Rongotea.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7315, 7 June 1902, Page 4

Rongotea.

Tt would be na well for the Kongotea artillery company to procure some more up-to-date weapons than those in use on tho I'rinco of Wales' birthday, as a largo p;irt of one of the muzzles of those in use on Tuesday was found embedded in one of tbe iloors of Mr Hickford's lloyal Oak Temperance Hotel. Had there b'.-e.n anyone in the lino that this pieeo took there would probably have been nn inque-t. Iron pipes lire a'l very well for water or gas, but there is ii limit to their power ot resistance, when powder i» Dimmed into them. It was perliaps lucky for the artillerymen that they put in two feet of fuse, or the speed of their own two feet might have been arrested. It is to bo hoped that the explosion of iaH night will be a warning to ihciu to get something Siifer, in time for the Coronation. Tho gun was a two-inch iron pipe fixed to a post. Ten inches oi the muzzle scattered in ail directions— two pieces went clean through an iron fence on the opposite side of the road. Another pico^ carried away a piuce of thp post and travelled a distance of sixty feet, lodging itself in the door reierred to.

The Kongoteu people also havo a boneto pick witn the post office authorities because, although a coach leaves I'alintrston every day at -1 p.m., unless !ctt=rs ntti posted by 11 a.m. tlity (ire not delivered at Rongotea till the following night. This is a grass injustice to a Ituge and important district and one ihut could be very easily remedied. There is no doubt if Sir Joseph realised tho necessities of the case ho would at once have the matter rec.ified. Then Kougolea letters arriving in Pulmerston by the morning mail could bo replied to by the coach leaving at ■!• o'clock the same day.