THE MAIL SERVICE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 287, 4 August 1888, Page 2

THE MAIL SERVICE.

The Postal Department will now soon be deciding 1 on details with respect to the various branches of the mail service, prior to inviting tenders for the performance of same for the ensuing two years, from January first. We therefore desire to direct attention to the matter of daily mail -communication between Auckland an'i Te Aroha, via Waikato. The daily service (as the majority of our readers are aware), was discontinued, and a tri -weekly mail substituted, when a like alteration took place with respect to the train service to and from Te Aroha and Morrinsville, the daily train service heang maintained only as far as the latter place. Efforts were put forward at the time in various ways, and representations made to Government of the injustice of discontinuing the daily mail service via Auckland, more especially seeing the trains run on the off days to within fourteen miles of Te Aroha by road, (twelve by rail), and the present contractor offered to supply a coach service between Te Aroha and MorrinsvHle on the alternate days each way for the modest sum of a, guinea per week. The Department offer 3d only just half the amount, and remaining obdurate, the daily service would not have been resumed but for the spirited action of a number of local residents, who, rather than let tho district suffer so great an inconvenience, put their handsin their pockets and subscribed one half of the subsidy required by the contractor, so that the daily service should be continued up to December 3i>t 1888, as it was known the existing two years mail contracts would then teiminale ; in full faith that when inviting tenders for the next two years, the Department would provide for a daily service, This expectation is a most reasonable one. We do not know any district in New Zealand, the pro°pects of which are more bright at the present time than Te Aroha. Already a very large amount of money is being expended in connection with the mining industry at Waiorongomai, and so soon as the large and splendid new plant already ordered, with all ifc9 new appliances for treating ores in a variety of ways is completed (which will probably be within six months from now) n very lar?e number of miners and workmen will be employed by the Te Aroha S. and G. M. Co. alone. Within that period also (judging by the last report received from the agent who has gone Home to negotiate for the disposal of the property — and whose most interesting letter, written from Glasgow we recently published — ) in all probability the New Era Co.'s large special claim, battery, etc, at Waiorongomai will be likewise floated. This week the good news has been received of the floating of the Champion Lode G. and S. M. Co.'s property, Tni, with n working capital of £12,000, and altogether tie general outloolc for the place is good — and it were a real injustice, and most unwarranted piece of cheese-paring on the part of the authorities to only provide for a tri-weekly mail service ; and they cannot, ask, and surely do not expect the local residents to continue to subsidise, and thus pay twice over for their letters, by again subsidising the Government mail service- We may also point out that by dispensing with the services of a cadet, as was recently done, a saving of LI a week has been effected in the Te Aroha Post-office. With respect to the amount of subsidy which should be given to maintain a service by coach to and from Mon*insyille on the'alternate days, until bucli time aa daily train service is resumed, we certainly consider a guinea a week reasonable in the extreme, remembering fourteen miles have to be covered each .^vay daily. Indeed, we do not know how any contractor can maintain the service- for the money, especially seeing

with jespect to what ho can earn by passenger traffic be has to contend against a tri-weekly train. It is, however, most desirable' in the interests of this rising place, and the large numbers which are certain to be attracted here ere long when operations in connection with the various mining companies are in full swing, that direct daily communication with Auckland should be provided for, by the maintenance of * coach to and from Morrinsville on the days the train does not run past there to and from Te Aroha. And, with respect to this question, we would wish to point out an extraordinary anomaly which at present exists, which can only be characterised as red tape, and should be removed, fix,: As at present, a passenger for Te Aroha on the three days a week the train does not run on from Morrinsville. will not, we undarstand, be supplied with a monthly return ticket on applying for same at Auckland ticket office, being told the train does not go through that day; and consequently the intending passenger must postpone his journey till next day, or take a single ticket to Morrinsville, so far as the railway department is concerned. But if he should be aware of the fact, he can easily overcome the difficulty thus thrown in the way by the Department by simply purchasing a monthly return ticket to Te Aroha before hand from Messrs Hayr and Co., the tourist agents, and he can then come on to Morrinsville, the length the train runs in Te Aroha direction that day, and complete the remainder of his journey by coach. Now we cannot for a moment see any valid leason for the Department adopting this line of action; or why they should not study the convenience of passengers by issuing monthly return tickets every day to those who wish for them, simply informing passengers on three days a week, that so far as the Department is concerned, they will only be conveyed as far as Morrinsville on those days, or the tickets issued on those days could be stamped to that effect. Surely if passengers are willing to pay the Department the full amount charged for the through ticket on the off train days, and in addition are willing, in order to reach To Aroha that day, to pay a second time for conveyance over the last fourteen miles, by coach, the Department lose nothing by the transaction ; whilst on the other hand were the tickets issued daily as we suggest, there is no doubt the contract for conveying the mails to and from Morrinsville on the alternate clays would be tak(H at a proportionately less sum, as the contractor would know the number of his passengers would be greatly increased. But returning; to the subject of the daily mail subsidy, we desire to point out that for the maintenance of a daily mail service between Te Aroha and Thames the following subsidies at present are being paid : From Thames to Paeroa, a distance of about twenty two miles, ,-£l5O per annum ; Paeroa to Te Aroha, fourteen miles, £125 per annum ; or a total of £275 a year ; and it is none too much considering the vile loads to be travelled over, and the very excellent service and time maintained by the contractors Messrs Bradley and Co. On the other hand it should be borne in mind the contractor for this service has no railway to compete against, and therefore receives the full beneiit of all passenger traffic ; also that the amount of mail matter carried by this route, as compaied with that which coes by Auckland and Waikato, is small indeed. For the maintenance of a biweekly service between Paeroa and Tnuranga, a distance of about sixty miloq, £550 a year subsidy is paid ; for daily service between Te Aroha and Waiorongomai, a distance of three miles, £35 a year is paid ; for a bi-weekly service between Waiorongomai and Shaftesbury, a distance of about five miles, £35 a year is paid. We are therefore of opinion it is quite clear the requirements of this district fully warraut the Department providing for the direct daily conveyance of mails between Auckland, Waikato, and Te Aroha, and further, tha l i in view of the pi'ospects of the place as a centre of mining activity, the servics to and from Morrinsville on the off train days should be by coach, for the convenience of passengers, and not by jigger or trolly, as we understand it has been arranged shall be the means of conveying mails to and from Cambridge, etc., to Hamilton on the three off train days e»3h week.

