THE HOUNDBURN HILL DEVIATION.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 172, 21 June 1872, Page 8

THE HOUNDBURN HILL DEVIATION.

( To the Editor of the Mount Id! Cheonicle.) Sih, — Wlieri 1 addressed you respecting the* Heundhurn Hill deviation I expected my views on that: matter would mter with the disappr.jbafcMii of sotne V umpion as " Veritas." whose reply to iny letter, signed " Fairplay," appeared in your paper of the 31st ult. Now, Mr. Editor, I confess it is possible my line of argument may not "have been according to the strict laws of logic ; and it is plain my views on this subject are not to the liking of this very "unprejudiced" "Veritas:" Nevertheless, the object on which I reasoned is plain and intelligible, based upon facts, and not mere " assertions." If 41 Veritas" considers my ideas on this subject absurd and puerile he can ; o so. i fan only tell him there are very many persons in this district, some of them among the leading business mm «»t Naseby, who hold the same absurd views. One of these (a very sensible man of business too) considers this out-cry respecting a new road to Nasebv in the light of holding out a straw to a drowning'man ; and! must confess he is not far wrong ; for it is a well kuow fact that Naseby is on the declme, and unless a greater water supply is brought in, and a Sludge Channel formed, it must go to " thivwall." Yet. in the face of this, "Veritas" would have the Government to expend £6OOO to make a new road to a tottering township. This, sir, brings me to that portion of my letter which " Veritas " is of opinion discloses the "hollowncss" of my idea* regarding thisrord line. Now, sir, my reason for saying the Government would act judiciously in rejt'.ting the prayer of the people of Naseby, and adhere to the road suggested by Mr. Oliver for the present was tins—seeing that Nasebv must inevitably "cave in," unless a more permanent water supply is brought into it, and the Sludge Channel formed, the Government vvouhl act wisely in maintaining Mr. Oliver's line for the present, and the people of Naseby should be contented with it until these two most important works are accomplished, for they will do more good to the district at large, and Naseby in particular, than will a new road. Should this new line via ihe Messrs. Sanders' station ever be formed, I maintain that Mr. Oliver's line is and will be the best for the Mount Ida district in general (m <Ye especially for the heavy traffic) for the very reason that it passes direct through the contre of it, and therefore must benefit all parts of it. I! « Veritas " thinks that Naseby constitute* the whole of. the district, no wonder he feels so warm in the matter, and advocates its benefits so nuch. There are others, who hold more liberal ideas. As to *hat hj« say* with regard to the squatters on the Maniototo Plains wishing the present main road were closed, for the reasons he assigns, i 3 rather far The dogs he speaks of came from and did not belong to carriers. '

Does " Veritas" think that the Messrs. Sanders (through whose run the new line would pass) care less for the safety of their sheep and fences than do the squatters on the Mahiotato? or that the latter are not as anxious to get their wool and stores carried as cheaply as are the former ? I fancy if some of my remarks were " too puerile to receive notice " at the hands of " Veritas," his are not altogether profound wisdom. In advocating that suggested by Mr. Oliver as being the best, I did so because it is the one that benefits the whole, and not merely a part of the district (for 1 don't call Naseby the whole of the Mount Ida district), and not on account of the interests or some " two <>v three roadside publicans," »s "Veritas" would try to make out, Mr opinions are also based on facts, the truth of*which. is open to any One who

can see though tfrey-may 7 •notmeet with the same.'amount of favor:with the Naseby public as "Veritas " says his will, they are none, the less facta and His notions as to who " I airplay " is may or may not, be correct, and I care little what he thinks -of'him. I have an idea who " Veritas" is, and for Naseby it would be well if there were a few of his sort. In conclusion, I would ask him a few ,questions, namely: Supposing the whole up-country heavy traffic did pass in sight of Naseby, what good would it do to the district in general? Would a carrier loading at Dunedin carry one | half his load for Naseby and the other for Hill's Creek for the respective charges ? If not what good will it do for Naseby ? What camping accommodation is there at Naseby, or within three miles of it for a dozen teams ? Are not carriers charged for water for their horses at Naseby ? How many valuable horses belonging to Carriers have been killed in the tail races and workings about Naseby? What good would the main road line passing through Naseby be to a township near the Taiori river ? Apologising for troubling your space again, 1 am, &c., Eairplay.