CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7176, 30 May 1885, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

y - ■• ♦ / Tho Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by correspondents. „ ■ - MARSHALL'S CROSSING-. ) Sib, — I oannot allow the letter of your correspondent " Old Identity " to pass unnoticed, as some of the statements therein are decidedly misleading. To begin with, it is not only connection between Pohui and Patoka which the ' local settlers desire, although the crossing in its present state is a constant : source, not alone of inconvenience, but of positive danger, to the many who are compelled to travel that way. But, as '. Mr Bennett said at the last meeting of the County Council, the settlers, for jr^ want of this road, cannot qyail themselves of a valuable totara bush. Were the road opened the timber would be accessible both from the Patoka and Pohui ends. And, then, why are we told that the formation of ia practicable road is hopeless? If " Old Identity " has read the Hkrald 's reports of | Council meetings he should know that the engineer, in reporting on this road last year, said that the cost of making a practicable dray-road would be . £1350. Are his estimates unworthy of consideration P Mr Rymer's remarks were very well, and no doubt very true as regards a road from Tara-y-A- dale, but the Wharerangi-Glengarrie-road would not meet the object sought .to be men by opening Marshall's crossing. Are the travellers from the district to the west of Puketapu to come ■ back to Wharerangi to reach Pohui ? Besides, the cheapness with which . "Old Identity" professes to estimate the cost of opening the road by Glengarrie is both absurd and misleading. Certainly, it is well known that Mr Graham took a trap from Puketapu to Pohui by this route, but your correspondent omitted the fact, which is not so well known, that the trap was fitted to reaping machine wheels, or some such contrivance. And suppose that a buggy has been driven over the hills ; that by no means determines that it ia a good line for a permanent road. A dray might have heen driven to Waipawa .•;"" before any road was formed, but cer.O tainiy not along the line which is now ;, A~ Jadm.itted to be the best. As for open- ■.'.";■ % ing the road from town to Wharerangi, A,7'A \ that has no connection with the subject. a f If it will pay tho Council to do it, by 'lA ..; all means let it be . done, but that ir should not cause another district to be iA-Ay kept from advancement, and life and py property exposed to constant risk. And a if a serious accident wero to happen pA A with tho road in its present state ifc is yyA-A s probable that the Council would be p;- - liable, for the payment of compensation. mjAAf^lwaf&e., WjAi-A--A y yyyAA JRatepayeb.

1