The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 232, 30 June 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1877.

Rome tirno ago, it was decided bj tbe Taranaki County Council that appointed persons should consult with the Patea County Council, in reference to_ the Mountain Hoad, with a view to joint action in the matter of completing connection between the two County towns. The consultation has not yet taken place, nor, so far as we arc aware, has any official intimation of proposed consultation been received by the Patea Chairman from the Taranaki Chairman. It will be recollected that on Colonel Trimble returning to Taranaki, after inspecting the mainlines of road between New Plymouth and Carlyle, he publicly enunciated views which showed that he had entirely misapprehended the general feeling ot the ' district in. regard to the division of the province, and held such (from our own stand-point) exaggerated notions of what this county had foiled to do, and what it ought to do, in the

way of road making, and was withall so cynical in his remarks, as to have created a very unfavourable impression, and it was felt to be almost hopeless to expect any workable understanding to be arrived at in bis then frame of mind. The Colonel appeared to have made such an idol of Inglewood, as to be unable to see good in anything which did not directly tend to its advancement. The high and off-handed fashion in which Colonel Trimble inclined to treat wbh Pa tea, simply closed the door to the possibility of arriving at any good understanding with our own representative (Mr G. F. Sherwood). It may be the jarring at the first interview is a hindrance to approaches being made on either side at the present time. Colonel Trimble has, however, in letters to the Taranaki Herald, given ids views as to the manner in which comity roads in Taranaki should be dealt with, with the means at disposal, which will be helpful to Patea in showing what will remain to be done to complete connection. Kc says:—“My reading of the County Act is this —that it is the special duty of the Council to take over and maintain the leading roads of the Comity, and, as population extends, to still keep in view the making of leading linos. The Council ought not to trouble itself about side roads in any way, nor covet the taking to itself of Hoad Hoard work. For a long time to come, all its energies will be required in the direction I have indicated.” Thirty miles of road from Stony Hivor to Waitara, with the exception of about sixty chains, is all metalled, or will be shortly, and the opinion is expressed that the road from New Plymouth to Patea, by way of the Junction and Mountain Hoads, ought to be finished in like manner. The following is stated as to cost: —“ To complete the Junction Hoad to Inglewood, which from the New Plymouth boundary is about ten miles, would cost in round figures about £-1,000. It can lie done for tills comparatively small amount, because gravel can be got at convenient distances. The North and South Road cost considerably more than doable this rate. Prom Inglewood to the Patea River, by the Mountain Hoad, the distance is about sixteen miles, and at short intervals there arc good gravel deposits. The estimated sum required for this work is £5,800, after the work now going on upon it in felting and forming shall have been completed. From careful inquiry, I conclude that a sum of £5,000 to £5,500 would lie ample to place the road in a sound position” The valuation of the Taranaki County is stak'd to lie £30,000, which gives a taxing power of £1,500 per annum, and a borrowing power up to £G,OOO. Details of probable available means are given and summarised ns follows: Proceeds of loan, £0,000; grant from Government, £O,OOO ; part payment of Iron Band Company, £9OO ; to bo spared out of rates, £BOO. Total receipts, £10,700. Expenditure on roads in the early summer is recommended — on the Mountain Hoad, £5,500; Junction Hoad, £4,000 ; completion of South Hoad, £100; road north of Waitara, £BOO. In reference to the Government grant of £3,000, the following remarks are made;—“ The last source of help is from Government. When Major Atkinson was here, it was suggested that out of the unspent balance of laud purchase fund, help should be given to the two counties to complete the road through to Hawera. .In a report in the Patea Mail, the Premier is represented as having told tiic County Council at Carlyle that probably a grant would bo made of £3,0U0 to Taranaki, and £6,000 to Patea, for tins special work. I am somewhat sanguine that the amount named will be given on condition that the Counties do their share.” Colonel Trimble is not sanguine that much help will bo given by Government, nor that settlers will themselves provide funds, and says “ that if help comes, it must come from ourselves. If wo wait in pleasant hope tbat Government is to do all we need, wc are doomed to disappointment. Wo bad a large and enthusiastic meeting the other day to demand that Government should do the work earnestly which it had undertaken to do ; and then tbe following week we had the County Council refusing to levy a tax in aid of its own work, lest the exercise of its taxing power should make it unpopular. Wo call on others to do our work, and then refuse to do our own proportion of it.” In giving disjointed extracts, wo do not pretend to bo doing full justice to the carefully written letters of the Chairman of the Taranaki County Council. We simply desire to bring before our readers what will be-most interesting to this district. A difference of upiniou exists between Colonel Trimble and tbe Taranaki Herald, not as to the object in view, but as to the manner of effecting it. Both profess to be anxious to get connection through the county by rail and metalled roads as speedily as possible. The former is anxious that there should be a good metalled road as well as a railway to Inglewood. In an article combatting arguments brought forward in the letters referred to, the Herald says :—“ If we understand Colonel Trimble aright, he wishes the railway to be pushed on so that it shall reach Hawera in three years. A metalled road could not be constructed from New Plymouth to Hawera in loss time. The two parallel lines of road would therefore be in course of construction along this line simultaneously. The question arises, can any County a fibril at once the luxury of such an outlay ? and, even if it eonld, is it expedient so soon as a district has been tapped by a railway to

expend public money on a rival road, which would have the effect of reducing the traffic on the line of railway ? Bo bir as that portion of the Mountain Hoad-from New Plymouth to Inglewood is concerned, we think not.” It "would scorn that the Mountain Road difficulty is far from being* settled. The discussion above referred to wjll no doubt lead to some settled line of action being agreed to in Taranaki. The two opposite views being stated, it rests with the general public to show their preferences. There can be no question of rival roads at this end. It is just a matter of how money can bs obtained to complete metalled road to boundary line of the two counties, and the sooner it is seen about the better. We hope at the County Council meeting on Tuesday next, tbe Chairman will be in a position to say whether or not the £G,OOO promised by Major Atkinson will be forthcoming, and what action it is proposed to take in this important matter.