 1009 ONGARUE - STRATFORD RAILWAY. THE annual scramble for grants for public works is about to begin and a strenuous effort should bo made to have a sum placed on the Estimate? for starting the Ongarue-Stratfcr i iir.o at the Northern end. Jusi a? •':.■;- main roads in other districts are i.he-

most important works in their resyr-c----tive localities, so is the railway from Ongarue the paramount work of :':.'■ Ohura. It is easy for th<- iritita : to understand why the eternal cry < : the outback settler is for road.--, road-.

roads. A journey of a few miles from ; the Main Trunk railway—in some cases of a few yards—is quite sufficient to forcibly impress upon the comprehension of the traveller the di»-e necessity of the settler for means of transit, and the flippant allusions by townsmen to country members of Parliament as "mere roads and bridges members" would take a new complexion, did the said townsmen experience one winter in the backblocks. Throughout this district, notwithstanding the rapidly growing settlement, and despite the existence of unlimited supplies of metal, our main thoroughfares exist as rivers of mud in winter, and constitute an effectual bar to traffic. In the Ohura the position is even worse than elsewhere, from the fact that metal is practically unobtainable, and the only hope of procuring suitable roaling metal is by means of the railway from Ongarue. In other districts the hope is always cherished that the natural advantages in the shape of metal supplies will some day appeal to the powers that be, and proper roading be carried on in earnest. To the Ohura settlers such hope is denied; hence the vital importance of agitating for the starting of the railway from Ongarue. Notwithstanding the opinion of the Hon. R. McKenzie, that it was advisable to concentrate the work on the Southern end of the line irrefutable arguments can be advanced against the adoption or continuance of such a policy. The starting of the railway from Ongarue at the earliest possible time means so much to the Ohura that the settlers should adopt every possible means to convert the Minister for Public Works to a more rationatl frame of mind. Constant and unremitting attention and agitation through every possible channel will be necessary, and in clamouring with the loudest the settlers will only be subscribing to the Ministerial dogma. A railway 70 or 80 miles distant at the rate of two or three miles a year will manifestly be of littl? use to the present generation of settlers, who in the meantime must wallow in the mud and remain cheerful under untold disabilities; their industries cramped and progress reduced to a minimum. All this because of the casual opinion of a man who has looked at a map, and has no acquaintance with local conditions. Fortunately Mr Jennings has ah intimate acquaintance with the district and the realisation of the best interest* of the district and of the Dominion led him to advocate in no uncertain manner the starting of the work at the Northern end. The member emphatically declared his intention of ventilating the subject on the floor of the house, and his efforts should be supported by every settler in the district. A deputation to Wellington backed by the unanimous voice of the settlers should do much to assist in the matter. The time is ripe for decided action. The- importance of the work is sufficient to warrant the utmost effort. It is to be sincerely hoped that effort will be made without delay.