The usual monthly meeting of the Te Aroha School Committee will be he]^* on Monday evening, at half-past seven. ' Pressure of other matter necesHitates our holding over for a future issue further remarks on the Borough question, amount paid in rates in existing Boroughs, the question of water supply, etc. The entertainment in aid of the Te Aroha Library Funds given by the Mount Aroha Troubadours last night in the Public Hall passed off very sucesßfully. There was a good attendance, and the variety programme submitted met with much favour, many of the performers being recalled. In the first part, a minstrel entertainment, Mr C. Gordon acted as interlocutor, and Messrs Emett and Goldsworthy as cornermen. Mrs Menzies played the accompaniments during: w the evening. After the entertainment dancing was endulged in by about twenty couples. The section pegged out by Dr Wright at Waiorongomai recently, was disposed of on behalf of the Dr during the past week for £20. It is stated the entire space occupied by,' the Melbourne Exhibition is forty three" acres ; the exhibition buildings alone covering no less than thirty two acres. The Exhibition was opened with eclat on Wednesday, and altogetner promises to be a magnificent affair, grand success, and will no doubt do much to render "prosperous Melbourne" still more prosperous.

The monthly ..meetings of Olrinemuri County Council, and also of Waitoa Road Bcind will be hold to-day. Owing 1 to the alteration in the railway time table, dating from Monday next, the Wnikato and Auckland mails will close in future at the Te Aroha Post office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 7.45 a.m., and on v Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at G. 30 a.m. A must interesting and detailed report of the opening of the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition will bo found on our fourth and fifth pages. Mr J. G. Ralph left the Thames in the s.s. Pearl on Monday last for Great Barrier Island, taking with him a party of five miners, It is stated that ho is negotiating with a Melbourne syndicate for floating a large company, to work tho copper lodes said to exist in that locality, and has taken the miners with him for the purpose of ascertaining the value of the lodes. Messrs Mills and Currie, contractors for the erection of new offices for tho To A roh a S. and G, M. Co., at Waiorongomai, are making good progress with the work in hand, the frame of the building being now up, The chimney (which is being built by Mr Ginn, bricklayer from Thames, on behalf of tho Co.), is also now up a considerable height. The contractors for draining certain portions of Waiorongomai township, as recently authorised by Piako County Council, are making good pi ogress with the work in hand. One long long oulfall drain haß been completed, and tho smaller drains are being pushed on with. Mr Baker, son of the Rev Shirley Baker, of Tonga celebrity, is at present on a visit to Te Aroha for tho benefit of liia health, as he still suffers from the gunshot wound in his arm, incurred in the fray with the natives in January, 1887. lie will shortly leave for^ Tonga. Mr Arthur Ford, Engineer, is anxious to lease and at once open for traffic that portion of the Thames-Te Aroha Railway already completed, and has addressed a letter to the Thames Borough Council on the subject, of which the following is a copy : — Thames, 31st July, 1888, — A. Brodik, Esq., Mayor of Thames. — Sir, — As I am desirous of leasing the Thames railway, as far as completed, for the purpose of opening it up for immediate traffic for the convenience of travellers, and more especially for the mines at Puriri and Hikutaia, I beg you will give me every assistance in your power to do so. I may state that I have received great support in my object, both by the travelling public and miners generally. lam about making application to the Government, but before forwarding it I would thank you to forward any recommendation you may deem necessary also. By having y<>m valuablo assistance and advice I believe I may obtain my object, and shall be very gratoful for the same.— l have, etc., Arthur S. Ford, Engineer." The letter will be laid before the Borough Council at its next meeting. At a meeting of the Te Aroha Town Board held la«t evening, present, the Chairman, and Corns. Gavin and Ilotchin, a general rate of one shilling in the pound (under the Rating Act, 1876, annual value), waß levied, A neat cottage with acre of first class land is advertised for sale cheap. MrW. J. England, teacher of music and singing, is open to receive pupils or visit same. Application for a licensed holding a* Tin, by Messrs Edgar and Walker, is advertised. Mr Ebert advertises that he wants to j purchase turkej's, geese, fowls, etc., in any quantity.