KIRITEHERE :ROADS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 357, 10 April 1908, Page 2

KIRITEHERE :ROADS.

(TO THB KDCrOB.) Sir, —I wish to correct a few misleading statements in Mr Gregg's laiter. First—Mr Gregg states that Mr Wouldes has had a gang of men at work on the Kiritehere Road ever since Mr Burd paid us that visit in the spring, aud the work that they are engaged on is principally this, clearing of timber and felling trees that have been left standing on the was p«a sed and paid for, is absolutely misleading and untrue. Mi Gregg evidently refers to the oloaring from peg 1 mile 40 chains to 2 miles, Kiritehere Road. This half-mile contract was lei to Messrs Klein and Saunders eo—l tWQ years ago. The contract cousuted of felling bush 66ft wide and clearing and stumping 16ft 6ins. Messrs Klein and Saunders completed their contract and were paid for it. The trees that IM were standing outside the 66ft cad were overhanging, so I took them down so as to allow the road to dry. The timber that I moved was on the low side of the road, and outside ot the 16ft 6 inches that was specified in th* clearing contract. The timber has bam partly burned and wa cleared the batance away for 14ft, so as to allow traffic more room. The work that I and my gang bave been doing is filling, ditching, making culverts andgeae* rally improving the road, and is all new work and has not boon passed and paid for as stated by Mr Gregg, Second*Mr Gregg statea.that boys of IS and 14 years of age have been employed as pick and shovel men at 8b per day. This is untrue. These boys received 4s per day, not 8s as stated. They ware not employed as pick and aboral mon, but burning and clearing rubbish off the side of the road. The total time worked by boys since Christmas w.w 14 days and amount of wages paid was £2 16s or 4s per day. The states ment that old men are employed is untrue—it is none of Mr Gregg's business if they were. I suppose in future men who want road work will bave to go to Mr Gregg to get a certificate of competency. Sofa? men have not been that plentiful that they could be culled out like a mob of sheep.—Yours ete., JOHN WOULDES