ROADS AND RAILWAYS

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11976, 26 May 1902, Page 1

ROADS AND RAILWAYS

We are not responsible for th« opinions expressed by correspondents. The writer's name, as a guarantee of good faith, must be enclosed in the letter.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—lt is strange, that a* the same time that the' Chamber of Commerce in New Plymouth,was discussing the necessity < of. opening, new roads, the Warea Branch, New Zealand Farmers' Union, was considering, the necessity of petitiorang Parliament for a grant in aid- of the maintenance of the-South Road. In your leader you remark - that the coastal people do not seem much hamuered by the want of a railway. As a rule our settlers are made of stuff which,- on finding a disability, does its best to silently overcome it without airing the grievances. No doubt this district does and will prosper without the help of the iron horse, but whether we are handicapped or not may very soon be settled. Compare our climate, land, and productiveness with districts which through) the railway runs, and the verdict must bein favour'of the coast, but land on the inner side of the mountain sells for about twice the amount hfere." Afgaini, here a .farmerhas to rely on all his> spare stock walking away, with the railway, oats, potatoes, pigs, &c can be raised profitably.. Here if one sends six pigs to Fitzroy, and they should happen to all arrive alive, one is eaten Dy the -*cost of transit. Certainly butter is carried; fairly cheaply to Moturoa, but instead of being put into coal trucks, it has to be from 12 to 16 hours exposed to the atmosphere." Again, anyone wanting something at a local "store will probably be told, it ia not in stock, but will be > obtained; cthe* date of arrival cannot be mentioned on a'ceount of the enormous werk required from the carriers. A "private person wanting goods from New Plymouth has to be very civil' to the carrier, and even then is lucky if his goods arrive within a tdrtAight. The fact is that, as you argue, roads ..are a first necessity, but: as the district/ and country advances . a .railway must be made.: This coastal country has now got to -a pitch of settlement that its future progress/ requires better means* of communication with the centres, and unless the Government can proceed with the work some inducement should^ be given to private capitalists to come in. —I am, '&te., ; j Jas. J. ELWIN".