COUNTRY LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 290, 4 December 1920, Page 6

COUNTRY LIFE.

It ia appropriate that the statement made by the Minister for Public Works throwing a little more light on the Government's loading policy should have been made during Auckland's "Show Week." The Show is a meeting place for town and country, and a reminder that the interests of the two are identical, and road improvement is an important item in the programme of rural progress and amelioration that enlightened Governments wall adopt in the coming years. The need for such a programme is shown by the change in the distribution of population to which this paiper has often drawn attention. In 1896, when New Zealand was just entering on its ■long period of good times, the counties had 55.69 of the population, and the boroughs 43.69. In 18U6, when 20 years of ever-increasing prosperity had passed, the figures were 45.50 and 53.24. The drift is not nearly so serious as it is in some other countries, -but it is quite serious enough to be noted and studied. To keep people in bhe country the Government must do what it can to make, life more pleasant, and one obvious thing that can be given the settler is .better roads. At present the lot of many a settler is much worse than the townsman imagines. Every time he or his family go out on business or pleasure the handicap of had raids is met. In winter these people are sometimes marooned. It may be argued that the Minister's scheme of main road-s constructed by the Government will not he'tp these -people. But if it does not help them directly, and at once, it will indirectly and lilt-imatelv. S : dc roads lead on to main roads, and in many cases out-back settlers will be brought nearer their country town or the city by the Government's construction. And when really good arterial roads begin to be formed, the whole bnsiner-s of good •road making w'll be given an impetus, and the deuvaiul for better side roads will grow. A wide view of the road problem pictures a day when farmers and their families will think nothing of motoring up to town for a. day or a weekend from points far distant from Auckland, and when it will be an easy thing for the settler to go to his nearest town and back in half a day at most. By! that time electricity may be the universal power, running the farmer's motor car, turning his machinery, besides providing him with light. But short of an extension of flying that will make him independent of the earth, better roads n.re perhaps the farmer's greatest material need. Bad roads cause him loss and keep him isolated. In elaborating its scheme of main highways tho Government must not lose, sight of other roads. The system under whicli many of these minor roads are made and maintained calls loudly for improvement. Local poverty or unwillingness to spend money, and the nece-*Hy fir mak : ng application to Wellington, clog the wheels of progress. -A Government that would put the whole business of road-making in New Zealand on a eoi.nder footing <voukl do the country an inest'm-ililn service. It is one of the first thing" to be done in grtvtipling with the huge proiblem of settling people on the land and getting them to stay there. .