MANGAPAPA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 87, 19 June 1908, Page 5

MANGAPAPA.

(Own Correspondent). Mangapapa has recently been rechristened (not with mud, however). There being several places named Mangapapa, the postal address has been altered to Otangiwai. The roads are now in proper winter order. Plenty of mud. Travelling is painfully slow — and unpleasant—dire necessity being the only incentive. The settlers in and beyond Mangkahikatea are complaining bitterlyover being left for another season with only a dangerous apology for a bridge at the Mangapapa Junction. The Mangapapa people are very little better off, as the low level bridge at Matiere is very uncertain in wet weather owing to floods, and may be the means of preventing the regular trips of the cream carts to the Niho Niho and Matiere factories during this next spring. This, of course, will mean direct loss to the struggling settlers. The road badly needs widening and metalling too. If settlers have the energy and the pluck to commence dairying under'such disadvantages, it is surely the duty of the Government to assist them by providing decent roads, as long distances from markets is surely a sufficient drawback, without the additional one of badly formed and unmetalled roads. " Laugh, and the world laughs with you! Weep, and you weep alone ! " is a trite saying. The trouble is that the backblock settlers, unlike the larger townships, have no palatial Government buildings, no trams, omnibuses and daily mail and newspaper services, no roads fit even to walk upon, with the necessaries of life compulsorily dear, and luxuries out of the question. They cannot laugh, but the outside world laughs the heartier, whilst the back-blocker must perforce weep alone.

Mr. Hyde's team, with great difficulty, managed to get the boiler on to the creamery site last week. The timber is to be in shortly (if roads permit), and Mr. Craven, the contractor, is doing his best to get the structure erected in time for commencing operations this spring. The Mangapapa School Committee met on Saturday evening, June 13th. There were present: Messrs. Carter (chairman), Cribb (secretary), Peacock, Box, Fauchelle and Geisler. The master's report showed the roll number to be 36, and the average for the month 29.8. Complaint was made that one family, although several were of school age, was not attending school. The questions of fencing and inadequate school accommodation are giving the committee much trouble, as the Department are, so slow to recognise the extreme urgency of both. The question of draining the school swamp (another beautiful legacy) is also a troublesome matter, owing to inability to secure the necessary funds.