The Upper Taueru Road Board.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4450, 21 June 1893, Page 3

The Upper Taueru Road Board.

(To tho Editor, VV D. Times). • Sir,—ln my last I mentioned that a horso, from an overdose of rangiora, was in a dyinff condition, and though tho owner (a poor labouring man) had made great efforts to restore it, it died, and ovtv and above this loss lie had to lose both time and money in having the oar(ase romoved from tho road and buriod in some more convenient place, lnow hear of another horse being in a oritical condition from the' same cause, and on the sane road; the aaid rangiora, : with other scrub, almost blocking traffic on the now notorious Upper Tauetu roads! The of the Board has been frequently directed to its overgrown estate; but without effect. To stookdrivers and travellers it is an endless sourco of annoyance and. loss. It is, howevor, a fair specimen of the roads m the outlying parts, and will probably contin'uo in this disgraceful condition till suoli time os die back settlers are more represented on the Board than they are at present. It has beon said that'' self praise is no recommendation," but this does not seem to havo deterred the Chairman at the late annual moating in indulging in a peanism, and requesting the Clerk to record the same, which duly" appoared in your issue of tho 10th inst. They were state* metits which nine-tenths of the settlers will take exception to. One passage reads thus: "it was a matter of con. gratulntion to see the very great amount of work that has been accomplished by the Boatd during the past year." If ho had said in one or two famed spots the truth would havo been more nearly approached, and the publio would have been less gulled, and indigiiant ratepayers would not liave indulged in Ironical cachinatione, And as for their supposed " voluntary assistance" there was none in its true sense. It was abribeon their part to tho Board, to procure the road man's services, without which they would probably not have had him, and was forced upon thorn by their helpless position, To continue the comedy, he added, "recognising the face that it was to their interest todo so, rather than [saddletheir properties with Loans for five and twenty years." But they are saddled with loanß and hayn nothing for it, and to preaoh self-reliance to them iB simply adding insult to injury and mocking a mau in his trouble I In what rtßpeot has he set the example of selfreliance, that he should arrogate to himself the right of preaching it to men who are already overworked and desperately struggling for a mere existence ? It has been truly said '' That man's inhumanity to man, hath mado countless millions mourn," If a remedy is not soon found, the Goyernment will be petitioned to investigate the matter, and I trust find a solution. I am, Ac,, Ratepayer