A COUNTY JUBILEE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 10 January 1890, Page 2

A COUNTY JUBILEE.

Ift the days, df old; whdii Provinciali&m rilled <# lHrid; tlie* West Coast oHhis iSEnatad badly, and llie beach, with its many risks from crossing rivers was considered a sufficiently good road for the settiers between Paikakariki and the Rangitikei. Population, with the inauguration of. the Public Works policy, flowed into the Manttwatu, through the port of FoJtton, and thence scattered themselves ovei* the country dow 1 so well known as San* don, Feiiding and Paltuerston ft little mattered, however, whea Provincialism 6? the County System existed, as on the abolition of the Provinces, the powers possessed by them in dealing with Native lands were < alien in ohnrge b v the General Government and with its usual dilatorinosa, the acquisition of the Native lands between the Manawatu river and Paikakiiiki was left in the hands of an official, whose energy, if displayed, would have been recompensed by the los3 of office. It is therefore not surprising to learn that the Government had not ac quired much land previous to the formation of the Mauawatu Railway, $o that the local bodies were unable to succeed in opening up the coast, by the construction of a main road In any other pjiirt of the colony, we should hope, that such a state of things has never been known, yet the country north of the capital and within thirty niiles of it, has yot no direct inland communication, except that formed by a private company. The public bodies, the Manawatu County Council, in the first instance, and then the Horowhenua County Council, are oot to blame, as the Manawatu Council had a line of road surveyed years ago, and had as one of its mental's, Mr Kebbell, who lost no opportunity of urging on the work/ He knows, having frequently interviewed the, authorities with other member^ of tliat body, the many and harassing reasons given to baulk the carrying out of tho scheme. Qjk :^th© formation of the railway new^Kfe, in dealing with the natives, was, developed, by the energetic action of Mr Alexander MacDonald who -acted as Native land purchaser. foMhe company, *and his success stirrejd .the Government to raa'f e further efforts, as it was proved Innd could be.acquired if the desire was real. With the largest portion of the property in European hands, the balances; running through native lands were more easily negotiated, and this Jubilde year of the colony witnessed, almost a Jubilee of work done bj Mr Kebbell, in the Government having aj^ast decided to take under warrant ihat piece of land required for the portion of the main road, between* xJerin and Heatherlea. Mr Kabbell hojds the high position of Chairman of the Hoiowhenua County, which'is his due, owing to both his stake in the district, and his long apprenticeship to the duties of members of local bodies, and he has the satisfaction of witnessing the possession by his Council of a road line from Shannon to the southernmost boundary of the country. It proves the toughness of the services given free of fee or reward by country settlers, when we remember that the first proposal for making this road was urged by Mr Kebbell in 1879 and that not till 1890 is he assured that the ground needed to make a road is obtain*! In justice to the Horowhenua Council it is but right to say that though the delay has arisen at this point, the greater portion of the main line isitotfaieiv a'ids, portion of it metalled. We hs>y,3 thought it only fair, not merely, 'o the gentleman most o incernr d, but to those who have lent their shouldor to his wheel, and also to the ratepayers they represented, to mention the position as it is today, of a mattor that has been and, is of so much interest to all.