Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1907. STRUGGLERS IN THE WILDERNESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 75, 25 September 1907, Page 6

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1907. STRUGGLERS IN THE WILDERNESS.

On the 29th ult. wo published a letter frori 'Mr. R. Gregg, of Kiritehero, in the King Country, which told a pitiful story of tho sufferings of settlers ioft by official cruelty to waste their fortunes and their lives in a hopeless struggle with the wilderness. The tragic details of Mr. Gregg's narrative of facts bore tho obvious imprint of truth; but we wero careful to abstain from acceptance of all his theories of administrativo blundering until the objects of his criticism had had the opportunity of replying. This opportunity was indeed afforded to tho Minister in chargo of the department concerned, the Hon. J. M'Gowan, beforo Mr. G/cgg's letter was published, in order that criticism and reply might appear together. But, after presumably studying the letter, tho Acting-Minister for Public Works deemed it, inadvisable for him to enter into a newspaper controversy on tho subject, with tho result that a very telling indictment of some of tho methods of his department was given some three weeks' start of the official rejoinder. It may still be beneath tho dignity, or tho antediluvian standards of propriety, of the Acling-Minister to pay any heed to what appears in a newspaper ; but as tho substance of Mr. Gregg's complaints was included in a petition which was signed and forwardedf by himself and other settlers in the district, tho subject has on that account been deemed worthy of official notice. Tho petition was submitted by tho Minister to the Chief Engineer of Roads, who in turn passed it on to the District Road Engineer at To Kuiti — tho particular object of Mr. Gregg's strictures; and the result is that we wero able on Friday last to publish tho departmental reply prepared by that officer. It is safe to say of this document that it is far from equal to tho task of coping with tho handicap which Mr. Gregg's indictment has socured by its three- weeks' start. In somo details the answer may be both lelsvaht and sound ; but on the main question it is rather a plea of guilty on the part of tho department than a defence. The irregular, piece-meal, useless fashion in which the road that should connect these unhappy settlers with civilisation has been constructed is admitted by the Distiict Engineer, but he urges (hat he hug made the beft possible hmr of tho utterly inadequate provision that the department mipplies. Mr . Gregg complained thut tho Kiritehere-Marokopa roiid was begun nt tho wrong end, and left unfinished and unconnected. "About ono and a half miles of that road has hern constructed," he said, "but no one hn« seen it or is likely to see it until it ir finished." Wo have not tho necessity local knowledge to appreciate the force of the Engineer's answer on its technical Hide, but the important part of it for our puiposb in that "there was not nearly enough money available to do tho flholc dibtunce, and oven up to the present time I hatfo hot had suilicient money even to enable me to do tlik, and consequently the pottiou formed cannot yet bo utiliwd." By consent of both parties there is nearly two miles of excellent road away up there in the wilderiipss, and all that is wrong with it 's that nobody can reach it ! ''Thin," snys the Engineer, "is my misfortune, not my fault." His certainly the mil-fortune and not the fault of tho settlers, and it is oquully clear that it is the fault anil not the misfortune of tho Government. A rational und humane system, which.

duly recognised the country's obligations to its pioneers, would make sucu cruel absurdities impossible. "Tke&e men seem to imagine (why I can't say)," bays the Engineer, "that I have power to transfer money which has been voted by Parliament for one road, and then expend it in some other place, but, of course, you are aware that such is utterly impossiblo without Ministerial authority." We aro, of course, also aware that with Ministerial authority these things can be done, and thut by such authority the ivliolo system could" be overhauled atid tho votes mado sufficient in tho first instance. That, adequate Toading should precede settlement is an absolutely essential condition which is habitually ignored. In the present case the Engineer himself says that a scheme was prepared for providing the whole district with roads, andi loading each section with its due proportion of the cost ; but just as he got under way "the work was suddenly stopped, our beautiful scheme knocked on the head, and the land was put in the market with about a quarter of the load: ing there should havo been on it, and the result is very apparent now." Does anything that Mr. Gregg has said amount to a severer censuie on tho department than this statement of one of his own officers.? The duty of tho Government is surely plain. In tho case of all future settlement iroads should be made and their cost added to tho price o. the land before it is thrown open for settlement ; and in such cases as that under consideTalion — there are, of course, hundreds of other oettlers in equally grievous plight — a first-class engineer might be appointed to inspect the- distiict, to report on the most urgent requirements, with plans, specifications, and estimates of the cost. lo cany out his recommendations would be the best mode of curing the evil which has been already done ; and for the future the only system which can prevent "the Topetition of such putlic scandals should admit of no v exceptions.