Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 408, 1 October 1856, Page 5

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the " Lyttelton Times." Sin,- —We constantly see in the columns of your paper, and in those of your contemporary the ' Canterbury Standard,' most urgent aud pathetic appeals from the wayfarers of this province on the subject which you most justly term "in your leader of yesterday " our great grievance, the one unpopular subject to us all, the state of our roads." We constantly hear that the reason that the state of the roads continues to be our great grievance, is because our government has not funds to improve them, I see in the ' Canterbury Standard ' of to-day, that it has transpired that the Members of our Provincial Council have been specially summoned, to ascertain their opinion as to the advisability of borrowing money for continuing Immigration from England, and (he substantialVepair of the main roads of the province. Everybody must admit, with the 'Standard,' that to provide the country with good highways is one of the first and main concerns of a young settlement. Also, that a Government is well and laudably employed when endeavouring to accomplish that object. But the means, or rather the manner of raising the means, for such accomplishment may not be equally laudable, and it is here that the question of ways and means . trenches on'the entire policy hitherto pursued by our Provincial gods. Our experience tells usfthat, from the very foundation of this settlement, large sums of money have been

wasted in support of chimeras. As a community, .we have been essentially theoretical whe,re we should have been practical. Every body knows how our dreams of Area*

dian innocency and simplicity have been fulfilled : instead of being a quiet vegetating lot of mortals, we have become a prosperous money making community. Then again, with the vexed question of the roads, how have we gone to work r We 'have drawn a map fir^t of a railroad ; but even we caslle builders acknowledged that as beyond our means; then of a cart road, the famous Sumner Road to wit; and, by way of again proving our utter inability to go practically to woiJv about a "thing, instead of first counting the cost, and seeing if we had any idea cf [even making mo..ey sufficient to finish it, we do a small part of it, and are then obliged to drop it from want of funds. So we shall nafgo on, to the end of the chapterJ trust,as let us hops that experience will make even u^ fools wise. In a like practical manner have we made use of the great boon granted us by the mother country. I allude to our new Constitution. Again have we been drawing maps, and that in our usual maimer, without first considering whether our design were suited to the political condition of our little community, or whether the system which must necessarily be attached to the carrying out of that* plan were suited to the pockets of so juvenile a colony. But, let me explain. "We through our superintendent, and, since through him, cleverly- and with a great deal of genius, get a little plaything Government, and have a plaything Prime Minister, a plaything Home Secretary, our plaything privy Council, &c., &c. ; ,in fact, ail the elaborate machinery of our Home Government, in most minute miniature. This is all very pretty, truly, end could only have been got up by a man of considerable genius, but, unfortunately, our toy^has cost a great deal, and, if we continue to amuse ourselves with it, each separate plaything will cost a good deal mere to keep it going. ' Then" sir, the question arises whether the memhers of our Council, in the session just approaching, would not do better to vote that the playthings be_ all placed on the shelf, for the benefit of future generations, and that we satisfy ourselves by being legislated for by our General [Government, and just quietly have our Council spend the money, that would otherwise go to keep the puppet in motion, in providing for that main concern in a voting colony, the substantial repair of our main roads. Possibly, by these means, we might manage to do without borrowing that, or, at any rate, so much money as is now deemed necessary by some. I am, Sir, Yours, &c. A^-oKTiroirs. Lyttelton, 25th Sept., 1856.