PAPAROA.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 205, 7 July 1893, Page 8

PAPAROA.

(EROM OTJIi. OWN CORRESPONDENT). A meeting was convened for Tuesday evening last in the Schoolroom to make furthei arrangements re forming a Liberal Association for the district. A youthful member o f the party, thinking probably

to have his little joke at the expense of the Liberals, stuck up comic notices in -several places stating that a great meeting ®f ‘ empty heads ’ (as he styled the Liberals) would take place that night.. However the evening turned out so uninviting that the Liberals, like sensible men, stopped at home, and it subsequently transpired that the precocious youth in question, with his brothers and his papa, were abeut the only persons present at the meeting of * empty heads * that night. “ Next time your Arapohue correspondent sits down *to develop from the inner consciousness something out of chaos ’ I should advise him to stick more closely to facts. He has been favoring us with his opinion of the grazing land of Paparoa, as viewed from, the Show graund. I may mention that tho Show ground is situated on) soireLof the poorest land iu the place. ‘ Looking at the hills from that point he noticed many bare spots.’ Now just opposite the Show ground there is a hill which always looks rather bare and uninviting. And I suppose that because of the appearance of this one hill, he sets down all the land of Paparoa as poor, or below par. Really I must decline to further discuss this question with a man who seemingly rides about the country with his eyes shut.

Your Maropiu correspondent’s remarks in your issue of June 23rd oall for some little reply from me. lam not afraid to stick to my opinion. I merely stated £he opinions of others who knew your district as confirming the ideas I had formed myself. Speaking of the erection of tho j etty at the Paparoa Landing he says, ‘ "Whoever heard of building a wharf where there is no stream for craft to ply on ?’ What nonsense to talk in this manner, when your correspondent’ haa to my knowledge visited the place twice in the ' Ethel,’ which runs to the jetty every week. The wharf and shed have been in use by the Steamer Co. and the public for several years now. In conclusion I am advised ‘ to keep the matter dark.—don’t parade the fact,’ in connection with the subject which I sailed attention to, of the contractor being kept waiting for his money for tho erection of the whart. If this is your Maropin scribe’s method of dealing with cases in his locality where injustice has been done, it is certainly not mine. Is it not the duty of the Press to call public opinion to injustice, or unfair dealing? And more especially is it my place to do so when an instance occurs in my immediate locality.

It is evident some new blood is wanted in our County Council. Last year I called attention to the idiotic system, of letting contracts for earthwork on the roads just as the winter is coming on. In several places where these so called ‘ improvements ’ have been carried out this year, the winter rain falling on the soft earth has of course converted the road into a soft bog. Travellers are now obliged to take a course up on top of tbe cutting, or elsewhere in order to avoid the road. In one place the Council, after improving (?] the road in this fashion, had to employ a man to cut a track through the neighbouring tea-tree, iu order that people might get along. Why in tbe name of common sense cannot the work be done in the spring, so that the earthwork \ could be allowed several months in order to set and harden before the winter comes on T If complaints are made we are told that the rates do not come in till late on in the season, and there is consequently ‘no funds ’ available until the winter is approaching. Then why not keep the money over and spend it next summer ? The roads are simply made far worse by mud larking on them when the wet season approaches. We also note the sensible way in which our hit of .metalled road is kept in order. Instead of the \vatercourses being attended to before the heavy rains come on, they are allowed to remain obstructed till the water, turned out of its proper channel, has washed away quantities of gravel; then, when the harm is done, a man is put on to ciear out the drains. What an insane mode of doing things f * Oh, that common sense should be so dear, And County rates so cheap !’