Good Roads.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 365, 5 April 1918, Page 2

Good Roads.

| lo the Editor] Sir —I read with a great deal of interest your "leader" on County rates. Nothing but good can come of the discussion of the question of roads and rates and the "Times" is to be congratulated on giving it so much prominence. In fairness to the Good Roads Association, however, I wish to point out that that body does not propose to put its scheme into operation until after the war. The making of good main trunk roads may perhaps be left till after the war hut the need for passable roads in our own County is too urgent . to he postponed at all. I am reminded by your article of a sketch which appeared in the comic papers. Three alpine climbers, roped together, are making their way up the side of a precipitous cliff The lady in the centre has reached a projecting rock on which she sits down. "I am very comfortable," she is saying, "we will rest here a while," but the unfortunates on each end of the line are not in a position to rest, and while she rests they cling on desperately in various ungainly attitudes. The sketch is illustrative of the attitude of many ratepayers on the rating question. They have good roads and are sitting down comfortably like the lady, prepared to wait for some more propitious time. But what of those in the outlying districts where there is desperate need for roads ? Out there the ratepayers are not so easily scared of the financial and labour difficulties which loom so largely before the "Times" leader writer. The greater portion of the Karaka and Waiau are roadless, except for the "ribbons of mud," which do duty. Each winter these roads are practically impassable for four months. Last year orders for lime and manure were cancelled because they did not arrive in May. Within two and a half miles of Papakura three horses were required to haul half a ton on the main road. For months these roads were impassable for sheep. Day after day milk carts with two cans could be seen drawn by a pair of draught horses. What is it costing the farmers to maintain such roads as these ? Why, the cost of maintaining one extra horse on each farm would pay for a loan to provide metal roads with all their advantages. Yon refer to the heavy demands made upon the taxpayer by war expenditure, but surely the best way to pay this is to put him in a position to increase the productiveness of his farm, and to do this in many portions of the Mauku Riding it is imperative he must have metal roads. In Mangere, an old I established and highly improved district, there is a constant increase in productiveness. On many farms, even in the hist ten years the output of town milk per acre has more than doubled. This intensive production can only be carried out where the roads are good. In the Karaka-Waiau district there is a soil hardly less fertile than Mangere, but it is not producing one tenth of what it would do if it were roaded from end lo end with metal. lam certain that by increasing the production ot this great district I as a Councillor will be dointj: better work than by saving a lew shillings per mile waiting for :i more propitious day to make roads. 1 have no desire to underrate the labour difficulty, and now , that Britain ha* appealed for more men the position may become more acute, but if we ' can set labour by all means let ■ us use it for the development of ' our countrv. 1 am, etc., 1 f. S. MONTGOM ERIE. ! April 2nd, 1918. I 1