WANGAMOA-RAI

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 June 1927, Page 3

WANGAMOA-RAI

(To the Editor) Sir,-—I think that your'recent, contributor., who gave a/i interesting tlcfcuription. of the run -to Mount Cook was rather too hard on. the Wairiiea County, Ob-Jaiil.-' F am tiot■going'to iirlutii; » few handfuls erf (iio rough facial I encountered this we&k-en'd between the'Wangamoa and the Kai would be ino'ce fitting—judging at least from the remarks of my guests, but "fair's fair" arid I really think that many wellmeaning local bodies suffer unduly from over-statements made in criticism of their efforts.

Before embarking on a campaign of wholesale condemnation of the object of our ire, we should pause and "count ten." Then, a little cooler and therefore more judicial, We should detach ourselves from the matter.under consideration and view it in the perspective gained "by detachment. Thirdly, we should then summarise our impressions and carefully analyse this summary. Following this procedure conscientiously, your contributor would admit his error in 'so roundly condemning the Nelson roads. I have no doubt Whatever that he fully believed what he wrote; his fault lies in not more carefully analysing the cause for his opinion; which is one' springing from the bias'given by other factors. Owing to the nature of our mountain pass main highways, wo are ready to blame the road surface, and therefore the County Councils, for faults which are simply the' result of dissatisfafcion with the whole lay-out of a road. Just like (he bully, who, unable to see victory in tackling -the big chap, rounds on" the little fellow; who has stood bv grinning, inoffensively'. '.< .•• " •' *• -' .*•'■'

Now. 1 ami of the opinion thai the actual road surfaces of the Nelson roads compare favourably with any portion of the South Island, particularly having regard to the mountains' they' traverse. Who am 1? Just a man in "the street. but one who has also "done" the Mount Cook trip and many more also, ever with a thought of appreciation of the courage of New Zealand engineers and of the country's initiative in providing such a tremendous amount of difficult communication per capita. So, following my own method of procedure., out lined above, I assert :

(1) While-many things could be improved, the Waim'ea Conntv Council dues not deserve the. wholesale strictures passed upon ii, (2) The nature „f the country traversed is chiefly at, fault, and the'Council cannot, be .censured 100 harshlv if it sits fiddling while good tourist traffic, population and progress are passing bv.' Has it, made ah effort, to find r" better route? Is the Wangnmoa-Rai the last, word in routes? To-night's paper discloses on advocacy of the Wangamna tunnel. Good ! And also verv bad ' Advocate ,-md hustle for this'like a company of American commercial travellers after a commission—when. and only when it is certain no better route is available ! Can no local patriot start the ball rolling and move for a survev ot the Maungatapu ? Are all afraid of disturbing vested interests? Somebodv would be hint if ii. survev discloses a good alternative route to 'that at present in use but is it not ,-f question of the general good and'might hot" the general good flow in Such"excellent measure as to quite sWamp'the minor evil' Many oi us are so new to Nelson that we JiPs-fafe to interfere too much' hut remember, it, i R nsuhllv tlio hevrommTvhrt <,r-r.r nim .p rip ar | v w .J, f|t < th(i ji}( j i'e<ift?enl Iras been U*tblhz at rw m-,)-- "■"' : - .To'-day "I climbed the. rid C e run(ynr along- fn'alr ul ihe \,-vk : rtf tj .-. l,w -y*' C«-;r..-.v and the MnVW.l] Ho.-jh,.■>J. il hcie. - ;hi i, Jis nr> h.'onraielv .lained in-vi /•'.'lining nlontr this ridgp) T am sure ..i if.-no to <av that h-joiy sir'ul magnificence would have to work overtime to produce, a more glorious panorama in any part of the world. This is' nt our owfi hack door and lu>w much more there is to show within our whole allotment if only we could bring our guests here easily "to let.them viewit all!—I am. etc., " ( PERSPECTIVE. Nelson, 6th June. ." ,' "