PHIATUA AND THE MAILS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1622, 13 December 1912, Page 7

PHIATUA AND THE MAILS.

. • _—— — ■<) : —— INDIGNATION MEETING. ; '(By Telegraph—Press Association.) !■- • Pahiatua, December 12. . The first ■indignation, meeting against, tho Government since the Reform party • took office was held' in. Pab.iai.-ua last night. The meeting, which was largely attended; was convened to protest against '" v the .action of tho Government in letting , the Pahiatua-Pongaro'a mail contract for •oho year, only., • The Minister,' it giving -... ■ his decision, stated that if tho Eketahuna ; :■ route was:metalled in the .meantime he ,--.'-. would reconsider the proposal .to divert the, Pongaroa, service .to the Eketahuna ~'i route-next year. ..Hitherto..the contract •• ■;.;''! had been'for thre'q':years.., A.resolution ■~, was unanimously carried strongly resent- ■,. ing the.action of the-Government.in tho. /;■/.;; ;. rmattcr. Strong remarks were made about £-~;... the being allegedly influenc-U-'i: etl.by a few. big landowners living, on the ; Eketahuna-PongaToa route at the cxnenso '~.;' . of the many,extra.people occupying small j.,;.! .holdinigs-living on the Pahiatua route. It ...,-' :.',was-claimed, the .whole facts were in fav .;.', ■■■ the> Pahiatua:route., ■" '■■'■'■■ ."[The'position is that there are rival •'.'•, routes/ the Eketahuna-Pongaroa route 'and-- the Pahiatua-Pongaroa route, and the difficulty arises out of the,facts '■'"■■ that while the Eketahuna route in con- ' sidcred'tlhie better, the Pahiatua road is •dt present-in amici the better order. -. The : i ■* Department, has given the matter' a good '■"■•' deal of consideration, and is of'the opin- . a'on that'the'oonntry oh'the Pahiatua route will not carry the population which the other'route will.'; An officer of.the ' Department was sent to tho district to report .. on i the question, :' and. after going • into it. thoroughly he reported- that tho •Eketahuna-Pongaroa. route 'ought to re- ..-•',' oeive the most attention .from the Department; bait'that as that road was in such bad. order now (about ten .miles of it need:metalling),, the other, road should' ,1» used in the meantime—bonce the our- .. tailmeht of the contract from three yeara ■'"to one year.] . '■'■':'■ v .-.,■'.