The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1813, 19 February 1884, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbnbed by gain. TUESDAY, FEB. 19, 1884-

The winter season is not many months removed from now, and it behoves those interested in the progress of this district, particularly the members of our district governing bodies, to see that the new\ Rotorua road does not fall into' an

impassable state for wheeled traffic. Waikato has been particularly fortunate in securing the opening of this line of road, as is evident from the daily increasing tourist traffic which now passes over it. As an instance of this, ou Friday evening last no less a number than thirty tourists arrived at Cambridge from fciio Lake country. Those came through in a number of coaches and other conveyances, and the fact serves to indicate what may be expected when the route and its advantages become more generally known to the outside public. We will now have to do one of two things ; either endeavour to convince the Government of: the necessity of keeping the road in good repair during the winter by constabulary or day labour ; or else abandon almost our pretensions to affording a superior route to the interior. It is quite evident, the ro.id being a colonial road, our county | councils cannot meddle with its condition — in any case they have got no money to spend on its repair ; so the Government will have to be kept up to the promise made by Mr Mitchelson during his visit to this district. Possibly the Government concession in the mat ter will take the shape of stationing a number of repairing parties at intervals along the road, just to keep it open until the summer season again arrives. It this is so, we think the sooner the work of repairing is begun the better, as the very bad places, if put in good condition when the weather is good and the traffic heavy and continuous, will be passable when the bad weather arrives. Wo have now learned from experience that it is too late to commence the work of repairing roads when the winter season has set in. We hope the Government will not allow tins to be so in the case of the Eotorua road. A long time must necessarily elapse before JLlotyrua- can be connected with the outside world by rail, so this cannot be urged as an excuse for allowing the new road to fall into disrepair.