KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 586, 19 July 1913, Page 5

KIRITEHERE-MOEATOA.

ROAD REQUIREMENTS. Many years have elapsed since the Mangakokopu bridle track was opened to enable settlers of this district to ride through to Te Kuiti without having to go around by Waitomo and Hangatiki. Now the powers that be have persuaded themselves that settlers here and along the coast do not desire communication with Te Kuiti, though, as is to be expected under the circumstances they can assign no reason. It is hard—hard indeed —that after hav ing spent nine years of active pioneering life in one of the most badly roaded districts in the King Country that we should be after years of settlement in exactly the same place as we started as regarded roads. Nar row sidings have replaced the onetime bush track, but the packhorse is still the only meanß of transportation, with the exception of an occasional crazy sledge. It seems as though some despotic power must intervene between the settlers and the Minister for Public Works, because it'is hard to believe that any man depending upon the votes of the people to'hold his party in office should be so blind as not to see the justice and urgency of getting adequate road grants for backblock districts. It is apparently the aim of our road engineer to cause roads to be made around the coast with an obscure village as a possible destination. It is axiomatic that this will never do. It is necessary for the welfare and happiness of those who live between coast and rail that they should have direct' means of communication with both. This is reasonable. It is hard to see how anyone can serve our interests by opposing our desire to have a wide road to Te Kuiti. The idea apparently is to cause a road, or roads, to be made from Awakino to Hangatiki, leaving Te Kuiti out and it is not our mind to oppose this idea so long as the only uncompleted link of road, viz., the Mangakokopu, and part of the Pomorangi, is also pushed through. If this uncompleted link ia not connected with the wide road at either end very shortly, Te Kuiti may have to look elsewhera for the trade that would come from these parts. The Awakino County Council endorsed our appeals for better roads, and we want all the assistance the people of Te Kuiti can give us, as well for their benefit a<3 ours. The loss of the trade of a big district is not a matter to be lightly passed over — a trade that will increase'as the farms are brought up to a highe»* state of productiveness.