PUBLIC OPINION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 622, 29 August 1933, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION

The "Fost" at all times welcomes con. espondence from its readers: It must, however, be clearly understo.od that we accept no responsibility for the views expressed by our correspondents. (To the Editor). Sir, — When visiting the place where I was born in the North I was most forcibly impressed with two things. One was the untidy farms, and the other was the amount of new metalling being done on the roads. The new settlers certainly are an untidy crowd, but the county council is evidently a wide awake body, and •believes in getting things done. Of course my first thought was "what is the matter with our Rotorua County Council, that it cannot do likewise?" On making inquiries as to how it

was being done, I was told that the rates were the same as ever, and the work was being done at about a quarter the cost of what it used to be. When I asked if they used unemployed labour, the reply was: No, it is too costly, all the woi*k is done by contract. What a contrast! One county council says there never was such an opportunity to get roads made, and is metalling side roads, making new roads and metalling them, where the most optimistic did not expect to see metal for the next forty years. The Rotorua County Council is allowing its roads to deteriorate, and is crying about having no money. It a ratepayer asked for a metalled I road to give access to his property they would probably drop dead. All is not well with the Rotorua County Council, but the question is where does the trouble lie? Are the workers so well catered for in Rotorua that they will not work as cheaply as they do in other places? In any case the position is intolerable, and needs looking into. What others can do surely Rotorua can do under similar conditions and the only difference I see in the con'ditions is that it would cost as much to form one mile of road up north as it would ten miles in Rotorua. Another thing I would like to mention for the benefit of those who look upon the north as the sunny, winterless north. I experienced the hardest frost I have felt this winter while. I was there and had to delay niy morning wash until the water thawed in the tap.— I ara, etc. GEO. GUNSON. Rotorua, Aug. 28, 1933.