ROADS IN THE CASTLEPOINT DISTRICT.

To the Editor of the Waibabapa Daily. Sir—ln the face of the loss of subsidies from Government paid to Highway Boards, it behoves the ratepayers in this district to tike into serious contemplation by what means money is to be provided wherewithal to keep in repair our existins mads and also, the formation of new (ines that we may require from time to time. In this question is wiM.pt up the future of this district, both present and future, and it is one therefore which should not be treated indifferently by the ratepayers in it. ••■■.■•■■■ At present our rates, unassisted by Government grants, are quite inadequate to keep in repair and maintain our iiumetalled roads, Wlrnt, then, is to lie cWe to carry on new works or metal the 1 lines now in use 1 The answer is, I fear, that we must submit ourselves to a special rate in lieu of Government subsidies. Doubtless it is hard and uiijustthat we get no adequate return in proportion to the sums of money the Government ; have received from us for land. .'■ Koads we must have, and if the colony cannot or will not assist us, the only plan'appears to be to face an unpleasant necessity and find the money ourselves. The last subsidy, I understand, we are to receive amounts to about £450. How is this to be spent, is a question that suggests itself. Before attempting to answer it, let us look closely into the matter of what roads we possess, and of what benefit to the district they are, i.e., are they all of equal advantage and use in effecting the removal of our produce, or are some of them mere roads of convenience or luxury. Taking Tenui as a junction for the various roads intersecting the district,' it will be found that four roads meet there, viz,, the Mangapakeha (including a portion of the Uriti road), leading to Masterton; the Uriti line, leading to Lower WJiareama and Uriti; the Upper Whareama, leading inland to Tiraumea, Moroa, &c.; and the Castlepoint road, leading to our shipping port, Are all these roads mentioned of equal importance? Do all of them enhance the value of properties by produce being carried on them to market! I think not. On the road to Masterton (the Mangapakeha) no productions of any consequence, with the exception of a few head of livestock, are conveyed. On the Uriti line the greater portion of the Lower Whareama produce is carried en route, via Tenui, to. Castlepoint, It follows, then, that there is one road—the Mangapakeha—on which little or no produce is carried to Tenui; two-the Uriti and Upper Whareama-on which the bulk of our productions travel, These two roads, joining at Tenui, merge into the Castlepoint road, along which almost the whole of the imports and exports of the district are drayed to and from our nearest shipping port, Castlepoint, distant about 12 miles from Tenui, and about 18 miles from the Lower Whareama flats, i.e., the best agricultural land in the district. ■ It is generally admitted, and can be demonstrated by facts, that water carriage is cheaper than land carriage. Such bom? the case, it invariably-' happensi that the' first object in the settlement of a country or district is to "facilitate' the means of access and communication .to,,the nearest shipping porta. We have done so here to some extent by making a .road to Castlepoint as a first move'tb'get"our produce and.stores to and fro at as cheap a rats as

possible. Why hot follow up'{his gobd : beginning mid metal the road fcrniTenui to Onstlepnint 1 Would it not lessen the cost of getting our produce to rnrtrket and rnir stores to our i:Woi(ld it not foster other industries' than mere wool graving; inducing production in a vvay that no other outlet is likely to do?' Let us suppose that both the Mangapakeharoad(to Masterton).and the Castlepoint line were both metalled; the length of the former being about 30' miter and' the latter 12 miles from Tenui, or about 30 and 18 respectively from Lower Whareama. : Given, then, these roads metalled and alike in good order, on which would the produce of this district travel? This is the " burning question j" the one that should be solved without a doubt before the little money we possess is spent. Would any producer, upon mature deliberation, send wool, grain, tallow, &c„ 18 or 12 miles (according, to his starting point, Tenui or Lower Whareama) extra land carriage to get it to an inland township (Masterton) distant ,by land some 60 miles from its own shipping port, Wellington ? Some people argue that all this will be altered when railway communication extends toMasterton. I cannot see that it will. If the railway charges from Mosterfcon and the freights from Castlepoint were equal, there is still the very material difference of the 12 or 18 miles in the carriage to be got over. How does the matter look from a£ s. d. view ? At present our rate of cartage from Tenui to Oastlepoint is about 2s per ton per mile, •or £l4s for the 12 miles. At the same rate per mile to Masterton it would be £3 for 30 miles, i.e., £2l6s in excess of the amount to Oastlepoint, Deduct the 16a fe storage and shipping, and there remains then- £2 per ton against haulage to Masterton.

The Mangapakeha road, with a coach weekly travelling upon it would be a benefit-a luxury, in fact, a convenience to our wealthy squatters when wending their way to the Empire City on business or pleasure bent, Luxuries and works of mere convenience or personal comfort in which a few individuals only participate we cannot afford On the other hand' works of necessity force themselves upon us and must be attended to, or our livelihood will soon suffer,

I have no wish to run down the advantages of a road to Masterton, but I unhesitatingly affirm that whatever they may be that they are more than counterbalanced by those derivable from a good metalled road lo Casfclepoint. A good deal is said about the advantages of the Mangapakeha road for driving stock, Surely our stockmen are getting effete indeed if they require made roads to drive cattle and sheep along, Provided there was a metalled road-to Oastlepoint. few if any sheep would find their way to the Wairarapa. A boilingdown establishment at Tenui or Whakataki would be a means of getting rid of our surplus stock, at a date not far distant.

Looking at the whole question from a purely disinterested point of view, and taking into consideration our financial position, I cannot but arrive at the conclusion that a metalled road to our local shipping place is our most urgent and pressing necessity; this coupled with the Unti and Upper Whareama roads in good condition will stimulate producers, to produce more, to the mutual advantage of individuals and the district, lam, i6c, A Resident. '