MAORIS WORKING ON ROADS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 341, 6 December 1907, Page 2

MAORIS WORKING ON ROADS.

(to the editor.) Sir,—l have received a satisfactory reply from Mr Greenslade regarding the oompietiou of this necessary road. As far a? he is concerned be will do all he ctn to have it completed, but tbe .best outlet is tbe one Mr Miuntfort reports on, making Hamilton 35 miks from Kawhia. There is not the slightest doubt but that as soon as the Nt th I.riand Main Trunk is finished a line will be constructed to Kawhia fnm tbe direction of Ohaupo, so that we can let roads to get there have a spelt. —Yours etc. G. H. MACKENZIE.

(to the editor.) Sir,—I watch very closely tbe doings of the Kawhia County Council, and am always interested in the pay sheet. There are some peculiar things in connection with that portion of tbe meetings which could be commented on,—but such is not my What I notice more than anything else is tbe fact that large sums of money are passed at nesriy every meeting to Maori’, and I presume that •hose amounts are for work done on tbe roads. Now, I wish to enter a protest againjrt this—not on accent o' the amounts bring excessive or thxt tbe work has not been properly done bat simply as a matter of principle, Now, we all know that in this fair County of ours there is a very large area of native land, which is not rateable, and when an effort was made to place the nativa owners mn the roll they contended (very wisely) that their la id bad no ra cable value, and S.M. Nortboroft took the same view. Result: The native owners are exempt from rates. So far so good. But such being the case I most strongly object to these natives, who will not pay rates, being employed and paid by the ratepayers. Surety there are sufficient of tbs latter to do all tbs improvements on tbe road? that are undertaken yet. Tba same applies to the Government work, only to a larger extent, i think that it is rime this matter waa taken up, and an iteration made. I have no animus towards tbe natives—in fact I esteem them very highly—but it seems very unfair to let them off free from rates, and then get them to do nearly all the work that hai t■» be done.—Yours, etc.,