BACKBLOCK SETTLERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 15 August 1929, Page 7

BACKBLOCK SETTLERS.

ELOQUENT APPEAL. FOB HELP

An apx>eal ior hcup to metal roads in tlie oaciv-t>ioc’Jts wnore setuers nawo sn ugg,ieu km' many years agains t heavy \akiw iva» inaue on 'luesaa.y ioy uw ni€ii..oei-s or ai clepuua.tion to m© xhutea l oaiiLv council xromi nil© Upper Haiwcoru l.ivapara Kidiugj xor me meui/,iing oi tneir load. aii© of the appeal, was tuia.t th© council ingieed to accede to trie it'i uesc or a deputation, air Washington, a member oi the deputation, sand no was .speaking tor me ratepayers of the Upper Wajtotana and lvapaia. tinting in asking lor assistance tu enable them to metal the worst portion© of their road', the position oi wiiicn is at trie time very had. lie said lie woufd like to traiveirse the History ol the riding and the cqiiuity during the period from. 1915 to 192t>. jJuring Unit time the ridling lmd paid into tne general fund about £II,OOO, of which .06000 had been used in tne past towards helping the county to uw th© main roads and make them what they are to-dav, which, no one could hem but ad mire. Al'l must admit that, m assisting the tnnaan roads as they had done, the riding settlers had' aeei an pushed a great thing for the : county. He considered that in tne past tlie most of the loads used by backblock settlers xonsnst ■ <■; two chains near Waitotara. and few of them lmd used the' main roads'. “Kapara has contributed so much and used! so-iiit-tle,” he said, "and ratepayers consider they have not had tlie kindest treatment, and bard tilings have been said by tiiein. They hare had a haid now to hoe. Upper Waitotara has. had to buy its, way into the back country by special loans and hand work. while the vaiul has I n rated to the fullest extent it (oisi'kl be. Sonne settlers could pay these rates easily, but. to some it has been a hardship. In addition, there is the general, disability arising from living in the back-blocks. It is a real nightmare for parents, to think of sickness and the chance ot 'accidents. in which case much heap is required. Horses are out of use now mainly, and ■they have to depnd on ears.” Metal, lie added, was a. vital matter. Mr Washington instanced' the case of a man who. broke liis leg and who had to endure great ygon.v on rough' roads tor thirteen hours before, he reached hospital. This would, lie said, show the urgent need for metalling roads. He added that he would like to have seen all the oouncillors back on their roausc Unfortunately only two had boon able to accept the invitation of the settlors, but lie was sure their sympathies would bo with the .settlers in their need. Mr Bolton had been very good and had promised to place the position before the council. The position in Kapara riding was much improved as the result of careful administration and the help of the settlers, who had gone on to the roads and) done active pick and shovel work. He '.said be did nob know of any similar ease of self-lieln. in order to trv to make roads good for their wives and faimiLieis. The settlers hoped that -the council, after digesting the facts put before them lmd decided to give substantial b."lp. and he thought they were not asking too null'll. They anly asked .I:3oo—•itia.l!v a small amount considering the whole position. Mr Larsen endorsed the apiieal made, stressing the amount 4mu.Hl .paid bv the riding to assist the. main road work. The. settlers paid petrol tax and got none of it back. Their grievances were very renli and ‘'pretty d i cep” in 'places.

Or. Peat backed up the deputation. saving that lie knew the position well, and the requests were very reasonable. The chairman said they coukl congratulate the district' on two good speakers ait any rate. He added that the proposal was very reasonable and worth inqnirv. Last year the council had voted Kapara. £IOO. When the district was opened up the settliers had “to dig their way in” on a. six-foot track, and a special loan was raised to give them a dray road. Tf the council can do anything tor them it must do so and anv amount would carry a subsidy of £2 to £l. After some discussion if was agreed to contribute £3OO on metalling the Tapper Waitotara Load.