WAITAANGA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10, 2 May 1914, Page 7

WAITAANGA.

ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS. Following is the conclusion of the article in the “Ohura Advocate” on Waitaangi and its possibilities: A portion of the road is already formed in the settlement but there still remains a length of live nules i n the direction of Kotare. Most ol this is on the down grade and part of it is heavy papa side cuttings; with, in places, a sheer drop to the gullies be low which also applies to the Ohura 'end A little past the 18-mile peg i the boundary line of the Ohura and Clifton Counties and the. road is now being pushed forward to within two miles of the Ohura boundary from Kotare. The country here is hilly ; some of the sections being very steep and the surface slipping away. The nature of the soil may ho alright, hut, personally. 1 do not care for land if there is -anv danger of falling off it ; but prefer to leave the hush standing. Ol course it may be alright on the top. Kotare, 25 miles from Ohura and le to Tongaporntu, is situated on a small Hat at the junction of two streams surrounded by hills and consists of a store and outbuildings. It is the terminus of the telephone wire from Wan tarn, the junction of a road line from the Tangarakau Gorge, and the meeting place on Sundays, where the news of' the world are discussed and an occasional game of cricket indulged in. ft is also the terminus of the mail service in this direction, a light coach connecting with the Waitara service. Here, is one of the inevitable narrow suspension bridges with, as usual, itside '‘rail’s crushed by some obstinate bullock team. At the Ohura end a length of eight miles of road requires to he completed to give an outlet for dray service. A, before mentioned a portion of road m the settlement is already negotiable for dray service. A side road knoun as the North Road extends for two and a half miles through flat country towards the Mokan estate. From here it is about four miles to the coal mines on the Mokan River. This, and the Moknutino Road and probably one nearer to Ohura will be the outlet for the Mokan Estate towards the Strat-ford-Okahukura Railway. About 7000 out of an approximate total of 12,000 acres of good easy conn try in the vicinity are occupied by the Waitaanga settlers. The unoccupied portion of the Waro Block amounts to ■15,000 acres and stretches away towards the southern end ol the Faligarakau Gorge and Tahora and. is the last block of Crown Lands fii Taranaki. Much of this is said to be of it good class and easy nature, all of which will also, eventually,, find its outlet to the previously mentioned railway.

■ \ site hasnbeen reserved, for a small township, ■ which to ,so\ne appears to be unrtecessary ; but , with a large area of country tbatpvill eventually come under, the plough it is well to provide for these things; as in the future Waitaanga will require j t ts accommodation house, store, blacksmith’s shop, etc., and other convenience,! necessary for the district; although I thi rite a more convenient and better site could have been selected at the junction of the North Road. With proper vending facilities to the railway line now in course of construction and the lowering l of the Waitaanga stream and subsequent drainage of some of- the flats, also taking into consideration the nature of the country, it is plainly evident that Waitaanga has a great future before it. To accomplish this much has to he clone; but in a district occupying an elevated position like this, and its consequent invigorating climate, the people should not suffer from that enervating influence (so common in many places) known as the “tired feeling” which is more often not the fault of the people but the jnatural result of climate and surroundings.