DISABILITIES OF SETTLERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 719, 19 January 1910, Page 8

DISABILITIES OF SETTLERS.

//-;) MEETING ; AT.'RATANITL- /-/ -\ -.'■ ! / f.;?:Wrom';aWporrcspondentJv./-/'//vi gathering; of settlers'from' Ba- : tatiu'i and the. adjacent districts "was held at,, Mr. Jackson's- whare■"• oh January 14' to;,inquire into, the delay in; expending the .'moneys;' yoted/for.'.the roads; initha district,, and whatj.was"to ;be' : "dbno.-'.to have,the.work immediately-put iri;hand.: v On:'.Mr.;H; Thomas,: J.P.,: being vdtedto, the: chair,'-; he complimented the, set- -. tier3*'oh-'such -a good" muster, considering, '■ th'at'\Buch' short''notice : had-/been ; given;' • and. explained' ■ that'< other ■'■•. arrangements well;, have i-been/mader .;as>'the'matter- was- urgent- It -was,'.he added, much:to the interest 'of vail, con-: 1 to;have.the road.grants-expended /an soon were avail-; .able, and. the - present;, delay; was, causing great, inconvenience, to. those;.who'required better; facilities :for',working-,their.; pro-/ perties.'; It,was,;also.'.causing.:'hardship! to those: who : had taken •'■ up land' with ' limits .means,- and had/looked/forward to. obtaining'work; on, f the /road/for,/ a' few.;,months in,the year.in 6rder','to find cash : to:.work their farms, pending;such a time as'their holdings' would :p_ay/,for .themselves. -There, was also''-another; class : of.' man;,who needed ..consideration, namely-those :who:v,have,been'in'.the'dis-; trict- bushfoiling7; during:'., : ..the ['-V.-winter. months,. and,.';had' how :nnished,;up,.witha bit, of Bhearing. ,'They. wereiv.or.had 1 been, looking for a job; on ,tho .roads,: but 1 a', good .number, had had to'..search:-for -work elsewhere,-, as the. prospect-of' workin.the- district; seemed, too. far. off. '.}'■

: -The speaker; went .''.on 'to- say ; that. the' case- of .these men was not-,to be, compared with 'those who were J struggling settlers'. on _ the.Jand,;; with., wives . and . families' torsup^ort;.::and:rwho":have:.invested shilling in, their farms; and wore painfully .waiting 1 , for the', day" when those "who. were''responsible,', whoever they ;might: be, shouM; awake from theiristupor and'lethargy.; (Hear,'hear;) No doubt s6mo : : plausible, excuse would" be' put forward explaining: .why:" the; best part.' of the: summer had gone by';- and'.nothing .had been .done, -and :if matters ' were,, put off any-longer' there, would" not be. time' to, have;.the; moneys expended before." the.end.-of;;the,'.financial,vyear; when)itwould.-again: have'ito : be revoted,. with .the'.chancoAthat-, some):particular road, might ..be. left-out' altogether.:' The great ..disadvantages :. which -'■: those■ -who lived'.in"the. back-blocks .laboured,'under, through' lack- of; roads, could-'never-,be too much, brought under the Vpublio-- eye, and -unless they, .(the perienced ,it -. themselves, .they V, could: hoi imagine'what it was to have roads'-'fsave the'marfc, and.tracks'.whichvwere, to :all intents:, and purposes'.impassable, during, eight months ,of the year. V(Applause.)::■■'-. ..Mr. Thomas,-before resuming his'seat, invited discussion".' 0n..-. the-: subject, the outcome of this, being that the following .resolution'.:was .passed for'; transmission'! .'mi,- '■ Mlnistor - for -I Public.':.. Works- : views'.with -disappointment:;, and -alarm";:,the *-'fact''-.'that, although votes of, .money j,,have V.been placed',bn;:.the Estimates lor expenditure on the Arapae, ..Pungarehu, -Maire,- and Mahoenui-Kawhia : Koads, no: in'dication of starting the workhas.yet been given." , ar was decided; to. draw up a petition to be forwarded': to'-Mr; Jennings, M.P., this .petition, to;embody.; a full statement ot the,settlers disabilities : in" respect- to unexpended grants. * This .'petition ..was signed by. all .present." '-.'.■' •■■.'<.'.'■" ,rhe next business was- in relation to i tne_ telephone lino : connecting:-' Marakopa '■with Mairoa, ,via-, Katanui,:-.both: the two lormer,.,places being: in; connection-with their nearest .centres-.of 'civilisation;;: It was-pointed, out that;as the Government require -.guaranteo./.of Sm \,for<; <four years, it would be necessary - to. find out who. would- : assist, : " financially '< . in' '•:■'■ the scheme,, and for- that purpose it was proposed, to put :th'e;matter off. for: another meenng, fell the necessary information had, been, obtained. ' '•:-.■"■ ■■'•v ..-- •it T i ot !i oi Mr;hThomas concluded.,the meeting.•; :, .:.:.:•,;.. .<:-..-