THROUGH THE BACKBLOCKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 450, 23 March 1912, Page 3

THROUGH THE BACKBLOCKS.

MATIERE. A considerable amount of activity haa been diplayed in the Ohura district by the erection of business premises in the townships of Matiere and Mangaroa. The energy being displayed is no doubt actuated by the anticipation of the arrival oi the railway from Te Koura. Matiere will be the first township touched and considerable progress has been going on during the past few years. . .... Dairying has been doing well in the vicinity for so far, and with the advent of the line will develop to a considerable extent. The township has become divided owing to the hopes of which would be the site most likely to be convenient to where the railway would touch. Mr G. Phillips, of that place, a couple of years ago bought some property which he cut up and subdivided. On one part a considerable amount of excavation was done, and a row of new shops erected and are now occupied by tenants representing the various trades. Mr Phillips has recently added to his enterprise and has just completed a new and up-to-date boarding house of 26 rooms. This part of the town which is now generally known as Phillipstown. has every convenience, and all the buildings and shops are lighted with gas supplied from an SO light power generator. Another important matter in which Mr Phillips has been engaged in since his arrival in the district, is the building of a fine brick industry. The brick work?, which have all the latest machinery installed, are 124 feet by 24 rest, and are capable of storing about 14,000 bricks. Extensions are at present being made for the further storage of 20,000. The works are kept going all the time in supplying the local demand, which has grown considerably of late years. There is an almost unlimited supply of clay and the works will be able to suppiy the wants of the district for many years to come.

The shops and general appearance of thia part of the town are very creditable and certainly give an excellent impresison to the visitor. The survey of the railway shows that the line will come to within about a chain of this new part of the town. Mr Phillips recently put a large number of town sections on the market, and altogether about 32 were sold at prices ranging from £6O to £IOO per quarter acre. Several 50 acre allotments have been disposed of in the vicinity of the town at the rate of £l7 10s per acre whilst a few four-acre sections realised £3O per acre. In the township near to the boarding houss a section of between a quarter and a half acre was refused to be sold although the enticing sum of £3OO was offered for it. It is understood that the Government at an early date purpose cutting up an additional 11 sections from the original township in order to link both ends of the town up. On the north-western side an area of 130 acres of bush is to be stripped of its forest garb and cut up and offered for sale in small allotments by the Government. An idea of the advancement made can be guaged from the act that where all these fine new shops now stand, two and a-half years ago was a spot used for the yoking up of bullocks. Noxious weeds were also very manifest then, but have since been completely eradicated. Although the township is making rapid development in preparing for the events that are to come, the main street is in a deplorable state. Work of pumicing and facing is being carried out, but has been considerably hampered owing to the weather. A couple of residents pointed out that the work which is being done at present is not on the proper road site, and that when the railway comes along that the present expense being incurred would be rendered useless when the railway came along. If such is the case it is a pity that the Roads Department have not a proper survey made and render the work good right from the beginning instead of having to commence again at a later period, much to the inconvenience of residents and the public generally. Messrs Symond3 and Co.'s saw mill in the vicinity is being kept running steadily, and is coping with the local demand Cor building purposes.