ONGARUE REQUIREMENTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 70, 21 February 1908, Page 2

ONGARUE REQUIREMENTS.

During his recem visit to Te Kuiti £he Minister for Lands drew ffitpa £ion tp $e fapjt that events were haptjemng and progress coming to the king Country within a gpace of four or five years, as compared with fifteen or twenty years taken for similar development in other locali-

ties. Naturally, there is some truth in the statement, and naturally, also, the Minister was endeavouring to justify the slowness of Governmental recognition of urgent requirements. As instancing" the reluctance of the Government to recognise reasonable requirements, attention may be drawn to the Ongarue railway station. Ongarue is the outlet on the Main Trunk line for all the settlers of the Ohura Valley, a district which now carries a population of over a thousand settlers. Consequently a very large goods traffic is carried on between Ongarue, Auckland, and other centres. Unfortunately, the settlers have to store goods at Ongarue until it is possible to have them carted to the Ohura, and for some considerable time an agitation has been on foot to have a stationmaster appointed to the railway centre. The trafiiic, both passenger and goods, warrants the appointment, in addition to which it is freely stated that settlers are continually suffering losses in consequence of the fact that no responsible per:-'.".-, is appointed to receive and deliver goods arriving at the station. This state of affairs calls for immediate action on the part of the authorities and it is hardly creditable that matters have been left in an unsatisfactory state for so long. Another urgent requirement at Ongarue, is that of a decent post and telegraph office. The present building is entirely unsuitable for the purpose, and is said to be little behind Te Kuiti Post-office in point of all round unsuitability. A suggestion which merits the consideration of the departments interested is that a combined Railway Station and Post-office should be erected, and a suitable official appointed to take charge of both offices. The appointment of officers in a dual capacity may not be desirable in general, but providing no other steps can be taken to remedy the existing state of affairs, th£ suggestion mentioned has much tg recommend it. In any case action is necessary, and it is to be hoped the people chiefly affected will not rest until their claims have received favourable notice.