“DOING THE FAIR THING.”

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1038, 23 May 1883, Page 3

“DOING THE FAIR THING.”

! TO THE EDITOR Sir,—Borne prominent Hawera people fancy there is a grievance in the fact that the couple of chains of road, which has been formed by the Patea Council at the approach to the new bridge at Manawapon, is not also metalled at the expense of Patea County, quite oblivions of the further fact that the Patea County is in such straightened circumstances that it has been compelled to discharge even surface men on its own roads. Very uncharitable remarks have been made both publicly and in private conversation by Hawera public men. It is conveniently forgotten that Hawera was exceedingly well represented on the original Patea County Council, particularly where the expenditure of money was concerned. The Hawera side of the Manawapou Hill was formerly the worst portion of the main road, for even in summer it was in parts frequently in a boggy state in places not properly drained, and where the sun had not full power. The metalling of this road was the best job and most expensive for its length done within the old county boundaries. This alone was a splendid lift for the present Hawera County Council. The way Hawera influence pulled is also shown in the fact that the main road through the town of Hawera was formed and metalled by the convenient ignoring at that lime of the originally planned line of the Mountain road. This was as good as a gift to the town. Then the Normanby extension, bush felling,

forming ami metalling, another and at the first unauthorised diversion, was certainly not the recommendation of Patea and Wavcrley side. representatives. Many strong pulls were managed by Hawera infbvnce to the sacrifice of equally necessary works in other parts of the then Patea county. But the expectation that the railway would have been carried on at something more than two miles a year, induced the majority to give way in these and many other road work schemes of the Hawera block voters. It is only necessary to contrast the roads in the present'Hawera C/onnty and the present Patea County, to see how much of the substance was secured by Hawera, and how little by Patea, the latter representatives taking the shadow of the slowly coming railway as a balance for actual road work and expenditure in what is now the Hawera County. The idea then industriously propagated by Hawera, and complacentally accepted by Patea and Waverley, was that if a good road was made at the north, the railway would be soon sufficiently advanced from the south' to make the main road for traffic of bnl minor importance as far as Maintain or Manawapon, and by giving the good roads first to the north, the whole Coast as regards transit of produce and merchandise would bo the gainer. The self sacrifice by Patea and Waverley for the general good, as was fondly hoped, is appreciated now by Hawera making a grievance of a two-chain length of gravelling within its own boundary, while itself in good funds, and the Patea County in every way out at elbows, bad roads, no money, and in debt. Even for this Hawera can take its share, indeed the lion’s share of blame, for it has been the main support of the “promising” pauper-agitating Mhjm’, and has prevented his being replaced by some one who could and would better look after his Parliamentary district.—l am &c., Not a New Chum. . May 22.