THE EAST ROAD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XIX, Issue 3289, 30 November 1892, Page 2

THE EAST ROAD.

About 100 settlers on the East Eoad met Mr. McGuire, M.H.It., at Stratford on Tuesday in connection with tbe East Road and presented a memorandum to him which set forth : — "The ratepayers and settlers of the East riding desire to take this opportunity of requesting you to express to the Government our satisfaction at the kind consideration they have given to the necessities of the district wherein we reside in getting tbe sum of .£IB,OOO voted by the House for the purpose of securing through communication with- Auckland, via the East road. The construction of the East road, as the main road of the East riding, is of each vast importance as a means of establishing through communnioation, as the only outlet for the large and rapidly increasing number of settlers residing on the first 20 or 80 miles thereof, and as tbe only means of opening up the vast area of Crown lands yet to be settled, that we feel sure the Government will find no expenditure undertaken by them so profitable to the colony as that of the

.£IB,OOO referred to. Oar natural desire

to see through communication established at the earliest possible moment, and the full benefit taken of the Bummer season now rapidly passing away, makes us anxious that no time should be lost in pushing on with the tfork. The Government will, we feel Bure, recognise our anxiety in this matter. We desire that you will express our satisfaction at tenders

being called for tbe formation of the gap between Mr. Brierly's contract aod the Toko junction. At tbe same time, we

wonld ask you to urge the importance of at once following .it with metal, and also to represent to them the urgent necessity of also metalling from the Toko junction to tbe Douglas road, through what is known as Coutts' swarup, a distance of about six miles in all, otherwise next winter's traffic will again be stopped, the formation destroyed, and tbe road require re-forming. The conveyance of supplies to tbe parties of road men engaged in poshing on the construction of the road beyond the Mangaere, to the surveyors engaged in tbe survey of lands and roads in the Mangaotuki and other blooks, to tbe settlers, and to bushmen engaged in bushfelling makes tbe work of vital importance to all wbo are anxious to pee settlement progress and prosper. You might also point out that the settlers on the Gordon, the Toko, and tbe Waiwiri roads are taking Bteps to raise loans under tbe Loans to Local Bodies Act to form and metal tbose roads to tbeir junction with the East road, so as to enable them to take milk to tbe dairy factory now being erected at the Toko junction. We , would aßk you to point out to the Gojvernment that the expenditure of those loans on side roads is of little avail while the gap in' East road is left nnmetalled between those roads and Stratford. We trust, therefore, that white expressing oar appreciation for the consideration of tbe district in tbe past, you will urge this matter upon tbe Government and ask for its early and favorable consideration."

Dnringthe meeting Mr. Tocker proposed, and Mr. Irvine seconded. That tbe oonntv chairman be requested to interview tbe Ministry with the member for the district and bring to tbeir notice the necessity of immediately putting in hand contracts for

opening np the East Koad to conneot tbe province of Auokland and Taranaki, anito metal bo much of the road already formed as is absolately necessary in tbe interests of settlement. Agreed to. Messrs. MoGuire, T. H. Peon, and others also spoke.