WHATAWHATA AND HAMILTON ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 929, 6 June 1878, Page 2

WHATAWHATA AND HAMILTON ROAD.

Sib,— J?lease permit me, through the medium of your paper, to call the attention of the Newcastle; District Board to the present impassable state of the road leading from Whatawhata to Hamilton. •vThis road, which for the last ten or twelve years might be more properly termed an indifferent track, m some places winds m and out on private property, which the settlers had to use for the purpose of avoiding placos on the main road which required a few small cuttings and * one or two culverts, without which it is impossible te take a horse and dray from this place to Hamilton. The want of having this road opened up .is now more severely felt than at any former time,: owing to the fact of a party having pur- : chased and settled on the land through which this track runs, and who at once fenced across tho w;ay and posted up notices that people must discontinue' to trespass on that land. The party m question is still fencing, and m a few days the whole of this track will be cut off, and, if something is not immediately done to •" make the road passable, the people of Whatawhata will be entirely shut out from Hamilton, even by going on horseback. I would not have complained through 'the Press. ;about this road had not the settlers here repeatedly laid the grievance before the trustees, and all to no purpose. The. Board' has not attempted to . do anything m the matter, but treat the subject with cool indifference. It is all very well for some of the trnstees to tell us that they have no money, ; .-an'd. that the .Alexandra and other roads must be done. All will agree that the Alexandra road will be a great boon to the district, but it is not of such m mediate necessity as to take precedence of the Hamilton road. To the people of Whatawhata district; the Hamilton road is a matter of the first » importance. Of the gentlemen who at present form the Newcastle Board there is one (MrHindle) who seem? inclined to do justice to and can*y out the wishes of the ratepayers here: • Now there is no use trying to shirk the opening of this road any longer. If the present Board will not do it their successors will., : The annual meeting of ratepayers will soon take place, and it will then be incumbent on the ratepayers to elect none but men who will pledge themselves to get the Hamilton road put m order. The 'settlers here are of opinion- "that -this road has been purposely neglected by the Newcastle Board for the purpose of forcing the trafic of tliis district to Ngaruawahia. If this opinion be correct, Inrast say the motive is both selfish and •■evil, and if not correct, the best way to remove it is for the Board to send for Mr T. Sandes, and get him to lay out the necessary work to make the road passable for horse and dray. — I am, &c, A Ratepayer. Whatawhata, May sth.