FOOT PATH TO HARRISVILLE.

Southland Times, Issue 1194, 16 July 1869, Page 2

FOOT PATH TO HARRISVILLE.

(TO THE EDITOR OP THE SOUTHIAND TIMBS.) Sir — In the cry which has been made by the advocates of reunion with Otago much stress has been laid upon the fact that in that province great attention is paid to road-making and that most if not all of the outlying districts are easily come-at-able because they have good roads to them. So far so good, but it appears that most if not all of these good roads have been constructed andare kept in repair by the inhabitants voluntarily taxing themselves. As a* 1 illustration of the difference in sentiment b£ the inhabitants of the two provinces on this particular, matter I will ; with your permission refer to the matter of the contemplated footpath north' of the Dee-street gratings to a distance beyond Harrisville up to what is called the Avenal Eoad. Eeferring to your columns, I find that a meeting' was called and held recently by certain residents of Harrisville and the North Eoad to j consider the subject, when it was carried that it was desirable to form a footpath for the distance above mentioned. A committee was appointed to wait, as a deputation from the meeting, upon the Government, and ascertain what assistance it was disposed to give towards the work ; the Eoad Inspector having previously estimated the cost of the work, assuming prison labour to be available, at some thing over seventy pounds. The reply of the Government being obtained, the said Committee was deputed by the meeting to canvass the district for the funds. His Honor the Superintendent, in answer to the deputation, promised on behalf of the Government, a contribution of such planking as was in hand from the timber of the Eailway, and further to allow prison labour in the completion of the work as far as it was practicable. In fact the Government acted liberally in the matter, and now comes the part on which I wish to comment. I state, on reliable authority, as the result of a partial canvass of the district by the Committee appointed, that there is now no probability of the work being completed from the unwillingness of a portion of the residents of the district to contribute to the expense. Excuses of all kinds come in place of money. One lives beyond the proposed termination, another thinks the burden should fall on some one else rather than on him. Another that the winter is gone, and so on ad infinitum. A fortnight bacfc exclamations loud aud deep were heard on every hand of the difficulty of getting to town. Every one was willing and anxious to do anything, but when the test is applied of individual contributions for tne common good the case is altered. I took upon this as an illustration of the necessity for a Eoad Board, with power of taxation, to compel those who are only too glad to avail themselves of improvements, effected at the expense of their neighbours, to contribute thereto. I am not at all personally concerned but take the matter up on public grounds, and shall for the future have no faith in the voluntaryism of a large portion of this community whatever they may say to the contrary. I understand that some few have promised liberally ; all credit to them. — I am, &c, Non Eesident op Habbisville. July 14th, 1869.