ROADING THE BACKBLOCKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 603, 17 September 1913, Page 5

ROADING THE BACKBLOCKS.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES.

THE SUBSIDY QUESTION. During the course of a speech at the opening of the Waitanguru dairy factory, Mr C. Leech, chairman of the Awakino County Council, made a strong point of the manner in which the roads of the back blocks were handed over by the Government to the local bodies. He drew attention to the fact that practically every road that was handed over had to ha reformed by the local body before it, was in a fit stated to receive metal. The roads were supposed to be twelve feet wide, but they were this in name only. He contended the roads shoulp be made by the Government to a w.dth of at least 11 feet; or if this was not. possible they should at least be made 12 feet in the solid. In respect to subsidies, Mr Leech made a strong point of the fact that at present subsidies for metalling were greatly a matter of speculation, and in raising loans for metalling the settlers were en tirely in the dark as to whether or not a subsidy would be granted. Ha advocated the adoption of a scheme whereby subsidies should be an acknowledged right and not a matter ot speculation. The metalling of the back block roads meant solid progress and nothing should be allowed to stand in the way of carrying out such work.