ROADS ADMINISTRATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 467, 22 May 1912, Page 5

ROADS ADMINISTRATION.

To th« Editor. Sir,- Kindly allow me space in you columns to express an opposite opinion to that mentioned in your issue of the 4th inst., under the heading "Roads Administration." I am in a position to say that changing the headquarters of the Road Department from Te Kuiti to New Plymouth has given universal satisfaction as far as the southwestern portion of the Awakino County is concerned; in fact, it is only about two months ago that tna matter was talked over here, and it was almost definitely decided to petition the Minister for Internal Affairs to make the change, not because of any dissatisfaction with the engineer in charge, but because it was felt that this district could be much better served from New Plymouth. We havt no direct mail service with Te Kuiti, and cannot get even a telephone connection, although it wa3 applied for months ago. The case of the Mangakakopu road cited by you is no argument in favour of control from Te Kuiti as, during six years of the seven-year period you mention, this road has (if I mistake not) been under the wing of the Te Kuiti office. Therefore it cannot possibly be the fauit of the New Plymouth authorities if the road has been neglected. Your persistency, sir, in advocating the claims of the back block road 3to more practical attention at the hands of the Roads Department merits the thanlo and support cf every settler, but the inference that the whole of the Awakino County would be better served from Te Kuiti cannot pass unchallenged.—l am, etc., C. LEECH.