FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 1910. The Ball Road Controversey.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXII, 2 December 1910, Page 2

FRIDAY, DEC. 2, 1910. The Ball Road Controversey.

The Gilbertian dictum that " things are seldom what they seem," must now be apparent to many who have followed up the discussion that has taken place of late concerning the special'mting area for the proposed Ball Road loan; In the first place, it was generally assumed that the metalling, and" of course the special rating area, should commence at the junction of tho Main South Road and Ball Road, but Mr Pearce succeeded, in spite of some opposition, in getting the boundary fixed at the railway crossing. It was then thought the rating area would commence at this point, but Mr Pearce baa declared this to be another mistaken notion. Mr Pearce was reported to have agreed to being rated on 180 acres, and this report has since been substantiated by settlers of good standing, who were present at the meeting, but according to Mr Pearce's dictum they were all equally mistaken. In fact, he now says lie «' never mentioned 180 acres at all." After that it can only be inferred that " the people of standing in the community " (refened to by Cr Jones) who believe otherwise, have all been afflicted with the same mental bias for making mistakes, and no doubt they will all feel equally delighted at being put right at last, One other alleged mistatement is not quito so easily disposed of, however. A short time ago wo published a Parliamentary note regarding the closing of the Egmont quarry. The paragraph referred to Mr Hine's criticism of the Government over that matter, and concluded as follows : " Mr G-. V. Pearce, M,P. warmly endorsed Mr Hine's remarks, and in reply, the Hon Mr Millar said he would like it to be understood at once that he was not going to supply stone again at the price previously charged, which he could tell the members was below cost price. And, further, oven if the Department did decide to ret open the crusher, the local bodies would have to wait until late in autumn for delivery, owing to all trucks being required for more lucrativo work. The Minister said it was the Public Works Department's duty to hasten the construction of the lino to the permanent quarries, when very probably the Railway Department would take the whole output." Mr Pearce declared on Wednesday that this was " absolutely incorrect and misleading," but as the paragraph also uppoared word for word in a leading Wellington paper and other journals, they must just take their sbaro of the general condemnation with such grace as they can muster. Now that all these mystorioua blunders and mental obliquities have been disposed of, it only remains for each settler to say how many acres he is willing to have rated, and if each man will only base his calculations on the number of times he is likely to use tho road, instead of upon tho value of his land, ho will not only follow a distinguished precedent, but will thus arrange matters entirely to his own satisfaction.