King Country Chronicle WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30, 1912 ROADING NATIVE LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 513, 30 October 1912, Page 4

King Country Chronicle WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30, 1912 ROADING NATIVE LANDS.

A ,oo familiar an pre I of the Hultlemnt of native lands in the district was again disclosed aI, the \- M \, meeting of the Woitomo County Council when an t application was received j"rorn a number of Kawsettlers joi* tin l , survey of a road to give accesa to thoir sections. The council has wisely decided to defer all applications of the sort to the engineer in order to report on the most suitable route for such roads, and incidentally to safeguard the council in view of the imminent danger of over-roading or badly roading the district for lack of a general, compre-

hensive scheme. The subject is one which will bear the most careful consideration on the part ot the authorities, and it is to be hoped tbo local bodies will use every effort to induce the Government to take in hand the matter of roading th: j roadless native iands. We have frequently urged the importance of the subject, and can only reiterate that the question is one which calls aloud for vigorous

action. The Government is merely skirting the edge of a great, question in providing for the roading of unoccupied land. Such provision ia necessary, and is indicative of a do-

aire to have settlement conducted on satisfactory lines. Unfortunately, the bulk of the native-owned land of the King Country has passed into European hands in an unroaded condition, and a problem lias been created which can only bo solved by Government action. The longer such action i." delayed the more acute will the trouble become. It is easy to enunciate the principle that the land must pay for its reading, but with tho differences of tenure, and in view of the manifold complications which are bound to arise, there is every reason why Government action should be taken. Tho question is to come up for discussion at the meeting of the newly formed Local Bodies' Association, to be held in January, and it is to be hoped a strong and definite recommendation on tho matter will bo placed before tho Government for consideration. Meanwhile it is entirely in the interests oi the settlers, and of tho local bodies, that all applications for roads should be carefully scrutinised with a view to carrying out the roading in the manner most suitable to the requirements of the district in general.