THE WAY OUT.

Southland Times, Issue 19174, 19 February 1924, Page 4

THE WAY OUT.

For something like twenty years the communication between Lumsden and Dipton by road has been a vexatious problem, and to-day the parties most seriously aggrieved seem to be no nearer a solution of their troubles. This was shown by the submission to the Hon. J. G. Coates of appeals in connection with the CarolineJosephville road, a link in the communications between, the Lumsden and Dipton to the east of the river. The need for a road on the eastern side of the river is so manifest that the settlers in the district could not be deprived of this alternative to the wide detour to the west now necessary if there were not some extraordinary circumstances constituting an obstacle to a settlement of the trouble. The explanation of the long delay in this matter is. fairly wellknown to those who are directly interested in it, and until this barrier is removed there will be no way out of the trouble. It is unfortunate that the good people on the eastern side of the river have not been able to agree amongst themselves about the route the road from Lumsden to Dipton should take. There is a roadline along the railway line and the river, but it has to traverse some rocky country in which a fair amount of heavy cutting would have to be done. An alternative to this lies further to the east, linking with the road from Dipton by what is known as the “Saddle Road.” There are parties in the district keen in their advocacy of both routes and their antagonism has been responsible for the delays which have aggravated the settlers these many years. While these parties are pulling against each other the Minister and the County Council are relieved of the task of making a decision, and no improvement need be expected until this quarrel is settled. Would it not be better if the advocates of the two routes came to an understanding to remove this obstacle? They know that as things are they cannot get any road on the eastern side of the river, but if both dropped agitating for a particular route and left the County Council unfettered in making a decision something would be done. It has become clear that no action by the local authority is possible while the district is sundered by its advocacy of routes, and the only course now open to reasonable and wise men is to drop these differences and move unitedly for the main issue: The road from Lumsden to Dipion on the east side

of the river. Divided the settlers have fallen; they should now try to attain their objects by uniting their forces.