THE OHURA ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 16 April 1907, Page 2

THE OHURA ROAD.

It was only (~ he expected that the settlers served by tile Ohura road would strongly object to and resell! the course (lie Acting-Premier proposes lo lake in respect of the future control of this main arterial road. A conference of the principal public and representative men of the province has been convened for tonight at Stratford lo coii-idcr the posi ■tion. As the convenors say. the matter in of vital iiimorlance to the whole of Taranaki. and'we expect that there wiii be a rciulv responc to the iuvitalion. and thai ihe speakers will be ou<spoken in their condeinnatiuii of tic nclinu of I tin- Mimsi.ui-.iur PuLlis Works in llnva. teniiig lo perpetrate (he grave iiijii.-uh-c that he does. Iml I. it is not now a matter of '•threatening." for it is au-

thoriialively Mated that Mi-. Ilall-Joucs intends to give effect ;U nil ":'.rlv date In his proposal. Till- IIUM-till!; cannot fail t.i (iiak'o mil » ritniiivj case for the local hodv. and the settlers of Obura. W'« doubt whether there are settlers in auv part of l.lie colony who have hud, nnil have, "renter disabilities to contend against in the way of means of communication, etc., limn the settlers of Taranal i's hinicrland. It- is just as tn.e Hint no settlers ill the colony have a greater claim for consideration at ihe kinds of the powers that are than Hie same pioneers of Taranaki's hack country. We need not enlarge ii]>t>n the promises that have been given tliem ■ promises that have never vet materialised; the great hardships' the settlers have had to undergo, and have to undergo now; the way in which they have burdened themselves to provide nionev to make the roads -or tracks -passable, and tin; helplessness of their position if at tln= caprice of the Acting-IVcmicr lliev are. on top of all, saddled with the cost of maintaining an arterial road that Ihe Oovcrumcnl should have hist placed in a properly formed and metalled slate. Readers have heard it all before. II is, however, only (hose who have had firsthand knowledge of these disabilities, or have practical experience themselves., who can appreciate what all this mean;, to the brave strugglers in the. bush. Mr. Hall-Jones evidently does not know, or. if knowing, has subordinated his discretion and gcitcral level-headedness and sense of justice and fair-plav l» pique I or some other form of petty fooling. We are satisfied that if merit counts at all. and it should, of course, count every time, no Minister can conscientiously or honestly overlook Hie. claims of ' (lie (Iliiu-a settlers or would attempt to inflict further injury upon and grind still lower a district tiiut is deserving of the most liberal help the Oovernment can render.