CAMPBELLTOWN.

Manawatu Herald, 23 August 1881, Page 2

CAMPBELLTOWN.

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The acceptance of a tenderfor the erection of the teacher's residence here, will, I am sure, give great pleasure to the present teacher, Mr Whitcombe, who is now living at considerable inconvenience, being penned up in a very small dwelling erected by himself. 15 feet x 10 feet, I think. The successful tenderer for the teacher's residence, Mr Slade, had the contract for erecting the schoolhouse, which is a guarantee of his proficiency. The tenderers must have had indomitable courage in undertaking the supply of material, &c, considering the dreadful state of the roads. If they fetch timber in by Hickford's line, they encounter a very bad piece of road opposite Mr Hickford's house, and if it is fetched from Jenes' road, and thence by Banks' road, they will encounter a still worse and much more deplorable piece of road. No one will venture on this piece of road, except in extreme cases ; but I am glad to say the Highways Board intend forming this road through to the Taipo district road at once, which will be of vital importance to the settlers, And will also enable the children in Taipo to attend the school in Campbelltown. The salary paid to Mr Whitcombe, which is regulated by the attendance of scholars, is barely enough, to supply him with the necessaries of life, with stringent economy, without any margin for clothing, &c Now there are a good number of children not sent to school on account of the roads, bat at the same time, when the memorial was signed by the several settlers, with the number of children eligible for school, praying that a school district be proclaimed and a school built, &c, those parties who signed the memorial, by the rules of the Board guaranteed the teacher asalaryof £100. Now the teacher's salary is a good deal short of this, and unless the parents who signed the memorial and have children eligible for school send them, they will be called upon to fulfil the promise they made by having to put their hands in their pockets. This, I would point out, can easily be avoided by Bending the children to school regularly. The late stormy weather we have had has done consi lerable damage to the roads. Oue piece, about a chain long, fronting Mr Denton's property, has been made impassable to even a pedestrian. The road being swamp, the flow of water has mixed this particular part into pulp, so that if yon step into it, down you go plump. I saw a horse in this slough tcday,— l should have said part of a horse, as it was almost entirely out of sight. It is really shameful that a man has to ri*k the lives both of himself and the animal by which he earns his bread. It would not cost above £2 10a to make this road passable at any season of the year. I hope the representative of No. 5 Ward will kindly pay this &&&f'oi road a visit, and form a similar opinion as to making it as I have done, but I would advise him not to try and cross it. There is a good deal of traffic on this road, and as it is at present quite suspended I hope our representative will lose no time is getting it done at once. There is a large drain running at right angles from this road which would keep it from being flooded, but which is filled in at several places by cattle completely blocking up the passage, and censequently flooding this part of ihe district This want of drainage is severely felt by the | settler* affected by it, as the water caanot

t&iway. It covers the ground to the exr': ' «K(E eighteen inoheß in places, kills the saMm. the stock, which is the BOTBH^Bro? •the settlers, must suffer. This want of drainage is through the Hon. #Mr Campbell's property. I hope now the matter has heen brought under Mr M'Lennan's notice he will have it put right, as he is always willing to do anything for the settlers.