THE OHURA MAIL SERVICE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 15, 17 January 1914, Page 5

THE OHURA MAIL SERVICE.

[To Tiir Editor Stratford Post. I Sir, —For some time, past I have been following with interest the efforts made by several of our local bodies to induce the Postal Department to grant an adequate subsidy to Air Thomas Moore for the carriage of mail matter between Ohura and Whangamomona. In opening up regular communication between Ohura and Whaugamomona, in view of the present state of the roads, Mr Moore has shown a spirit of commercial enterprise deserving of all the assistance the Postal Department and our local bodies can give him. He is in the truest sense of the term a promoter of settlement, and the service which he has inaugurated cannot fail to he of great benefit to both towns and to settlers along the route. I. understand that the Postal Department was asked for a subsidy of £2OO per annum towards this service ; but the . Department does hot recognise as one of its functions the development of the backblocks, and as the volume of mail matter at present offering is worth only £4O or £SO per annum, the Department considers itjself quite justified in refusing to grant a subsidy of four times the value of the mail matter, and unless some inducement other than the carriage of mails is held out as a reason for liberal assistance from the Government the desired subsidy will not he granted until settlement along the route is considerably increased. I would like to suggest, therefore, for the consideration of tho members of local bodies who have interested themselves in this matter that the Tourist Department be asked to combine with the Postal Department in providing an adequate subsidy towards the coach service. For many years the Wanganui Steamship sendee was worth very little as a mail route; but recognising its value as a tourist route the Government, by an arrangement between the Postal and Tourist Departments, provided a subsidy of £750 per annum towards maintaining the service. The TimaruHermitage coach service is subsidised by the -Tourist Department in like manner, and 1 have no doubt that Ithere are other services to which the Tourist Department contributes. The same principle might very well be followed by the Government in connection with the Obnra-Wbangamomona service, which those competent to judge consider one of the best routes, from a scenic point of view, in the Dominion, and well worthy of-support by the Tourist Department. I trust that the members of local bodies interested in this matter will continue their agitation for Government assistance for the new coach service, and I make the above suggestion to them because it appears to me to be the onlyipraetienhjo way of securing an adequate subsidy without delay in the present undeveloped state of the country along the route.—l am, etc., S. MAOALTSTER.