THE GUM EXPORT DUTY AND THE ROADLESS NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 221, 18 September 1893, Page 4

THE GUM EXPORT DUTY AND THE ROADLESS NORTH.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —A crisis has come, and the old Auckland curse of divided councils turns up us full of life (or death) as ever. It is difficult tn over-estimate the importance to the North of tho report of the Gumlields' Commissioners. The opportunity is being ruined by the action of one of tho city newspapers and tho Chamber of Commerce.

When the Counties' Conference was sitting in Auckland ib was said thab if the moo assembled in that room did not know tho requirements of their district, no one else could tell them. Now, tho same voice condemns one of the resolutions almost unanimously passed at the Conference, which is now supported by two oub of the throe Commissioners. It so happened, if I remember rightly, that tho only vote recorded against the resolution at the Conference was from the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, sittiug as a reprosontabive of one of the suburban counties.

The mud wo flounder thiough has nob affected our brains so tbab we cannot take in the situation. Wo do nob want to bo told that the imposition of a gum export duty will not relievo the Government of the responsibility of giving us our fair share of public works money. But our condition is such that we wanb both. The Bay of Islands Council furnished evidence, unfortunately nob published, given by exports, that'on one road alono, about twenty miles lori_r, damage has been done in Uio lasb five years to the oxtonb of about £2,500, aud this did nob refer to bridges. We want a big Bum to set us even whore we wore fivo years ago, and a sufficient revenue bo gradually improve the road, and renew the bridges. Our share of the gum revenue, with increased rates and subsidy, will only be just sufficient. I tiiink tho Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce calls himself a Matakana boy, and consequently interested in the welfare of the Northern peninsula. I have never yob found anyone able to indicate ono single o.c<- that the Chamber of Commerce hae performed in favour of the North. Commerce, forsooth ! Robbinar a " poor " dietricb of enormous wealth 'thab cannot be replaced, tuid doing their boat to ruin the su-ugeling bona fide settlers in tho process. Verily, a book of remembrance is being kept.—l am, etc.,

A Northern Settler,