King Country Chronicle Wednesday, January 31, 1912. THE ROAD QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 435, 31 January 1912, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, January 31, 1912. THE ROAD QUESTION.

The pressing need for roads in the district is universally recognised and settlers in all localities are bestirring themselves and taking action to have their roads metalled. A remarkable factor in the awakening of the settler is the £ for £ subsidy which has of lato been granted in respect to all our metalling loans. The result lias been highly satisfactory hitherto, and it is to be sincerely hoped there will lie no slackening of effort on the part of those settlers who have not already availed themselves of the opportunity afforded under the State-Guaranteed Advances Act. (.'lnngf s of Government may ensue," but it is safe to predict that whatever party may handle the reins of otlicc an active and sympathetic rending' policy must, be pursued. The

development of the country in every respect is of ilrst importance, and however blind the respective parly leaders may appear in some aspects each mint know that every additional

icre of virgin country brought to tl

productive stage must mean an addi tional and increasingly valuable asse Ui the country. At; the sum." 1 time i

ha? to be borne, in mind that th r ) lim

tations of any Government in this respect are sharply defined and governe; by the financial aspect of the question, and what may be possible for :

Government during one year may oe utterly impossible during the next. It is undoubtedly sound policy, from either the public or the private point, of view, far the settlers to raise as much public money as possible for

metalling purposes. The point cannot be tun strongly emphasised that those, roads have got to be metalled before.

prosperity ean reach the district. Fvery yard of metal placed on the road means that much closer to the time when the settler will be able to conduct l.is business under reasonable conditions ami with a fair chance of success. Taking the. case of Tangitu, which is a fair .sample, of the. conditions attaching to recently - opened

settlements in the district. The land is good, the sections are small ami lit only for dairying. In any other style of farming the settler would not have

a chance to succeed. The one requirement vital to the dairying industry is transit the best possible means of transit between the farm and factory ami the best possible means of transit between the factory and market. From

factory to market the railway ma

serve From farm to factory means

metalled roads. Tangitu. moreover, as we, have previously pointed out suffers from the fact that a main road crista between the railway and tho settlement. The fact that it is a road in name only does not tend to alleviate the suffering which, is going to become mure and more acute as

the road becomes more and more necessary to the propsorily of the place. Action should lie taken at once and Hie. onus obviously lien witli the s-Ttler who is the most, vitally interest ed person concerned. The, Government; is also deeply interested, but it has many roads, end oilier small matters to consider, while this particular main road is all that need occupy the Tangitn settlers' attention for Home time. The County Council is also somewhat interested seeing that it will probably have the spending of any money that may be expended on the road in future. 11, might, p:iy the settler to confer with the Council with a view to getting the work done in the best and most expedition. 1 ) manner possible. Whatever is decided upon should be put into force at once. Immediate action is necessary in the interests of all, and we trust the settlers will lose, no time in promoting | a workable sclr'ine.