WAITOTARA.

Patea Mail, 18 December 1880, Page 3

WAITOTARA.

[ V K u JI o (J 1! C 0 U U K SI’ONUK N T."] Friday Evening. Mr Bicheno, the contractor who built the railway bridge here, has obtained a contract for a bridge over the Urenui river, north of Waitara, and left with wife and family on Tuesday for Taranaki. Your Wavcrlcy correspondent besides being in a fog about the name of the Wavcrlcy candidate for No. 5 Ward Wairoa Highway Board, is also astray as to the merits of the two roads. From Momahaki to Wavcrlcy is some seven miles; to Waitotara township from the Momahaki river the distance is only two miles, or to the railway station three miles. The settlers on that block naturally want the most direct and cheapest route to a market for their produce. Is it likely they would take it seven miles to Waverloy for the privilege of paying seven miles extra railway charges, when, if the road to Waitotara

were open, they would be within three miles of a railway station ? Your readers may recollect that some time ago I drew attention to the advantage of opening up the road in question. In the face of a petition signed by nearly every settler on the block, and presented to the Board at its last sitting, to have the road to Waitotara opened, I cannot see how your correspondent can believe that the other road “ is in every way more advantageous to the settlers on the Block !” The Waitotara candidate, Mr T.W. Fisher, is standing at the request of the settlers referred to, in order to try and get justice done to them. The adjuration “For the interests of Waverley and the peace of the Board /” shows plainly that it is not the real interests of the Momahaki settlers which are being consulted, and also that the serenity of the Board meetings might be disturbed if a candidate were returned who would energetically look after the real Interests of this end of the ward. As illustrating the perhaps natural but certainly narrow and selfish spirit which obtains at Waverley, I may mention that a polling booth for Waitotara was refused, although Mr Fisher offered a building and also to defray the expense of a returning officer. As a considerable number of voters here are working men who during the present busy time can scarcely afford to lose half a day in going to Waverley, but who would not object to losing an hour to record their votes here. The effect of the refusal will be evident. If the Waitotara settlers are alive to their own and the interests of the present and prospective settlers on the Momahaki and Kaitangiwhenua blocks, they will do their best to return the local candidate. (. / >U Tclcijrajih .) Notice is now posted up that Mr Fisher's store, Waitotara, will be a polling booth for the election of a warden to represent No. i> Ward,