PLAINS TO POKENO.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4452, 11 August 1922, Page 1

PLAINS TO POKENO.

INAUGURATING ’BUS SERVICE. PETITIONS TOi AUTHORITIES. In order to further the proposal to inaugurate a daily motor service between the Hauraki Plains and Ppkeno Mr W Heaven, of Maramarua, attended a series of meetings at Maramarua, Waitakarpru, and Ngatea. Large numbers attended the first two meetings, but at Ngatea the attendance ■was very poor.

At a meeting of Maramarua residents on Monday it was resolved that Mr T. W. Rhodes, M.P., be requested to render every .assistance possible in having metalled portions of the Waitakaruru-Pokeno Road, via Maramanua. Part of that road was at present clay, and only partly formed. It was understood that grants had been made to the Franklin and Hauraki plains County Councils for that work, but no money bad yet been made available. It was proposed, with the assistance of the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to institute a motor mail service from Pokeno to the Haur,aki Plains. In order to further this project it was desirable that the unmetaUed portions of the read be put in goed order. At the same meeting it was decided to petition the Franklin County Council to have graded the bad portion of the proposed route in its area.. Satisfaction was expressed t,hat the sum of £l2OO had been set aside for work on this unmetalled section of road. The meeting also decided to place before the Chief; Postmaster, Auckland, the desirability of instituting a motor mail service from Pokeno to the Hauraki Plains. It was understood that the Department was anxious to institute the service, but has been deterred by the reported bad state of the roads, which, however, were perfectly capable of carrying such a service, and were in a much better state than similar service routes such as Tauranga to Matamata and Waihi to Tauranga. The Maramarua settlers would give every assistance.

There was an attendance of about 25 settlers at the Waitakaruru meeting on Tuesday, when decisions of a similar nature as those above weie made/ Petitions to' Mr Rhodes ani the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, were also largely signed. There was a very poor attendance at the Ngatea meeting on Wednesday, but it was decided to circulate a petition to the Hauraki Plains County Council to have the desired improvements made to that portion of} the Pokeno-Waitakar,uru roads which is unde: the Council’s jurisdiction. The petition is at present being circulated, and will be presented at the next coincil meeting, which is being held next Monday.