MAROKOPA TELEPHONE,

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 372, 24 July 1908, Page 2

MAROKOPA TELEPHONE,

(TO 7HE EDITOR.) Sin, — 1 must answer Mr Derecourt’e letter. I am, I must aay pleased to hear that all trouble re the Marokopa telephone is over, and am'also pleaded to note that peace row reigns and that this useful work is to be done. I fully appreciate the efforts of Cr —he his done all possible to help his district and therefore deserves the thanks of all. Until the telephone is finished those who are to use it will not see that it is an immense savins in time and money. lam an outsider. I like to see unanimity and prosperity. If I was interested I should be with those who have battled,—Yours, etc., >OO7BIDER. (TO THE EDITOR.)

Sir, —In fairness to all parties, kindly permit me space in the columns of your paper to make these my final remarks re the above line. In all fairness to Awakino settlers, I would like to make it clear to all readers of this paper, that many of them offered to make up tbe number of guaren te-s required, but owing to mistakes, or misunderstanding, this did not ooma about. I think that it is through not writing letters to the Settler, that m many cases cause delays in such matters. Many to think th *t writing about affairs of public interest bring about discontgnt. Had the former course been taken in this mat-ter-such as writing and stating that so many guarantees were wanted, etc., and if it had been brought under the public notica that the guarantee forms required printing and posting to persons that had promised to gu irantee, I think we would have had better results As regards the Council and guarantors within tha Kawhia County I do not think it was ever looked upon as a duty on their side when financially assi -ting in this matter, I foel sure that Chairman Shaw, thought of it as helping a friend, or neighbour that owing to our good Government having just dumped them down in the bush and then left them to kick for them selves, were labouring uuder great difficulties. I trust rea !ers you will net misconstrue my meaning when I state that many of the guarantors within the Kawhia County didnot look upon it as their duty to suarante •, but did so kn >wing that many of their Mends in the Awakino County, had miles of mud tracks to wale through when it became necessary for them to attend to any little business affair, I would like to point out that our County’s revenue is a very s nail amount, so much so that we are practically as helpless as a newly-born btby, as regards making roods, etc. Note that at present we are just a handful of straggling settlers. Y et, sir, we have our millstones. I will show you some of them. The sum o £l2O 10s goes to the far away Hamilton Hospital, Upon the northern boundary we have the Raglan County. Some of the rates we collect have to be refunded to that local body. Upon the eastern boundary we have the Waitomo County and I notice that they aro claiming thirds from the Kawhia County Council up ,n some sections the outlet being through their county Upon our southern boundary we have tbe Awakin» County, Now, sir, is isour duty [to con tract roads, and erect telephone lines to and .for the use of the Awakino County settlers? If so where do we come in at all. Are w® not to hare redress from anywhere ? And last, but not least, upon our west we have the beautiful, boundless sea—the highway for all nations. Just listen to it roaring, and see how it h eating away our coastline in places. Can we expect much from it ? No, not much ! But stay one moment ; it may be the gateway through which our good Government may enter to help us just a little whilst in our infancy. But here I think our hopes will be disappointed, for have we not hoped against hope, from the beginning aud after the way our Premier explained how our good Government oould not give us a “loan” (mark the word) then givens another pound in tha way of a subsidy, I have very little hope about getting any assistance from that qu uter I ask your readers to carefully note the above, and I trust that ia the future if we ratepayers at times, like a good sitting hen sit a little close upon the County’s revenye, neighbours do not credit us with being grumblers, disoontmts and cocktails,— Yours, etc,,' HARRY DE RECOURT,