THE ASHLEY GORGE-SNOWDALE ROAD.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14055, 29 May 1911, Page 8

THE ASHLEY GORGE-SNOWDALE ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR OP "THE PRESS." Sir, —There are some facts connected with the system of granting public money by members of Parliament which I think "should bo made known. On Tuesday, Hon. D. Buddo, "Messrs Forbes'and Witty, M.P.'s, mado a visit to the Ashley Gorge-Snowdale road, for which two votes of £500 each have beer. voted by Parliament, and a portion of the road is now formed. They were accompanied by the members of the local Road Board and other prominent citizens of Oxford, who bad applied for and received these grants of. money. After going for somo miles up the gorge, and seeing the impracticable nature of the country* and expense of roading it, the question was raised as to whether the road line had been surveyed, and even whether it was possible to carry the road through the gorge; also as to whether it would benefit any of the settlers who are at present in tho back country. The settlors,'* when the question was first raised, invited Mr Forbes, M.P., member for the district, to meet them, and at a meeting held at Hayland they were, with one exception, unanimous in opposing the road, because of its position and the nature of the country through which it passes, and because it would be of little use to them. However, people in the front country and tho town of Oxford, whose votes count at the next election, pressed the application for a grunt of £500, got tt, and spent it and got another, and now the taxpayers are confronted with the fact that'their representatives have actually voted two sums of £500 each on a road for which there are no plans and specifications, which is not wanted •by tho, settlers it is intended to serve, and as to which thero is great doubt yet whether it is possible- to put it through at a reasonable cost. The Minister of Internal Affairs has premised to send an engineer to survey and make an estimate of the cost oi this road, and also to inspect otuer routes which might answer the purpose at far less cost. The opportunity which members of the Government in power have of influencing votes with grants of public money is pernicious in W extreme, and this is a case where both Messrs Forbes and "Witty, whose electorates join in Oxford, should have taken tho precaution of having the cost and specifications of this road drawn out before allowing the vote of a single penny to be .passed for it. Mr Bftddo, when inspecting the route, tackled the position like a workman, and walked mnnv miles over rough country in order to see for himself, and will, I believe, protect the settlers' and taxpayers interests. —Yours, etc., A SETTLER AND TAXPAYER.