The Pahiatua Star. (Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1891. A ROAD TO THE EAST COAST.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 6, Issue 562, 20 November 1891, Page 2

The Pahiatua Star. (Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1891. A ROAD TO THE EAST COAST.

The importance of opening communication between Pahiatua and the East Coast cannot be over-estimated, and it is, if the opportunity be only taken advantage of, within measurable die lance. The opportunity is now witl? us, and we shall only have ourselves to blame if it is taken by the districts north and south of Pahiatua. We took advantage of the Premier's presence in Woodville tin l other evening to make some enquiries in reference to the £50,C00 placed on the Estimates last session for roading and opening up Crown lauds for settlement. The substance of his reply was that the money only awaited application by those local bodies in whose districts there wero areas of Crown lands. Replying to a question as to whether it Was proposed that the money would be advanced in the same way as is done in the loans to local bodies, or whether it was only intended to supplement such loans by grants from this sum, a decided negative was given. In other words, the Premier said the money is to be had merely for asking) and free of any restrictions whatsoever, except that the road to be made should be through or leading to unsold lands, the property of the State. We have, then, what is tantamount to a distinct offer of the money. It (July remains for us to make an application. Undoubtedly it would be the proper course for the County Council to take ap this matter, and the sooner they do so the better. Wo may add also that it seems that one of the planks in the platform of the present Government is that a certain portion of the labouring classes are for the future to be provided with work by the colony, and that therefore the Government would be glad to have a work of this kind suggested to them, so that an opportunity of providing employment for the men referred to may be afforded. There are at the present time 80,000 acres in the Akileo Block, besides a large area in the Puketois, in the market, and the opportunity for applying for a portion of the £50,000 is most opportune. We also think that now is the time to secure the necessary funds for erecting a bridge over the Tiraumea river at Ngaturi. Again we urge tlie Council to take the matter iu hand without delay.

THE RAjiWAY ROUTES

The claims of the alternative railway routes have been fairly put by our correspondents Messrs Patterson and Manns. Mr Patterson sSys the Government are pledged to the pabple in the Mangatainoka Blocks, as they Lid them the land on the distinct undorstWiding that the line should go through those blocks; and according to his views thif satisfactorily settles the location of the, lino. But audi alteram partem, says the good old Latin proverb. It this is all Mr Patterson has on which to base the claim of himself and these neighbors whose signatures he threatens to secure to a petition to be presented through Mr Hogg to the Ministers of Lauds and Works, wo are sorry for him. If this is all, we say, that Mr Patterson has to advance, the battle is already lost to the good people of Scarborough and the Mangatainoka Blocks. If a plan showing a railway line somewhere in the vicinity, and a promise Ithat the line Bhould go through the properties is binding, then Pahiatua is not the wrong place after all, and will proßsbly survive the terrible charge levelled at it by Mr Patterson. To make this clear we will quote from the letter of Mr H. Manns, than whom perhaps no hotter authority could be found in the district. This correspondent, m his able letter in another column, effectually disposes of the claims of Mr Patterson, whom he jokingly Refers to as a “ now chum,” meaning thereby, of course, that he does not rank as a pioneer of Pahiataa, and consequently is unable to speak with authority. Mr Manns says the original route ** was a surveyed, aud not a proposed

line, and it never crotsedfhe Meugatainoka ltiver (rout on* emyto the other; but wm lain off oa the eaitem stele of the main road, thence through the Village Settlement." Further/ he save, •• Our land wm gold to us by/the Government, with the distinct understanding that it wa« coming along ousfrontage," and further than that the wl that the auctions fronting the main rued wore also to havo frontages to a railway line, was used at the first sale of 1’ Jualua land to incite people to speculate i 1 the sections; for in those dark and beni hied times—only ten years ago though it bo—it was not considered a great criir s to buy land with a view of making a p 'ofit. No, Mr Patterson, you must giv us something more convincing than tl is before yon are on oven terms with thi town that is in tho wrong place.