THE Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17,1878. MAIN LINES OF ROAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 33, 17 December 1878, Page 2

THE Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17,1878. MAIN LINES OF ROAD.

« I Tho floods in the Hovokiwi Valley have been «he means of drawing attention to one of the anomalies of our present system of government. As our readers are aware, great damage has been done. Culverts have been washed away, the road in many places is completely destroyed, and probably £1,000 will be required to put it in a really good condition. But the questions have arisen, who is to pay for this, and where is the money to come from ? Now, this road happens to be within the boundaries of the Hutt County, which also includes the Hutt, Karori, Makara, and the other districts adjacent to "Wellington. It | therefore becomes nominally the duty of the Hutt County Council to repair the road, But morally, it appears to us most absurd that that body should be called upon to expend a large sum of money upon a road which is not in reality a County, and should be treated as a Colonial road. The road from Pahautanui township to the beach at the foot of the Paikakariki Eange passes through rough and hilly coun-

try, which carries hardly any popula- ■ t ion— merely a few shecpfiiririers. Ye,t this road is a most expensive ftiul mis j port ant one, being the channel of communication between Wellington and the whole West Coast, and the means by which the Wanganui, Taraiuilci, and Napior overland mails are des- j I patched. The 11 ntfc County probably loses nothing by the road being blocked up. The trade from Ilorokiwi is to and from Wellington, not j Manawatu. Under these circum- i stances it appears to us that the burden of maintaining it should not fall exclusively upon the Hutt County Council. From the repot t we publish in another column of what transpired | during an interview between the Chairman of the Hint County and the Hon. Mr Ballance, it will be seen that the whole question of the main roads of the Colony is in a most unsatisfactory condition. There are certain ro:tds connecting different parts of the colony, which are of a Colonial character, and should be treated as j such by Parliament. As instances, j we might mention the JVlanawatu Gorge lJoad connecting the East and ; West Coasts of the North Island, the Otira Gorgs Eoad connecting the East and West Coasts of the Middle Island, j and the West Coast Eoad, connecting Foxton with Wellington. These are really Colonial roads ; the country through which they pass yields a minimum of rates ; they are of comparatively small moment to the Counties in which they lie ; ; but are yet of great importance, as \ connecting different parts of the i Colony. Taking all the circumstances into ! consideration, it appems this question |of main roads will have to be faced 1 and settled by Parliament. It is ! simply unjust to expect the residents of Karori, Makara, and tho liutu to submit to a special late. owing to floods in the Horokiwi Valley. The ! road is of far more importance to Manawatu, Kangidkei, Wanganui, than to them The same remarks ! apply to other roads iv the Colony, | and it would be the most simple, i prac ical, and statesmanlike method ; for Parliament to declare the West Coast and similar roads to be Colonial I ones, and charge the Consolidated j Fund with their mainteuanee. i wmm^"" m '*'""''"*°'