Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JAN. 13, 1894. The Wairarapa Road.

Manawatu Herald, 13 January 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Hearald. SATURDAY, JAN. 13, 1894. The Wairarapa Road.

Ii may be assumed that all further efforts to obtain a road across to the Wairarapa from the east of Shannon are useless, aa the great man who conducts the Manawatu Standard states that this road would, to his mind "be of no material benefit '" to the settlers. We are quite cast down, as calling to mind all that was said and written about the connection between Palmerston and Pahiatua ws had imagined that the Palmerston papers would have been the first to have appreciated opening up the country. There is yet one hope, that it may be possible to convince the editor ot the Standard of the necessity for the road, if so, he asserts, it would please him, but he also carefully refrains from promising to render any assistance towards furthering the project. We must therefore bear up a bit and see if the combined efforts of Foxton and Shannon cannot accomplish this work without the assistance of the Standard. We begin to feel better thus reviewing the matter as the two townships have sprung into existence and prospered even without the aid of the Standard, and it may very probably be that the editor is puffed up with the idea that without his encouragement all is lost. The article is certainly a Palmerstonian one, it manifests a dread that this road will be of so much advantage to the settlers on either side of the ranges that they will make use of itin preference to the Pahiatua crossing, and the more the Palmprston papers urge against the road the more it may be accepted will the value of the road be.

There is one matter for much congratulation, and that is, the settlers in the two Townships are more likely to understand what is to their interest than the editor of the Standard and are not likely to be influenced by any opinion he may utter. We should have liked to have secured his assistance, admitting his energy, but to find * the Member for the neighbouring elec torate asserting that " the extension of the road further 'back to the ranges would be a commendably good work in order to open up the country, but the proposal to run it right across the ranges cannot be justified" is disheartening "as it proves his inability to grasp the chief object of the movement, viz., that of securing a way between a large inland district and this coast. We have no fear but that continued energy will result in success and have referred to our contemporary's article more as an inducement to proceed, looking upon the statements made therein as a straw which showeth the way the wind blows. A good direct road means advantages to Shaunon and this port which indirectly means also a

slight loss to Palmerston. We have no desire to injure the trade of Palrnereton, and hardly looked upon this road as likely to do so, in fact, where it not for the article referred to, we should not have supposed so, as extra traffic induced to this coast must be of good to all dwelling upon it.