Tongaporutu.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 206, 3 September 1904, Page 2

Tongaporutu.

(From Our, Correspondent.) This coast is all but isolated from civilisation for many months past, h'roin Uruti to Tongaporutu. it is diilicult to describe it—a sea of mud will, for want of ft better term, do. For two or three years it bus been going from bad to worse, and in li) 04 culminated in "worst." Various reasons can be assigned for this state, yet the "not spending" of money can haixlly 'be included in tht category. There fs a good deal of money spent on it, but badly spent. This great West Coast road was formed some eight yoars ago and fairly well formed, but it has been on tho down-igiwla ever since. Along the flats ditches 7ft by Oft were mode on each side of it, and tht earth put on tho road, raising it some four feet. These ditches have never bean cleaned. Now they are mostly tilled up again. The earth on Ihe low-lying flats in the Mimi valley has been carried away by tho river, and the road is worse than when there was no formation. There have been land-slips, a great many of which have not ibeen cleared away properly. First a track is cut through for horsemen, and then widened enough for a vehicle. The water stands in these openings, and the wet clay closes up from both sides, so that in a short time there is a floating bog. On Mt. Messenger where it is blue papa, the blue clay is thrown from the aide on to the centre, where it never ibinds. The first rain washes' it into the side again, from whence it is again removed into the centre. This goes on continuously, so that the road is never dry. Some two years ago this blue puddle was cleaned off in the w o rst parts, and replaced by sandstone, which was a great improvement, but in bad places it has near- ■ ly disappeared amongst tho blue slush thrown from the side to the centre. County councils and r o ad boards make roads and year by year they get bettor, but the Government roads get worse with age. Ily-roads or 6ft. tracks are too bad to describe.

Some enterprising business men come here, the bad roads notwithstanding. Recently Herbert's Up-to-Date, from New Plymouth, opened a drapery store in. the hall for a week, and after him came White-house with his panoramic menagerie. These gentlemen desorve to have done well for their pluck. The fruit trees arc in blossom, and the willows .green ; the grass, too, is growiag, and for the past few days the weather has been beautiful, giving every promiso of an earlyspring.

Tho football craze caught on here, as many 'going to sea "the match" as could afford tho time. We are all pleased our colony has done so well, but as the British team claim to being " fagged," perhaps' it will be more satisfactory to meet them when they are more "lit," although we know our boys will hold their own at any tome. Our next little flutter will be the "ladies' return ball," which comes oil' on the 16th inst.