MAIL SERVICES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4405, 24 April 1922, Page 3

MAIL SERVICES.

NGATBA’S fortunate position. three possible routes. Plains Staff Reporter.)) A few months ago the Ngatea settlers were complaining of; their inadequate and out-of-date mail .service via Thames. Now they may yreil . rejoice that by next year it is possible that there will he three daily mail Services —the present one from Paeroa, a re-established one from Thames, and a new service from Pokeno. If it becomes an accomplished f.act that mails will be parried daily over these .three routes Ngatea will indeed, be extremely fortunate—'but it is to be hoped that the Ngatea people do not get swelled heads and think their township "the ' hub of the universe” because their mails come from north, east, and • West. THAMES IN THE COLD. - It. is common property that there ig cortern plated a scheme to run a mail service from Pokeno to Ngatea, commencing on January 1, 1923. If this comes about there will be' two services with the present PaeroaNgatea run, whidb is (fjort. a period of threp ye.ars; Thames, from whence the Ngatea mail previously came, will then be entirely out' in the cold as’ f&r as Ngatea is concerned. Realising thithe Thames business people are agitating for a subsidiary service per launch from Thames to Ngatea. That these mails will be entirely for the benefit of Thames and not for the Plains is practically admitted in some remarks in tihis connection contained in the Thames local paper; which says : “i . . . , while, admit-:, ting Paeroa-Ngatea ..service?is admirable in every way for Plains 5 people who deal direct with Auckland, it is evident that. Thames is out in the cold.” In further -reference to the subject it is pointed out that by the. present service through Paerca the quickest time a letter can be sent from Thames to Paerpa is nine hours, while a subsidiary- mail as suggested would bring Ngatea within three hours!, and in many cases a reply to ai communication could be returned the same. day. it. is not intended ,to dispute any of the above statements, but extenuation can be pointed out. 1 Of course it is agreed , that the; present mail route through Paeroa is, to use our contemporary’s term, “admirable in every way for Plains . people’’-—-all those concerned realise that. It cannot be denied that it *»kes about nine hours for a letter from Thames to reach Ngatea, but-at the same tints it can also be said that the letter can be answered and posted the MftiA evening so that it will reach* Thames the following afternoon. It is also a fact that Ngatea cari be brought withiin about three houts : ■of Thames — , sometimes, and it i?> only sometimes. This is a matter for tides and launches. As for; a *reply'being returned. the same day I —.well this would happen so seldom that the merits , of that argumerit hardly need be Sconsidered, - - The Ngatea people may. possibly desire a subsidiary , service to Thames. No doubt it' would be convenient to many, but for the size nf the mail-bags .which would be sent on that -irdute it must naturally be asked, would the expense and the irregularity warrant the dally concession desired in Thames? The bulk of the letters would still go to Paeroa. and from there, be distributed ’ north l arid south. The Auckland and southern mails would no doubt prove to be greater In volume than the Thames letter?. , THE POKENO ROUTE. It would be a wonderful benefit no the Plains to have the Auckland mail come through Pokeno. It is understood that 'there arc 150 probable rural box subscribers on the route. ■ It is probable that the service wild be run from the Pokeno end, though that cannot be definite until the .tenders are called for and let, and the timetable will therefore be doubtful. If performed from Pokeno the 4 a.in. mail from Auckland would leave by the 7.15 ,a.m. train, which arrives at Pokeno at 9.40 a.m 4 and reach Ngatea at Ip.m. Leaving almost* immediately on the return trip the mail car could connect with the 5.30 p.ni. train from Pokeno, and arrive in Auckland, at 8.10 p.m. Operating from Ngatea’, the results would not ■be quite so satisfactory, as a couple of hours would, be lost at Pokeno. A mail leaving Ngatea in the morning would connect with a train leaving Pokeno at mid-day; but it would only be tie Auckland 4 a.m. mail that would reach Ngatea about 3.30 in the afternoon. In extqlling the merits of the Pokerc- service, the sfa.*e of the roads must be taken into coi ideration. In the summer months th. '.clay roads would probably peimit a motor service, hut in the winter n mths the many miles of uhnietalled rq.'d .wouid be quite' impassable. While the Paeroa route cannot boast of any gopd roads, the mail car has proved itself capable of carrying on during the wettest_three months that h'aye been experienced' for several years. Here, again, would the expense of such a service warrant the extra conveniences ? Every Plains resident would like to see the service an accomplished fact, but it is the opinion of many that the tenders would he prohibitive. The high fares which would have to be charged for passengers would keep away the travelling public, except those on urgent business, and without passengers the mail <ontractor would not be able to make his business pay. It may be said, therefore, that this, service is prema'-ure, and should not be contemplated until better roads are provided, In the meantime the Paeroa service is pleasing the people-of the Plains.