ALEXANDRA.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1121, 30 August 1879, Page 2

ALEXANDRA.

: August 18th. ) I see somo petty-minded correspondent E has sent you, what ho calls a " refutation , of some remarks made by me some time since on the advisability of making the road on the west side of the river, instead of 'forming it on the east side, m the direction of the King Country. Your correspondent utterly ignores my reason ■ for so doing, viz., the immense quantity r of road metal to be obtained from tho P Mangaouika Creek sufficient to metal all 5 the roads m this and surrounding districts. I To do so would not encroach on native f territory at all, the creek being but a short 3 distance from the boundary of the townj ship and considerably inside the confiscated . line. It has been the wish of our Road _ Board Trustees to make this short piece 3 of work for years, but the small amount a of money at their disposal has prevented [ their doing so. One has only to look at t the state of the roads m our to wi. ship at t the present time to see the absolute . necessity pf procuring road metal some--3 where, and the place I have mentioned is _ the only one where it can be obtained. All"our roads are now knee deep m mud, and only two plases m the township where '' it^ is possible to cross the main street without going over your boots. In regard to the great benefit the road via- Puniu .would be to the natives m bringing-' their 0 produce overland if the road were made a to the falls. I answer there is a good i} road there already, not a foot out of the ,_ level, and that to " fcrm it hy taking off ,•*- the top sod would only spoil it without r metalling- it afterwards and make it the 3 sea of mud which distinguishes the other h of our roads which have been so treated. j The river is always passable for canoes at t the falls at the times natives bring down i their produce, because from the obstruce tions of logs, shallows, &c, up-country it c is necessary for there to be plenty of water f in the river to enable them to get down as -_ far as the falls where there is plenty of deep water. The only persons hitherto who have landed their produce aboye the falls and carted it overland, are those ® natives who, having received advances from Mr Oliver, on account of their crops, and feeling disinclined to discharge their ! > liabilites, have taken that road to escape ° his notice, and so surreptitiously dispose . of thorn, without discharging their debts. And, lastly, the road via Puniu is only used by a few pf the Kopua natives, m summer time, when they can ford the ° river, and it is all sufficiently good for •fihat purpose, for footmen or equestrians, c as is also that on the west side. My ° adyocaoy, made at the instance of many, being only the advantage the whole district would gain by having the road ® metal available. As, however, the authorities have not proceeded with the II work on the east side, I surmise the writer r of the letter is some disappointed person * who had an " axe to grind," as the road would have bepn of no benefit to Euro--11 peans, it evidently emanates from some £ one with a very strong "personal motive." , Our Road Board Meeting of Ratepayers did not come off ' las-t week, .there not being a sufficient number of persons -. present to constitute a legal meeting.

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