THE PORTOBELLO-CAPE SAUNDERS ROAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23225, 24 June 1937, Page 7

THE PORTOBELLO-CAPE SAUNDERS ROAD

10 THE EDITOR Sir,—lt was with profound regret, hot unmixed with amusement, for which I hasten to apologise to the Cape Saunders people, that I read the report in your issue of the 18th instant of the reception accorded to a deputation of Cape Saunders settlers which waited on the Peninsula County Council. I regret to think that some of the members of the only local governing body which we have to represent us and which we have to approach with requests of this nature were not able to rise to the occasion and forget for once the £ s. d. aspect and look at the matter from a humanitarian viewpoint. There was also, however an amusing side to the interview, and some of the remarks made by councillors were really humorous, showing how these gentlemen reacted to a re-, quest coming from Government settlers who do not pay county rates. How absurd lor non-ratepayers to ask the council to help them! Go to the Government,” etc., etc. How sympathetic, coming as it does from members of a which has to depend on the same Government for subsidies and grants for the upkeep of its roads! I venture to predict that the County Council is at the present moment busily engaged in making an estimate of the total amount it will require in grants from the Government for the removal of slips in the county and of the amount it will rightly expect to receive without anything in the nature ©f parochial restrictions.—l am, etc,, June 22. Stilts,

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—After reading the letters of "Down the Road” and others one might think that the Peninsula County councillors were little better than inquisitors, taking special delight in the misery of the poor unfortunates at Cape Saunders,’ whose present troubles have been brought about through no fault of the much-abused councillors, but through an act of God. .The reason why these spoon-fed growlers are so bitter against the council is because they were advised to try to do a little to help themselves. Would they rather see their women and children sink up to the neck in mud than go and cut some scrub to make makeshift crossings over the slips? They sit at home and moan and groan and blackguard the council. I remember some years ago when a flood carried away the Tomahawk bridge. Did the settlers of that district sit down on their haunches and howl to the moon for help? No, they all turned out to assist the contractor, Mr Andrew Aitken, to build a new bridge, and they did not give up till the job was nearly finished. And so have the Peninsula settlers had to do again and again—in times ot flood, get out and do their best to repair damage, and work which the board could not do was done by those who could not be described as those living in Cape Saunders can. The chairman of the council has been over at the slips three times, I have been twice and Mr Cross has been three times, and other members have been over to see what can best be done. The heads of the Public Works Department. Mr Kellar and Mr Evans, have also seen for themselves the amount of damage caused by the flood, and no doubt will so advise their department that sufficient money be allocated to put _ the road In service again. The council is always sympathetic to those ratepayers who are overtaken by disaster, but is deeply resentful when those whom they are trying to help give them nothing but abuse. —I am. etc., D. J. S. Robertson.