LIVINGSTONE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1221, 16 March 1880, Page 2

LIVINGSTONE.

: (from our own correspondent; y Mar«k 151. On a recent journey through the ; Maere--whenua Pass 1., could not avoid noting the* marked difference in the state: and characterof the road on this side and oa-that. Certainly the manner in which th& track on th& : Mahiototo-side has been made does tlie:' engineer of the Council of that County great credit,;it being constructed in scuh a manner that very trifling ex]p6ndittire will be necessary from time to time" to keep it in very passable order. A ditch ha 3 been frnfc ■where cer the sideling made it advisable, to prevent the drainage from the hill side having access to the part used for- traffic ; also, frequent cross drainage to carry off the accumulation of water from rainfall. On the Waitaki aide these essential precautionary measures are conspicuous by their-, absence. The road is in consequence fast, falling into a bad state of repair. The fact; lis, sir, our rich but exceedingly canny County Council have adopted, with, respect, jto this track, a glaringly penny-wiso-and-pound-foolish principle. For instance,, twice (if my memory serves me) have they Voted L2O with which to put the track im, a thorough state of repair. This or spread out over a road, say, 12 mileß long,, could do little to repair even, much less to*" improve, and so make permanently better;. If a good round sum were spent at one time and the track made what it should be, and what it is on the Kyeburn side, then very | little attention would be required from year to year to keep it in order. Talking with at friend about it the other day, he pithily remarked " A few hens would have done as much good on the road as have the men who have been' employed there during the last two years." Indeed, the money might as well • have been thrown into the river. Even the showers of the last few day have filled up. the very shallow cross drains, and thus, allowed the rainfall to accumulate to such an extent that channels are rapidly being; scored out down the course of tlie track.. Then, further comparing the attention to. public wants displayed by the one Council as. against the other, the Maniototo Council : has erected four footbridges across the Kyeburn for the use of travellers and residents,, whilst the Maerewhenua, at the main crossing at Oliver's hut and near the Pass hut, where a larger stream than the average of the Kyeburn streams always flows, and where it is frequently dangerous to cross on foot, thero is no bridge, not even stepping-stones, placed to assist the poor traveller who is unable to afford a horse to wade the stream for him. I notice the Cemetery Trustees have been effecting some improvements in the cemetery by forming some paths through it and a ditch, which, to my poor perception, seems on the wrong side of the fence, unless it were intended to keep the rabbits, with which the enclosure is infested, from getting out, it being on the inside of the wood and , wire fence with which the burying ground ia enclosed. The consequence is horses and other cattle make use of the fence both for amusement and sanitary purposes, and aro thereby fast destroying it. A word to the wise is sufficient. Our school teacher left on Saturday, and we have as yet no intimation of any applica-, tioins from persons desirous of filling tho vacancy. -' r ' ■'