THUBSDAY, JAN. 6, 1898. The Road to the Beach.

Manawatu Herald, 6 January 1898, Page 2

THUBSDAY, JAN. 6, 1898. The Road to the Beach.

It is extraordinary what a length of time is taken to do what might easily be done so very much sooner. The road from the town to the sea b^ach is a case in point. The Borough Council moved in the matter many months ago, and after much parleying with the Manawatu I County Council got that public body to agree to the divergence of the ' roads, and also to the body underj taking all the necessary preliminaries. I With the bast intentions the Borough

Council recommended a surveyor for the work, and from that hour until now the road is in the same state as it then wap. We put no blame on the Manawatu County Couucil as they acted as desired by the Borough Council, but that there is a screw loose somewhere, is evident. Who is to blame ? About a month after instructions had been given thp surveyor announced that the survey had been completed, yet the work was not then passed by the DepaTt ment. Another surveyor was called in and it^was supposed that he wa--atisfied,'' bub the Department was not. These are perhaps not the full facts of the case, but they are the common rumour?, and aa yet no one seenn to have had sufficient energy co clear the matter up. The prospect is not pleasing and the likelihood of this road being put into a decent •irate is not cheerful unless some public man will take the cause up ■ud run it to an end. If the D*-p.-mment is to blame let them bear the onus and the m after can soon be expedited. If the surveyor cannot satisfy the Department that fact should be known and then some one else could be employed. Unless action is taken to sift the position the Department is not likely to 'inform the local bodies that the work is unsatisfactory, and if it is unsatisfactory the surveyor is not likely to noise the same abroad, and we may be in the same position this time next year as we are to day. We own we have our doubts' as to much progress having been made as the same surveyor was unsuccessful in getting a road exchange passed for the County Council some years ago within two years. Everybody had looked forward to the blessing of a good road to the beach by now, and it is exceedingly unsatisfactory to find nothing done. These are matters which our local representatives should bestir themselves in.