CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 9 April 1883, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[to the editor wairarapa daily.]

Sir.—ln that portion of your report of the proceedings of the County Oounoil relating to road maintenance, you elate " Or Mackay desired to know which body would be responsible for the maintenance of the district lines of road." Permit me through the medium of your colomns to correct this statement. I used the term "main lines," meaning thos9 roadß declared such under" the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. The use of the word " district" is misleading, and may make ratepayers imagine the County is about to undertake the maintenance of all roads whioh are under the control of Eoad Boards, The interpretation of the two terms, vide Roads and Bridges Construction Act reads: " Main Roads means such a road as the Minister shall by notice published in the Gazette declare to be a main road for the purpose of this Act after a resolution of the House has approved such notioe. District Road means a road other than a main road." Yours &o„ Thomas Maokay. Ica, Wharearaa, April 3rd 1883.

[TO THE EDITOR WAIRARAPA DAILY,] Sir,—May I ask you to insert in your valuable paper my answor in reference to the petition lately sent to the County Council in reference to the two lines of road (Baird's and Brown's). I am accusod of having misled some of. the settlers, thereby gaining their signatures to the petition. Sir, I deny that such to the case. The petition was got up, based on Mr Ashcroft's report, being the shortest, and best route from Castlepoint to Tenui, and that the grade of the road would be second to none in the Wairarapa. Net privately, but publicly given, as a good many gentlemen are willing to affirm if necessary. But I would ask, if I have misled settlers who have no knowledge of the road—What is such a report calculated to do as the one published in which Baird's line'is made to appear \\ miles longer than Brown's line? Why was not the distance to Tenui given in each line ? But I deny the estimates of cost as given by the Engineer.. Mr Ashcrof t's estimate for formation was eight hundred pounds. Mr Ashcroft surveyed and laid off the road, and he ought to be able to' make a more correct estimate than Mr King who only walked over the line as far as the saddle, and although engineers and surveyors may disagree, I would ask— Could Mr Ashcroft have made so great a blunder as to have been nine hundred pounds wrong? ■ The same difference exists as to distance, but not to such an extent, Mr King walks over part of the line, Mr Ashcroft chains it: Which of the two ought to be best able to give the correct distance? No notice has been taken in the report of the intermediate length of road between the two which will .have to be made, and the distance added on to Brown's line before settlers having no knowledge of the road can judge; and there will he some cuttings on this part which will cost something considerable to make. Beside a double line of fencing from Castlepoint to Cripps—say about five miles—with compensation, which most assuredly will have to..bepaid. Mr Maokay cites the carrier's reportof the river bed;• I will cite another—Mr : Macara's driver Harford, who has stated from timo to time that the river bed is worse on the coach than all the rest of the distance.. Mr Mackay states I could not walk over part of Baird's line; tbat is utterly untrue. That I did not walk over it is true enough, but should that gentleman feel inclined for another walk over the line I am willing to give him practical proof I am. able to do it. As regards Mr McHutchon's letter challenging the statement in the petition, prt I have already answered, reduction in carriage is the only one not touched by me. I repeat again the same statement that with Baird's line opened and the boat jetty finished, the one working with the other, I believe it will be possible for good!,from Wellington to Tenui to be carried for fifty per cent, lower than at present. I am wellaware.that it looks startling, but let any one-take the trouble to inquire into it and they will soon see. In justice to myself with the gentlemen' who signed the petition I make this explanation. Ihave written to Mr Ashcroft stating particulars, who, I.have no doubt, will be able to sustainhis report of the road. ' v FV A Had Mr Beetham'g .motion, been adopted bo that plans of the Wo roads could have been laid before the Council it would have proved to the ratepayers that.our member did not wish tohurpy

it through/instead of which they pushed through at once.' But the ratepayers will have another chance yet ; there is: the poll, where, it is to'be hoped, they will assert their right. I will quote Mr Mackay's words re report of the Mungapakeha bridge, viz., "it does not follow the opinion of the Engineer should be always final." I quite concur with Mr Mackay re roads as with the Mungapakeha bridge. Subjoined I enclose an, estimate ol the two lines, partly Engineer's estimate partly my own, and settlers will be able to judge how much they have been misled," I believe the estimates as to cost are far beneath what it would cost if made. A very great deal mora could be said but not wishing to trespass any further on yourspace. •■•> - lain, &0,, ■•"■ ■;;.>•.-;.0. Eooers, - ABIIORoiPT'B, LIKE. £ s, d. From Castlept. to Dunn's, 4| miles, County Engineer'sestimate for formation ......1700 0 0 With metal easy of access, :;say£3ferchain. ... 1080 0 0 ■:,;', Total -;...? ; -."....-. J63780 0:0 brown's line. .." ' . £ B, I Castlepoint to Cripps', three miles, County Engineer's estimate for forming ... ... 700 0 0 Metalling at X4.per chain asmetalwillhavetobe , carted whole length of '•' line ... ... ... 960 0 0 Cripp'stoDunn's, 2|miles, formation at £3 per chain ... 660 0 0 Metalling at £2 5s per chain ... 495 0 0 Fencing both sides road from Castlept. toCripps, «ay ... 40KO 0 Total ... ... £3215 i 0 (Beside compensation not included) Baird'sline ... .... 2780 0,0 Balance.in favorßaird's line .... ... ...£435 0.0 CROPS IN OAMARU.

(Oamaru Mail.) A few days ago vre mentioned that Mr lE. Menlove, Windsor Bark, had obtained an average ot over 60 bushels of wheat to the acre from 350 acres. We have now to have chronicle several Mill larger yields. At Totaro Mr E. M'Auly has, we are informed, threshed out ah average of 65 bushels of wheat and HI bushels of oats per acre, over a large area of ground, the actual extent of which we do not know. Mr William Clarke, of Cave Valley, has obtained an average of U bushelß to the acre from 18 acres ; and from 300 aores leased by Mr William Meek, of Cave Valley, to Messrs Oowles and Harvey and others, an average of 72 bushels of wheat to the acre has been obtained- In addition to these, we have hoard of several other cases where over 40 bushels of wheat have been obtained in various parts .of the district, From these reports it would appear that tha averages disolosed by the statistics are below rather than above the mark, as has usually been found to be the case. We have not, in faot, heard of a single instance in which less "than 30 bushels of wheat has been obtained, and in the absence of information of that nature wo we are compelled to come to the conolus-, ion. that the yield of wheat will be considerably over 31 bushels to the aere, the figures given by the statistics. It is probable, too, that the average of oats will prove to be over 40 bushels to the acre, Taking the statistics as they stand, however, and setting down the whole at 2s Gd per bushel—a very low figure—we have the result that the harvest for the Waitaki oounty is of tba money value of a quarter of a million