CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1922, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

ROA DING GRIEVANCE. (To the Editor.) Sir,—lt has come to my knowledge that fourteen ratepayers from the west part of the North Riding were invited by the Stratford County Council on April 29 to hear the chairman’s views re raising a loan to repair the roads in that part of the riding. Were these selected few friends of the councillors, or why was not the meeting made public ? Perhaps our councillors thought this number good enough to represent over two hundred ratepayers. If our council did not think shame of their treatment of the ratepayers concerned, then why this hole and corner meeting? There is no doubt the toads in this part of the riding have been completely starved by our council for want of maintenance and attention. At the Counties’ Conference, held at Eltham, the Press reports our county chairman to have stated that if the Government take over the main roads, the ratepayers would not get so good value for their money. In mentioning this he must have been using an extraordinary amount of bluff, or had a very vague idea of how the county revenue was squandered. In giving evidence re a few Stratford County ratepayers wishing to merge into Eltham County, Councillor Walters stated Stratford county roads would compare favorably with any roads in Taranaki, and that better work was being done for the money expended. If so, why were six motor lorry loads of metal required to be carted from the crushing pit at Cardiff to repair the Barclay Road, a distance of roughly twelve miles? The Barclay Road being only a few years ago formed and metalled, was in very fair order, and crosses the Patea River, where thousands of yards of good stone can be got within a few chains of the road, with a track into the river less than a chain long, so easy of access that a returned soldier was able to take about eight yards of stone, carting same about two hundred yards in one day between milking time. The council’s lorries, after plodding through a water-sodden track, called for an apology Pembroke Road, every one getting bogged over a mile from the Barclay Road. Three teams of horses were employed for two days carting this metal to Barclay Road, eight men being employed one day and five the next. It would be interesting to know how much this metal cost per yard to dump on Barclay Road. The damage done by the council’s lorries and teams made the road quite unfit for vehicle traffic. One party using the road with a light load unyoked his horse and tied it to the fence, gathering what timber he could find to fill one bad hole before he could proceed. A returned soldier riding to town at night was thrown through his horse falling in one of the holes, and had to make two trips to the doctor with hie shoulder, while his horse was injured. Another party had his gig upset one night, breaking both shafts and harness, a lady being thrown out, and she was confined to her bed for a few days. A deputation waited on the couucil, and received a very sarcastic hearing, being informed that nothing could be done till next summer. In July the ratepayers worked about one week in repairing the worst parts. Summer has come and gone. In March the road became impassable. The ratepayers put in about eight days repairing same. We will be practically cut off from communication this winter unless something is done by the council, and only six miles from Stratford! Some of us are paying over five shillings per acre in rates. Not a surfaceman has been seen on the road since July, 1921. There are eleven of us returned soldiers who have aio other outlet but the Pembroke Road. Is this treatment by the Council in accord with Councillor Walter’s statements made in public (when Austria surrendered) as to what he considered should be done for returned soldiers?—l am, etc., IGNORAMUS AGRICOLAE. Pembroke Road, May 22, 1922.