“In the Mire.”

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 336, 1 November 1907, Page 2

“In the Mire.”

A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. THE CRY OF THE BACK-BKOCKB. In tbs King Country the roads are not all royal thoroughfares ; the way farers who traverse them do not sing hymns of praise. The grievances of people isolated in the back blocks of the far north were strikingly impressed by Mr R. Gregg in a letter to the Even ing Post at the end ol' August, and now further testimony comes from Mr P. C. Rose, honorary secretary of the Kiritehere Settlers’ Association. CHARGES ON OATH. “The cottiers here,” writes Mr Rose to the editor of the Post, “desire me to thank you for the magnificent publicity you have given to our friend Mr Gregg’s letter in your issue of 30th August, and we trust that an independant and responsible officer will be sent up to enquire into the state of affairs here. We are prepared to make specific charges on oath and forward them to you if you care for it. It is hard enough to get the House to vote moneys for back country tracks ; but whan the paltry £5O or £lOO doles are granted, it is heartbreaking to see the money wasted. And this is going on over a large area of backcountry here. On oath in a public enquiry lam prepared to make certain specific charges myself.” Mr Greenslade, member for Waikato, which includes the district in question, and Mr Lang, member for Manukau, mentioned to a Post reporter that Mr Rose was a Justice of the Peace, and was a thoroughly reliable man. They could not identify themselves with the statements which Mr Rose was prepared to make, because they were not fully conversant with the points at issue, but they knew that be was a pound man.

“IN FBIGHTFUd CONDITION.” “The picture which Mr Gregg gave is absolutely correct,” says Mr Greenslade. There can be no question that settlement went ahead of reading. It would have been better if the land had been roaded before it was thrown open for settlement. There was a clamour in Auckland that the land should be available for settlers. The Govern menj of the day acceded to the repre sen tar ions made, and the land was thrown open before it was roaded. From my own personal experience, the roads are in a frightful condition for at least six months of the year, and to improve the position a very Irrgi expenditure would be necessary. The present system of voting £5O hera and £lOO there is undoubtedly practically valueless. What seems to be necessary is a large concentration of expendi ture so that a certain number of miles of road would be properly made and metalled each year. The money allotted at present is practically wasted ; the roads are turned into mud alm >st as soon as the money is spent.—Welling ton Post.