The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Wednesday, November 19, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 954, 19 November 1879, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Wednesday, November 19, 1879.

Dwellers m Cook County should take some steps to bring under the notice of the Government our great want m the matter of the main road to Ormond. "We are aware that our member has been actively engaged m pressing the subject on the authorities, but they seem imbued with the idea that nothing is required beyond what can be done by the County Council. They never make a greater mistake, for the County Council has all it can do, what with the Ai-ai Bridge, and other such works, to pay its way ; and has literally nothing to spare to open up Government lands unaided. If the Government would grant a sufficient sum of money to lay a tramway to Ormond, a considerable sum of County money would be freed from patching up the bad places along the road, and would thus become available for opening up the County by the extension of main lines of road ; thus the Government lands m the County would be largely enhanced m value, being the comeatable. "We have no fear of contradiction, when we say that the money so to be expended by Government would be amply repaid m the advanced prices which would be obtained on the sale of the lands, and m the speedily augmented revenue resulting from the largely increased population which would surely follow the opening of the interior. Here we are with thousands of acres of splendid lands, worth enoi*mous sums of money, and capable of supporting an immense population, and the same are lying absolutely as useless and impracticable as though they were at the North Pole, merely

for the want of a few thousand pounds to open communication with them, and bo make them available. The miserable and disastrous state of things which obtained on our main road last] winter will certainly recur m seven short months if the season should be wet. There is no time to be lost, the rails should be on the ground, and the sleepers should be m course of being even laid now. We are well aware that the County Council cannot undertake the work, nor is there any reason they should. This tramway should be laid with a little of the money which is contributed at the port, for the spirits and tea we drink, for the 'baccy we smoke, the clothes we wear, and so on. It is eminently to the advantage of the Colony that such large tracts of valuable coxmtry, and which have cost the Colony so much to obtain, should be at once brought into the market. We cannot afford to let this talent lie buried m a napkin any longer : it should be at once dug out and brought into remunerative activity. We must ask the Government to give us back, that it may be applied for our mutual welfare, a small portion of those monies of which they have drained us for so many years past. The request is most reasonable and moderate, and therefore the less likely to make an impression. Were it the reverse some attention would be given to it, and by mere audacity it would, as m other cases, eventually receive attention. Nevertheless, let us press on m that most hopeless of all hopes, " the hope of obtaining pure justice," and perhaps m missing that we may light by chance on to favour. Should such and this winter as last winter follow the ensuing autumn the whole district m its present somewhat depressed condition would receive a blow the consequences of which would be felt ten years hence. They would be so very serious that our settlers ought to put differences of every kind on one side, and be unanimous m imploring aid at the hands of the Government to which they are so justly entitled. Let them by a big public meeting, a monster open air meeting, or m some equally unequivocal manner, raise their voices so that they may be heard, and by a series of resolutions so strengthen the hand of their representative, that he may have a fair chance of success. Of course, the Government can have no possible conception of our sufferings during the past winter ; and they can hardly be expected to remedy those ills of which they know not. Our settlers will be themselves to blame if they allow such ignorance to continue, they must bestir themselves ; they must play their part m the transaction, and their part is to keep their representative well posted m the public wants. Of course private persons can also communicate those wants to Mr. McDonald, but it would not be right that such communications should have the weight of the public voice. Perhaps a good plan (m order to avoid loss of time and trouble) would be for simultaneous, or for successive meetings to be held at Onnond, Matawhero, Makaraka, Patutahi, and wherever practicable, for the purpose of expressing their opinions and convictions on the subject.