WHY HAWKE'S BAY IS ALL BEHIND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 4, 1 February 1912, Page 5

WHY HAWKE'S BAY IS ALL BEHIND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—I have come to the conclusion that the position we occupy to-day. so far behind Cantrtbury. Wellington and other province-, is owing in a great measure to the Pres- of oui province. How <an there be any real progress if the truth is deliberately withheld •>.■ ni-i <pn -ented Take for instance the attitude whi« h the “Hawke's Bay H'-rahi" and the “Daily Telegraph'’ have adopt.cd over the expenditure on th” Breakwater Harbour. What a uememhmeffort it has been to open the etcof the public and get on the tight track. Another similar situation haarisen. Take for instance tin- editorial in this morning’- “Herald.” Notwithstanding contradictions which have appeared in your columns and which the “Herald writer has evidently seen, the state ment is again dished up for the gulling of the public, that a route for the East Coa c t Railway via Puke tapu and Taradale and Patoka would be -10 miles longer. This statement is absolutely untrue, and ti e engineers’ reference to cost is as to a survey made years ago along quite different country. Along the route, via Petane which is pioposrd. not cnly have miles of shingle to be travelled instead of the i•< h reclaimed swamp which the Harbour Board are probably taking over from the syndicate, but the Esk Valley is so narrow that there is barely room for the river, road and railway and the hills on cither side belong to squatters and are not ploughable. Very little ploughable land is reached until near the point where the proper rente via Patoka would come in on the Kaivvcka block. For one ton of cargo which will come to port via the Petane route, five tons would come via the PatokaPuketapu route. It is to be hoped that the Reform Party will at least weigh the interests involved and measure up the different distances. Tt is critical for Napier as well a c Hastings because the Puketapa route would satisfy Hastings and be doubly beneficial to Napier.— I am. etc., ONE WHO KNOWS THE COUNTRY AND READS BETWEEN THE LINES.