BACKBLOCKS ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 297, 10 May 1911, Page 4

BACKBLOCKS ROADS.

THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE. Yesterday morning Mr. J. B. Richards, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, waited on the Hon. R. McKenzie, Minister of Public Works, on the question of the formation of a road to connect the Ohura and Rawhitiroa roads. Mr. Richards said that the Ohura road earried the produce to deal with which the Stratford-Ongarue railway was being made, and the Rawhitiroa road acted in a similar manner as regards Eltham; but between these two big roads there was no intercommunication between toe far ends. Mr. McKenzie: Perhaps there is none required. Mr. Richards said that where there were two large communities close together there was bound to be need of intercommunication. Frequently people ■ in the two districts exchanged stock, and instead of being able to take themsix miles across country, all stock from south to north had to be driven to El- ' tham, then to Stratford, and then out to the East road back country—a distance of about fifty miles. Mr. McKenzie: Why doesn't the County Council make a roadf Mr. Richards said the Government had settled the country, and perhaps tie people looked to them for too much. Mr. McKenzie: I think a good deal too much. Mr. Hine, M.P., said the chief trouble seemed to be that the only means of communication was through a forest reserve. The road had been laid off, hut as it ran through a reserve there were no rates to enable the County Council to do anything. An unsuccessful attempt had been made to have the re- »■ servation removed. In reply, the Minister said the roa* was not one which could be looked on as a national one. If it was a load which would bring new trade to tb» railway the Government would fed called upon to do something, but, w ; j far as he could see, the road wouHt '1 merely take trade from the Eltham rail- J way station and bring it to Stratford 1 station. If the route lay through a re- '! serve the Roads Department should be 1 asked to make the road. He would,. 'i however, get a report on the mattet from Mr. Murray, so that he conld aea just, how matters stood. So far, WW- -•' ever, as had been stated to hintf' he could not see that there was any claim *1 on the Government.—Post. "?