THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1929. RURAL DELIVERY AT TIROHIA.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5492, 25 October 1929, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1929. RURAL DELIVERY AT TIROHIA.

Efforts are being made to have a rural delivery established to Tirohia, but through various causes an impasse for the moment has been reached. According to the Post Office regulations there must be at least three mail boxes to the mile, and the road must be metalled. As well as this, the route must be a circuitous one, as the postman making the delivery must not come back on his tracks. Therein lies the difficulty. The only route at present by which a circular journey could be taken is via Mangaiti on to the Old Te Aroha Road and a return to Paeroa via Rotokohu. That, however, is out of the question, as it is too long. However, there remains what would be the most suitable way if the road were only in existence. That is the legalised but unformed road about a mile and three-quarters south of Tirohia station which is meant to connect the Te Aroha road with the old Old Te Aroha road. This connecting link is roughly a mile and three-quarters in length, about half a mile of which has already been metalled at the Te Aroha Road end. The remaining mile and a quarter has been sanctioned by the Government long since as a road route, but no work at its construction has ever been attempted. It is merely fenced off and marked out. At present it is possible to ride along it on horseback in all weathers, but as postal regulations demand a metalled road that would not be feasible as a delivery route under the present circumstances. Apart altogether from the facilities this road would offer for postal matters, it would be a good thing for the country from an economic point of view and be of considerable benefit to settlers. By giving better access to a railhead —in this case Tirohia—in all probability more settlers would be induced to take up land in the vicinity, constituting more ratepayers for the Ohinemuri County Council and consequently aiding to develop the resources of the country. At present there is no necessity to construct the road, it is true, for there are only two settlers intimately concerned with it by having their lands contiguous to the route, and one of these has access by the new and one by the old Te Aroha roads. But from the point of view of a potential growing district it is suggested that the initial outlay, though the necessary funds may be hard to, find, would be more than amply repaid in the course of a comparatively short period, and bring in to productive utility country which is at present not being worked to the full.