A SETTLER’S COMPLAINT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9468, 10 June 1909, Page 8

A SETTLER’S COMPLAINT.

At Mauawatu County Council meeting yesterday a letter was read from Mr T McKenzie, as follows “I :,wieh to draw yonr and your Council’s attention to the horrible waste of our rates in the Carnarvon Riding. Several miles of cur roads have had a sufficient amount of river metal spread along them, a few of the larger stones have been broken, and the road is left in that state, till horses and sheep scatter all such metal off the read, which generally takes about two months During that two months we are condemned to the worst and roughest roads :,in any Riding in any long settled County in New Zealand. As the sheep and horse traffic clear the roads for us, the winter comes on, so we are in this state. First our roads are nearly impassable with loose coarse metal, and then they are cat into ruts and holes for want of metal. this could be obviated by putting some clay with all river metal as soon as it is put on the road. There is a fine object lesson on the Makowhai Hill where a sufficiency of clay has been used. The writer went on to express the opinion that whoever was responsible for this state of affairs should be removed, and continued— 11 We, the ratepayers, will pray that the Council will mend their ways and mend our highways. If it is a question of funds and yonr Council say they cannot give ns clay, then |for Heaven’s sake don t give us metal, as metal without clay will never make a road and to scatter it loosely on the road makes the road bad and wastes all our rates. I have spoken to a number of ratepayers and they hold the same opinion on the matter. Trusting your Council will give us clay for our roads before all our year’s rates are wasted.” The Riding complained of is represented by the writer’s brother, Mr R, B. McKenzie, who felt somewhat surprised at the tone of his remarks. The Council fnlly recognised that the work suggested was necessary and the serious aspect of the letter was accepted more as a joke.