CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 222, 5 January 1910, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor. V Sir, —A great deal of trouble was taken by local residents and the (settlers generally to impress -on the Minister for Public Work the urgent Miecessity of commencing the various Inroad works of the district at an early date, particualrly the work of metalling the main road from Te Kuiti. TR considerable sum appears on the Estimates for the main road, and to - the uninitiated it would appear.that this important thoroughfare was receiving its fair share of expenditure, and that our outback settlers would be in a much better position during the corning winter than was the case last winter. Unfortunately, the difference between things as they seem and things as they really exist is very great. There are only a few months in the year when metal can be placed on "the road, and working at express speed the most that car be- expected is about three miles of metalling. Already a couple of months of good weather has passed and we can only look for another working period of about three months. Still the starting of the work seems as far off as ev§r. If the Government is in earnest in issuing the Estimates why is the u money not provided for the work? _lt P is high time somebody made a noise. Another point which -.you have drawn attention to in the "Chronicle" is that there is nothing known as to What work the County Council is to take in c. band and what is to be carried out by the Public Works Department. The failure of the Minister to make a definite arrangement in this respect is on a par with the Government's attitude all through, and notwithstandiiig .the votes on the Estimates, I, for one, >fespair of seeing anything worth while, done on the roads this year. We can understand the shortage of money and the difficulties of making provision for great expenditure for a time, but why endeavour to deceive the people? Such methods are not likely to inspire confidence, and unless promise is followed by performance, we shall be " justified in assuming that a barefaced attempt is being made to mislead the people. I trust that every effort will be made to agitate in this matter which is of the greatest importance to every settler in the districts —I am, etc., -BACKBLOCKER.