SETTLEMENT ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14322, 18 March 1910, Page 4

SETTLEMENT ROADS.

:If the Government were pursuing .Va' vigorous, and - extensive Land Settle-;, ment Policy, Vby which hundreds of. thousands of acres- were .being thrown open, every month or two, to agricultural settlement upon the attractive optional 'conditions, some excuse might be found' for. occasional failure to make. road-making - keep pace" with settlement. But as the .Te. Akau Block was practically the Only Auckland land offered to agricultural settlers in : 1909 what possible ; ; plea can .; be advanced by the Government in the, I fact that its roads, are, stilt unmade? A meeting of, the>Te Akau' settlers has been held to protest, against this inexcusable ;■/ indifference to - their legitimate,/ ; claims; . ' and ■ steps ■:■, are' being taken to ; press >.- the , matter-; upon the notice of Mr; R. McKenzie, But in the meanwhile the summer is passing. Residence has been blocked . because of the. impossibility , of, carting;to any but one or; two sections, and during the winter it will be impossible even to get stock \in and '■ out unless roads are made. .It cannot even be urged in extenuation of - this : 'Departmental neglect that the making, of roads ;is in the nature of a State concession. ; Were this the case, it would be : no less condemnable, for it is the business and the duty of the Departments to encourage .settlement and production as much as possible i but, as a matter of fact, the full cost of making these still-visionary roads has been charged upon the land, and interest is a being paid ■ thereon ;■ by the settlers. *■ This i insufferable administration '■■ of :: : settlement ; deserves the consideration ■> of ■■ labour, unions, whose members ;; would find little work in Auckland were, it not, for the . agricultural and other .primary industries. At Te Akau, those who were fortunate enough to be successful in securing a homestead,; where hundreds < were turned away, are being treated as though the cultivation of the land and the production of agricultural wealth is. a matter of no concern to the country. Any slackness of • industry which may appear, in Auckland during the coming winter will" be due solely hto the wretched ;settlement r , policy of the Government, - of which policy ; the Te Alau incident is doubly illustrative; in the first place, by its beingi the only Auckland Block opened to agriculturists in the year; and in the second place, by the, complete>indifference of the • Administration ,as to when settlers are to obtain; the'absolutely essential road's■;: for which they have been'charged, and are already paying. V;.;/; : f . '"■ <