MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE AND THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 646, 25 February 1914, Page 5

MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE AND THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.

The Editor. Sir.—ln your issue., of Wednesday last, there is published a statement made by Mr A. Scholes, chairman of the Waitomo County Council, regarding his interview in Wellington wit l ! the Minister of Public Works, concerning the main Awakino road. Mr Scholes premised his remarks wtih en apology for having undertaken a fruitless, but expensive, trip to Wellington when the object he pursued had been already attained as the result of the recent visit of the Minister of Public Works to Te Kuiti. But, of course, everybody knowß of the ardent desire of the County chairman for prominence of publicity and his apparent disregard of the ratepayers' interest. But this is by the way, and only one of the many aide issues concerning the County chairman of which it is advisble to say nothing.

Mr Scholes in tha course of his characteristically wild ar.d unfounded statements, blames Mr C. K. Wilson, M.P., for informing the Minister of Public Works that the raain road in question had been handed over to the Council in poor condition, and that the Council had done nothing to maintain (and how true by tha way). Now, Mr Scholes, on account of his most apparent antagonism towards Mr Wilson is obviously very ready to accusa the latter of anything, as he has unjustifiably done in this instance. The most learned County chairman is now publicly advised that the Minister of Public Works was given the information regarding the main road, not by Mr Wilson, but by four leading business and public men in Te Kuiti, who accom panied the Minister on the inspection of the road. So here, again, Mr Scholes has to suffer the ignominy of a base denial to his public utterances. It is common knowledge that that the main road has been neglected and its maintenance muddled, and the truth, no doubt, hurts Mr Scholes, but that is no reason for this fictitious accusation. I should commend to the immediate observation of the Rt. Hon. political aspirant, and meanwhile chairman of the Waitomo County Council, the fact that people living in glass houses should not throw stones. —I am, etc., ONE WHO KNOWS.