THE FOXTON-SANSON ROAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 26, 30 November 1880, Page 2

THE FOXTON-SANSON ROAD.

TO THE BDITOB OF THE JIISAWATL' HERALDSib, — Fact is stranger than notion. That the road between Foxton and Sandon should hare remained so long unmade, and still remains umnetalled, is a fact that ie would be difficult to account for. It cannot he said that it is for want of money, and it oannoc be said that it is for want of talent, for there is plenty of bolh available. Take, for instance, the yearly income of the Foxton Biding, and the yearly income of the Saudou Riding, and theu take iuto account the special provision that is made in the Counties Aot for suoh special works, and add to that the paltry amount required to metal the road, and you will see at once that the iuterest on the outlay is a mere trifle. Now, we will assume that the dis tance to be metalled is Dine miles, and that the metal be spread over a width of fourteen feet, and that it be six inches thick. ■ It will be seen that every cubic yard of , metal will covi-r more than a running yard. Therefore about 18 or 20 cubic yards would metal a chain ; and supposing that gravel could be got at Campion's bush, and supposing that gravel were brought down from Palmeraton by train and left at the Junotion, the distance to cart the gravel would only be H miles from both ends to the centre ; and then, if taut distance is again divided, it will be found that the average distance that the metal or gravel had to be carted is only 2i miles, and any good team of horaea ought to cart from four to six cubic yards daily. Hence four or five teams of horses should gravel a chain per day, and even if it took six teans to do a chain, and each team cost a pound a day, the rate would ntily be six pouuda a ohaia, or £480 a mile ; und even if ft were £si)o a mile, the work would be cheap at that. The nine miles would thus only coat £4500. Truly an insignificant sum for so important a work

And supposing the interest on this Bam cost 7 or 8 per cent, at that rate it nqaJd^^Jpiw* . £360 per year, aod&aruly^fo^iujUHint, deducted from the income of both Sidings, would not hurt any one.arid at tha same time a sinking* updaouid be set aside for the payment of piinjiripal, say £500 a year. Thnjin nine years the whole sum would be paid and the interest would be annually £40 leas. Then people could drive their buggies from one township to the oth<r, whereas in (Toxton you are now so shut in that you cannot enjoy the fresh air for want of a decent road to drive your friends or families along. I feel quite sure that the H>>ll Government only want to be asked in order to get the graeel brought down from Palmer, ston. It is not like asking them for 2£ per cent cnarantee on the cost of eonstcucuea ,-. . of a district railway, nor is it like asking *»* them for a grant to make the road.. It is only asking them to utilise some of their empty trucks and spare engine power to do a most necessary publio work, and seeing thai they recently made a reduction of !'d per 100 feet on the carriage of timber on the. railway, because it was pointed out that an important industry would suffer, and' the revenno of the railway would also surfer if such a concession were not made. Thib shows that the Government are open to reason. Indeed, it shows more. It s^iows thaj; they take an interest in the welfare of the 'country. Strange that it should be so, yet it is nevertheless a fact. ? ;; When we think of such schemes as the "_ Foxton-Sanson Railway, or the making a town into a borough, why thiß little matter looks a trifle in comparison ; and I am sure with such men in the two Ridings ns Messn bauson, M'Lennan, Gr.iy, and others, that it only wants a little effort and the thing is done. Why should so important a work be left to chanoe or tho wheel of fortune t Why, if it were in America, it would be done in a week, or in Dunedin a month would see its completion ; and now that tho formation is progressing bo rapidly under Monteith and party, it seems a pity that it should be left to blow all away, as it undoubtedly will do, if it is not metalled soon. I am, &.c, Tkavetxeh. Sandon, November 26, 1880.