KIO KIO.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 501, 18 September 1912, Page 5

KIO KIO.

Own Correspondent.

It ia possible to imagine better roads than those existing in the King Country. They tre not noted for excellence at any time of the year, while now they are at their worst. Those round Kio Kio, and especially the stretch from the railway to the store defy description. The best one can do is to say they are mere strings of mudholes varying in depth from three to five or six feet. To negotiate such a "road" is a task attended with great difficulty and not a little danger. A slight mishap, such as the snapping of the pole in a bad place, entails much loss of time and energy, and may mean that the waggon must rest imbedded till the road bcecomes dry enough for excavating operatons. During such a time as this the settlers feel most acutely the need for a good shed. There are no storing facilities at the station so that manure and other perishable goods, truck loads of which arrive daily, must be carted on arrival, no matter what the state of the roads or of the weather. The possibility of raising the proposed metalling loan seems remote as far as this year jb concerned. The farmers, therefore, look to the Railway Department to erect a shed in which to store such perishable goods as manure and flour until the road allows of carting incomparative safety. But the traffic just mentioned is no worse than the stream of milk waggons which day after day must drag thro'J£b the road to the creamery. Every waggon gets to the bottom of every hole, arid gouges out another inch or so. It is no wonder that numerous aide tracks through the ti-tree spring into existence only to become a little more treacherous than the road itself. For the first fortnight the local creamery received on on'y four days a week, but for the past three weeks it has been kept at full pressure every day. A substantial rise in the bulk of milk received was expected, but the actual increase has surpassed the expectations of the most sanguine suppliers. The old herds, many with increased numerical strength, are now coming to their full milk. Already several new suppliers have backed their waggons under the milk hoist, and several more, of whom two or three are reported to have large herds, have made known their intention of starting this season. There can be no more certain sign than this of the rapid development of the district or of the fact that clover and grass are steadily gaining ground on the outlying ti-tree fiats and fernhills. The warm, spring weather fiaa had a marked effect on the pastures which are now capable of maintaining the herds of their full milk. The new grass which during the excessively wet autumn and winter has made very slight progress is now coming away in splendid style apparently little worse for its miserable start. In a word the milking season has opened so favourably that the "cockies" are already chuckling over the prospect of fat milk cheques and substantially increaased profit bonuses. It is, however, the general opinion that sufficient rain has now fallen, and that the sooner the weather clears and the land becomes dry enough for the reception of spring grass and oats the better for the farmers. A meeting of the executive of the Kio Kio branch of the N.Z.F.U. was held last week to consider the resignation of Mr W. Hudson, secretary. In the absence of Mr A. J. Ross, the chairman, Mr Budge moved the adjournment of the meeting on the ground that the matter was of too grave a nature to be dealt with by an ill-attended meeting. It was decided therefore to call a general meeting of the branch for about the end of this month. Mr Hudson agreed to act as secretary till the election of another in his place (by the general meeting). It is understood that the resignation of another official is in the hands of the acting secretary. As a result of strenuous agitation the settlers round Hurimoana school have succeeded in bringing their wants before the Postal Department. Judging from recent correspondence on the matter it seems probable that both a post office and telephone bureau, connected with that at Kio Kio, will be installed. Mr E. O'Brien has'agreed to act as postmaster for the first six months without salarv. The only difficulty is that of carrying the mails to the nearest office, Kio Kio. The distance is only about five miles, but it includes some very wellknown strips of track. In fact, one wag declares that a certain spot is sacred to the memory of his waggon and five horses, despite the fact that half an acre of ti-tree was put in first. But as the member for the district, Mr J. A. Young has promised his support in the matter it should not be long before the mail goes twice a