KIRITEHERE ROADS : MR GREGG REPLIES.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 355, 27 March 1908, Page 2

KIRITEHERE ROADS : MR GREGG REPLIES.

(TO THE EDITOR.) Sir, —I read with no great profit or pleasure Mr Langley’s twaddle re himself, sattloment of Crown lands, and what he is pleased to term a reply to myself and Peter Biss. Sir, the collosal egotism of the man is clearly shown forth in his first essay. I should advise him to approach the Government with the viow of having it preserved and stored away among the most valuable early records of the conn try and also made a text book in the public schools of the Dominion, so that the rising and future generations Should admire and worship the hero who has helped so much to make the country what it is. Hia second essay on land settlement would be creditable to a boy in the 4th or sth standard, but is not a credit to a man of Mr Langley’s experience. He ought to know that no practical stock raiser would take np 2000 acres or so mile? away from markets with not even a stock track, and wait from 12 to fiftesn years before he could expect any return, when he can invest his capital in an improved farm with everything in working order, and also good metalled roads, and get a handsome return at once, and without going through the hardships that are unavoidable back in the bush while aven as a specu lation it pays one pound to every shill mg which the bush returns. In his third essay, which he terms a reply to myself and Mr Ross, be is also loud in bi 4 praise of the bush and what is mvle out of it, but he is a most generous man he is quite content to leave ill tbe go d ibiugg of this country to Thors—he is quire c n‘ent to pasi bis ife in sleeping Kawbia and to tsk what odds and ends of ba ooms-' o him through a looked office d)> with h key K<’pt in t o b ys paoke .v’in hns gone a fishing. T > Him Mr L goy retutueb mo v <-y r'”g t' the bwio nf a c nnio song very mn.h in v ig'in H'>njo ii y yours ag », I will qI us par nf •]}> fi -U a’anza. “I’m 8 mon R'->e ju t c >mn fr >m High O'l ■ 4 C ll g-3. My a’.'hli i: I’vo pur m d so f tr I’m called for my surp i--i .g k-inwlod ;e the w Jking cycl ?p'di etc., o c■’ Bit «ir, I hava siid q nto anough about his speo'ilii’ivo pbilueo phy, I will finish off wi fi bi i he - and first allow me to quote Mr R .binson. “Mt Langley who is commission and, agent at Kawhia, expressed tho opinion that many of the complain ing settlors were exploiting tho Gjv- ... T" tLpj,. ton'l nt thn

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they sold out at greatly enhanced price He mentioned many properties that bad passed throagh bis bauds h I ways at a large profit, after having b« eu raised in value by Govorurueut expeoditi re." Now sir, this is a spe eific, there in nothing general about it. Mr Robinsou was sent up especially to inquire into and x-rniue tho system of i- >sd making pursued iu tho Kiri to hi ru district alomi. In it likely that he B>Ugbt Mr bangley’s opinion (since he was unable to form one of bis own) ou what whs taking place or bad taken place Home fifty years ag's Now, I want wk Mr Langley a few plain question#. Did you not make those statements for‘be express purpose of trying to discredit my statements, in the interest of yoar pnrticuhr friend Mr Burd ? Did you not do so fur the express parpo e cf damaging the cba rooter of tho Kiritihere soUter-t before the public aho in the intvreit of your particular friend? What did you know of the state of the tr jclcm in the Kjri t here; bad you been over cbere and used them ? Mention one .property f the many Kiritehera properties which have parsed through your bands always at such large profits? and J will com mission you to h<-I1 min l -. Explain in what particular w*»y wo have exploited the Govenirnen* ? In whit way bav«we got the laud at lowest possib'torice when we are paying from 2> to 50 per cent more than o her baiter land iu lip* immedia e vicinity bn« been sold for? 1 haye also been told that it is to you wo are indebted f>r theendahced pric ■, that the Land .Board wn« not s>»t.»fio<l with the pricput on the land bj Mr S.-aton, a man who knew what the c rnn'ry and sent yon who did nor know it, t? va tilt oyt r his head, is that fc o ? It is a likely enough story you would b 1? rec kouod an expert muiply because you know nothing of the laud you* wore sent to value Now, si’, in coociu»iou I wish to say hit, both Mr Burd uud Mr Robinson substantiated every

statement I made re the roads ; it does not matter one whit what is contained in the report, we have the proof. here which caunot be denied. Since my letter appeared in the “Evening Post” every effort has been made to pat. the tracks in a passable condition and new work pushed on with a I tbo expedition possible. Mr Wouldes has had a gang of man (save tho mark) at work on the Kiritehere road ever since Mr Bard paid us that visit last spring ind the work that they are d ang is principally this: c'eiring off the timber th it I mentioned as being used to hold up the spoil eirth andfalliu» and clearing off semi of tho trees that were left growing on the road, work that was passed before and paid for as cam pie ted work, that should have beenf done before it was passed aud paid for, had there been honest supervision o the works c .rried oat. Bui better have

it done even at the price of paying for ibo work twice than for it to remain n the shameful state it was in. Now

who shall say that the letter or agitation was andalled for ? Now, I will say this iu my owu jastifiosriou: I have spent nearly 25 years in ths bush - not quite ko long as Mr Lingley perhaps, but I know as much perhaps as ho does about settlement conditions and this is the first time I have had to take the role of agitator. Neither have I concerned myself mach with politics or politicians,, and I think I may claim for myself a fa ir meat-are of success as a bu<h settier. Thera are in this district “Kawhia” mon who have known me for the time mentioned and aau support what I say, and it cannot be said chat I am a speculator, fur in the 25 years I have only transferred one section which 1 held iu Oparau and that was ou account of losing my son accidently, and T did not make any money on that transaction, just got my expenses beck. But I want to say this mack in conclusion, that since I have taken up the role of agitator I am going to keep my eye open and report abases which I believo should not be tolerated, and I will mention two which I note jast at present in the hope that they will be romoyed without my intervention: that is employing lads of 18 or 14 years of age as pick and shovel men at 8i per day also decrepit and useless old meu . and the other matter is, trying to make water ran up hill to the calvert which leaves the drain standing full at one end and empty at the other. One word more: Mr Longley’s simile of Mr Bard as captain of a passenger steamer is not applicable to the present case. I prefer to think of him as a bootm-tker (an expert also) to whom we have entrusted our leather to have made into a pair of boots for our use—mind yon, not to be laid on the shelf fb be admired and wondered at a« the work of an expert. Unfortunately the boots are not wearable, they skin our heels, crush our toes and render life miserable while we use them. Just so hie roads. They may look well on a beautifai plan, but attempt to use them at your own peril and yoa will got bogged, crippled and covered with slush from crown of head to heel of boot. No, quire righ*, Mr Langley, a bnnh farmer is not a road engineer, bu< he has to use the road aud the engiueow hti a<»i, heucu he d • s a-«‘ kno v if it u ike the boot-, >iti«s hat the basb farm r dues ku.> >v.— — Y.-ors, e»C , R. GaEGG.