The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1915. COUNTRY MAILS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 214, 26 May 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1915. COUNTRY MAILS.

(With which is iucorporated The TaJhape Post ana Waimarino Neiru.)

The meeting of settlers held at Taejroa on Monday to discuss a reorganisation, of the present mail service that wouV'd confer a frequency not now enjoyed, was reminiscent of, the early settlement of this no,w largo and highly p ro . ductive district?.. It s.eems only a few years ago since- the hand in a very wide area around what Is now the, flourishing town of Tallw'tpe was not? considered to worth, more than sixpence a very expression. v. aa not. .uncoa;.- ; n>ou in land. set ‘circles andas%ociations. It tr&s described oa volCftuie country aE .d repqrs| to be reft and ri.veii, intersected by deep end alcaqst hinp&asable. declivities* go numerous us, to render profitable settlement very doubtful if. not altogether imprac-

(lays—when families were packed fifty miles and more into the virgin forests to carve out a home, making the ffreassaults upon the mammoth denizens of the forests which, moreover, were so entangled with undergrowth that mites of track had to be cut to reach the section that had been bought from a plan in 'Wellington wore courageous enough to take what seemed then, and what really was, a very great risk. There were very few railroads in those days; telegraphic communication only reached the then large towns, and telephones were unknown in the country. The men that went back into the depths of those almost impenetratable forests had to pack their food in for many miles; they worked hard and fared hard, growing all the food they could

in the first little bit of clearing, to save waste of time and risk of life,

crossing dangerous rivers, in packing their absolute necessities In, for nothing but absolute necessities was possible for them. It was in those days that the “cry from the wilderness ’ ’ was often heard, and although there are places so far . removed in this district from the centre of settlement a>« to render the settlers thereon little removed from the conditions experienced by the old primal settlers, anew era Isas been entered upon, and they may soon hope to enjoy all the improvements of latter days they can -reasonably expect. The young people, nowadays, can scarcely believe that their forbears oftimes had to live upon what they could shoot in the bush—pigeons, kakas, wilfi pigs occasionally, and eke out a supply of our with a meagre allowance of damper to each meal while, if they wished to tickle their palate with any other beverage than pure water they regaled themselves with an Infusion o* the leaves of a bush shrub (Piper Excelsum), commonly known as kawa-Jcawn tea.

These days are past and although new settlements will never again present conditions of such severity, there

are many conveniences now wanting that are of as imperative a nature under new commercial and social relationships as the bush track was to prlma» pioneers. A meeting was held at Tao■Toa'O'n Monday, attended by men, some t .. . 7 Of'" Whom- have suffered the most cnjtjeipe hardships .of bush settlement. ■ /Ehey are, asking the Government for a

of mail contracts that were yhccpssariiy. made in peace-meal fashion. It . was shown at the meeting chat by rearrangement a daily mail would be possible where at present there' was n tri-weekly service, and in other places a'.trb weekly service could be'given in place of .a bi-weekly delivery, at' the same, or a very little indeed, extra outlay.- The exigencies of successful farm

life-in the districts represented at'the meeting now render it absolutely necessary in the best interests of productions and successful marketing that a more frequent mail service should 7 ' be

instituted. The area is becoming’ densely settled and it only requires better- eomunication to bring about’ a large increase on the present number of Homes. In fact, a complete revision of the routes and means of communication and successful marketing should the progress of settlement. There are absurdities that need removing. I

changes effected, and extensions made j in the most thickly populated areas, * .that would cost the Government noth- I ing more than a little intelligent or--1: ganisation; and we have no doubt I whatever about the needs of settlers § being; granted as soon-as possible after ' they are made known. As a matter ofv fa'et, in some places, not far from Tai-’ hapej, settlers are in a worse position with; regard to mails than they were ten years ago, while there anomal -

ies, suck as the telejdione communica tiom between hei*® and Eoeke, th? it oujrrht not to be alolwed to continue.' I?Co ek e is only a comparatively short d ista nee from Taihape, yet the people there can only communicate with th ose ' ivith whom they do business in Taihape Through. Hunterville. This is not a soli- ; ' tary case by any means, and as rapid • and ready communication between j town and settlers around is of the- j greatest importance for the well-being-and prosperity of both, the local Cham-- ' ber of Commerce might with.advantage’ ■ regard the wants of settlers as fex--|( pressed at Taoroa a matter pressing;.fpr r | 1 cousidemtion and' support. The rea -I scnableness of the Taoroa meeting- was particularly noticeable; their's 1b- itc wild- scheme involvng undue expend’’ cure, but a straightforward, comm® sense statement of a ease that wiili' en . sure the favourable and’ immediate a? . teixtion oil* the. Postal Department