THE MATAU ROAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 67, 2 November 1911, Page 4

THE MATAU ROAD.

(!’o the Editor “Stratford Evening

Post.”)

Sir,—l see by reports of the last meeting of the Stratford County Council that the chairman stated that “good wine needed no bush.” What 1 take from that is, that everything is in first-class order, which means that the roads are in good repair. U e!I, if Cr. Marcimnt will take the trouble to look around, lie will find that the roads are not as good as ho thinks, and that the road from the station at Kiore to Matau is a dis-

grace to tiie Council. Now, this South Matau road is a mass of ruts and slips—slips which were, until about ton weeks ago, impassable with a gig or dray. The slips came down in July, and the Council said that they could not clear them. The engineer gave orders for a bridle track to he made over them, and if it had not been for that, one could not have got a horse across the slips. The Matau residents were beginning to get short of stores, and as this road is now the main outlet for the district, they gathered a working bee together to c lear the slips. We have not the Stratford County Council to thank for what little has been clone to the read but the Matau residents. If Cr. Marchant thinks that this is “good wine,” I, and many others, do not agree with him. 1 trust that when this road is taken over by the Clilton County Council that “good wine will need no bush.”—l am, etc., SETTLER. Matau, Oct. 27, 1911. (To the Editor, “Stratford Post.”) Sir, —From your report of the last meeting of the Stratford County Council, tiie chairman states that “good wine needed no hush”—undoubtedly a brilliant suggestion—and that people who travelled through the district could see for themselves how well the affairs of the Council were administered; meaning, no doubt, that things wore administered on first-rate hues, contrary to opinions of some back-block ratepayers, who think, if the chairman had travelled the county himself, he would be greatly surprised and much ashamed. 1 can quote one instance of last July, when a few slips were down on tnc main road from Kiore station to Matau. The settlers asked the Council to clear th cm, and the reply was—no funds, a usual cry of the Council. After seme weeks of blocked road and suplys getting short, the settlers arranged a working bee, and cleared a dray track through the slips, which took fourteen men a day to do, the balance of which ha-., .never been touched and the vuid had to remain blocked for .a paitrv sum ot £t : 12s. Now, if the Council calls this good administration we do not agree with them, and if the members did not pat one another on the hack and say, “good fellow,” I am sure nobody else ■vaul.l.—l am, etc.,

RATEPAYER No. 2, Matan, Oct. 27, 1911.