HEART WEARY SETTLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 226, 29 October 1909, Page 4

HEART WEARY SETTLERS.

SOME DIFFICULTIES OF BACK-

BLOCKS LIFE.

ROADS IMPASSABLE.

A moving story of dreadful backblocits roads was told to the lion. R. MeKen/.is, Minister of Public Works, on Saturday by a deputation from districts in the northern portion of the King Country, which was introduced by Mr. W. 'I. Jennings, M.4'. . The Minister was assured by Ma.,or Lusk ((To Kuiti) that their roads were in such a terrible condition that it was impossible to maks use of the railway. The country was new country, but it was being very rapidly filled up, and the increasing traffic was very destructive to the roads, which were absolutely imputable and even dangerous to life, fo r six months of the year. There had in en an immense waste of money an 1 I labour in the past owing to the late season at which attention was given to load works. If the Minister could guarantee money to certain roads at an early period of the year a scheme or expenditure would be prepared and contracts could be b't very soon. They c.uld go on then till May and gei i iva'lv "<nnl work done. He was an en- ' "liner himself, and had been a pioiincor 1 tif road-making in New Zealand for sixty ' vcars. This was a very burning uuev I'tion in the district. Three roads par- ' ticulaiiy required attention, and two of 1 there were main arterial rods. Horses had been literally dug out of the road, and settlers could not take their stock to be sold on account of the bad roads. To this district roads were more important than railways. Tt was no use hiivinir railways if they could not get access" to theni. Te Kuiti being the centre, there would undoubtedly 'be a large butter and choose industry established if '.here were reasonable conditions of transit.

DANGER TO TRAFFIC. .Mr. Elliot (Piopio) said that.the main arterial road from Te Kuiti to New Plymouth was fairly good in summer and very bad in winter. AH the nienbtrs of the deputation lived from twciuy to iifty miles from the railway, and this road was their only means of access. They had been fairly treated by the Government in the past, but if the money which they spent on road work was placed earlier in the hands of public bodies the work could be done more 'cheaply and effectively. The road was now virtually dangerous for traffic. The Government had opened up lands recently for settlers, one of whom had fallen oil his horse while it was flounderI itm in the mud, and stated if he had not I kept his legs wide apart ne would have i sunk over his head. Many of the settlers had talked of raising 5s per ileal for the purpose of getting a subsidy from the Government. The freight over twenty miles of road, apart from railway "freights had cost the settlers i'4SOO in one year. If four or five miles ot road were metalled this year it would afford means of transit in connection with a dairy factory to be established next season.

Mr. King (Southern Kawhia) said that a certain block had been settled for four, years, but only one settler had access by road to his section. It wa = impossible to commence dairying operalions without roads. They bad from one to two miles of bush to contend against before they struck a six-foot track, and after that they came upon the road which Major Lusk had'desenb•d. The settlers were heart-weary 01 the disadvantages against which they had had to struggle. It was simply im possible for seven, eight, and sometimes nine mouths in the year to get cattle into the block, and if they got them there liioy could could only get them to the sale-yards in such a wretched condition as seriously to affect their value. From three to three and a-half miles of improved roading were required.

Mr. Percy Rose said that his district «•;'-; furth'r south than that of the late speaker . Settlor* were still using an old Maori track in that district because the | road was impassable. Another road to the railway at To Kuiti was forty-seven miles long, ami ridinjj light it had taken him two days to cover the distance, The. Government engineer had told him il would cost £3OO to clear the Waipnwn ii>ad of slips to make it negotiable for [traffic. Hundreds of acres were being ; stock into the district. Three small bride's were bndlv needed. (The Minister: We'll have to try to get. the bridges for you). The Awakiuo county, to which hj" belonged, was without a council. 1 ho Minister: Let me advise you, then, to elect n council as soon as possible, You will never do any good until you have a local body to represent your nreds.

A SYMPATHETIC REPLY. The Minister said lie sympathised very int'ch with the settlers' position. The Government, however, had spent an enormous sum— £l37,ooo—in Mr. Jennings' electorate last year, and they could rot continue at Hint rate every year. The \W.cm he was asked to a don't regarding roads was one he intended to make general. He was satisfied that the local bodies could got bolter results from the -roads than Government officers, and that was one reason why the Public Works and Roads Departments svere am.ilgin.aled. Provision would be made so that local bodies, under proper conditions, could have money handed over to Ihom for road works. There was also the question of the cost of the Department, -Te Kuiti road district had cost more than all the road districts in the South Islam! for administration. The Government recognised that it was miicn be'tor to give the money to the settlor than to spend it on clerical work and on-moors. He recognised that it was a perfect waste of nionev to try to male rods in wot weather. ' Ho would hand over whatever money was voted us soon »' 1! was available, and he advised thorn 00 get their plans and specifications ready at once. He could not, of course say what amount would bo voted, but he would assist them as fa,- as possible 1 he back-blocks settlors deserved special encouragement.—Times.