The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE, 16, 1905. THE HIGHWAY TO THE NORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7850, 16 June 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE, 16, 1905. THE HIGHWAY TO THE NORTH.

The long-suffering pioneer settlers of Whaftgamomona and other places on the raute from Taranaki to Auckland, marked on the survey plans as the Onura RoanJ, are still striiVJng desperately to obtain) a means for convoying their stock and produce over the route laid Sown on the plan 1 , but tip to tho present they have failed to secure the greatly needed boon. They have constantly kept the matter before the Government, and tho members for the district have, tin ses>sion and out of session, done all in their power to remedy the evil. Tho Tarajtaki Chamber of Commerce has agam and again strongly urged on tho Government the clams of tho backblock settlers to better treatc m«cL as regards arterial road 8 , and though some prdgress has been made, tho period of weary waiting has been so long tha>t the settlers are becoming dishcartoncd with tho apparent futility of their efforts to ameliorato their conditions of life. In bringing the matter before, the Chiin ior o( Commerce at th» annual meeting on Wednosday, Mr Joseph H;c ..

has shown that even yet uhe settlers do not despair of success, and whan" cvar tho happy time arrives (may it bo very soon), that the main North road is an accomplished fact, tho settlers will have good cause to bo grateful for tho energy and persistence shown by Mr McCluggajre durr ing the long, process of battling for the completion of the highway. As he pointed out in his able letter to the Thambcr, the bulV of the land on the Ohura road is ta*en up by Taranaki settlers whose sympathios aro natural with Tarariaki and its traders. The advantages of enabling our settlers -to dispose of stock in the Waikato market , where the pnje•s are more favourable than in our own district is a vory important ono and it be readily understood why the settlers consider they have been 'too long sadly neglected, and treated with lofty contempt." They have, indeed, much justice m their bitter complaints, but to blame the chjof towns of Taranaki for their "shortr sighted and dK'ator(j policy" in allowing tkc evil to continue is akin to barbing up the wsong tree. Both Stratford and Now Plymouth business people have all along, ybeen alivo 1o tho miseries and pecuniary loss that have been endured by the backblock sotulcrs, {jw»injf to lack of usv ablo roads. It was, however, beyond their power to compel the Govern, ment to provide these necessary means of communication between the towns and the far back" country. All they could do was practically what they have done on many, occasions, i namely, give expression !,i iheir strong feelings on the matter, and urge the Government to action. As Mr Kerr pointed out .to tho Chamber the subject was ono that had been before that body for the last, n V o years, nncl that, tfh'n dCstricfl had gone on expanding, Die retirements 0 f tho settlers had not been met. "Taranaki/' he Said, "was suffering severely from the want of a much more- vigorous roading. policy thanfhad been adopted by the Gov[ormnent. The motion .which he tabl-

edlardeatty eifressea tHe jriews ottEv Chamber on the question, for it was camicd unanimously. The wording o( the resolution was temperate but emphatic, and it is to be hoped that the Government Will put an end to existing' state of ada its which has greaOy retarded the pogress of tha district, and is threatening to para j lyse settlement. The difficulty is entirely a financial one, and owing to the claims for similar works in other districts the Government had founds it impossible to meet all the pressing demands. If, however, any one district is more entitled than another to a special claim for consideration at bho hands of the Government! it is Taranaki which has done so much to I'aiss the Colony's credit !bty' means of the dairy industry, and there is no industry which so urgently needs lor its successful pursuit the provision of good roads. It is gre a tr ly to the credit of our -.back block settlers that they have done stich good work under most adverse circumstances. They have justly earned a respite from their hitherto cease-i less fight against conditions which never ought to have existed, and evory effort should now be made by tooth town and country to secure the completion of the arterial roads in' the district.

ON THE FOURTH PAGE, The Storyteller. Commercial'. General.