"LONG RIBBON OF MUD"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 141, 4 March 1918, Page 8

"LONG RIBBON OF MUD"

* : "ROADS" IX THE NORTH. Stiong comment upon the state of the roads of the northern districts was made to an Auckland "Herald" representative on Thursday by Dr. Cleary, j tkman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, i who has just returned from a motor ' tour in tlio north. Dr. Clcnry's wide experience of loading conditions in nearly every part of the province has made hinii a strong and outspoken adrocnto of greatly-extended action by tlio State in providing better communications. ' ! "On this, as on some former trips." taid he, "I have fought desperately with the deep abomination of hopeless rnud oh long stretches of quagmire known as the Great North Road, and on other tracks joining some of tho most promising and prosperous parts id this Cinderella Province. Some of these communications, such as the V'eka Valley Road, tap great 'areas of valuable, land that urgently need adequate means of getting their rich and vi.ried products to market. Yet the condition of these roads is still, on tho viiiole, a disgrace to this Dominion. It seems to me not merely bad State policy, but even a gteat lark of humanity, to place settlers—our true nation builders—upon _ the land, and leave them and their wives and children to struggle, as best they may. t" market, church, post office, and school over such atrocious yellow tracks. The eliief blame for this deplorable condition of things attaches to the Government. Tt should, as in France, charge itself with the construction and maintenance of the arterial roads, leaving tlio others to the local councils. Tho county councils in the north are pathetically, doing their best, with the moans at their disposal, and the wholly inadequate Government subsidy. Put tho problem of the great routes is beyond their power." "It is galling tn the northern settler," continued the bishop, "to see that, no matter how Governments come and Governments go, the eloinentarv statesman duty of providing civilK-od communications is alike ignored, while, on the other hand, enormous sums are poured into palatial post offices and railway stations in cities, and into a rast Parliament building of polished marble for politicians to talk in. T strongly hold." added Dr. Clearv. "that the politicians mteht _ very wpll do with a. few water-tight iron 6heds until such time as the real makers of the wealth and strength of the Dominion had something better to travel nthan the unspeakable yellow/glue o r suchplaces as the 'ffeha Valley_ and the long ribbon of mud which is de-

signated tlio Great North Road. The sturdy men and the patient women of tbo north deserve better at tlio hands of tlio rulers of this Dominion."