PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 21 June 1907, Page 4

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

(From Our Own orrespondents). WARISA. The weather this last week has been very wet, rain falling continually most of the time. Mr T. Julian, sen., started his contract of cutting a track on the Carringtou road between the Ncwall road and the Kahui road, last week. Several men are engaged on the job. The heavy rain on Friday caused the rivers to Hood, causing considerable damage in some cases. Messrs Ducker Bros.' dam was carried away, also a bridge and a lot of timber. This represents a substantial loss as well as of time in repairing the damage that has boon done. The brothers have just about finished putting in their turbine, and were to have commenced cutting again this week, but now they will have to commence the work of vxing up the dam.

WHANGAMOMONA. Some 15,U00 Sheep have come into this district during the last two or three months. Half travelled right through to Mangaroa, via Tangarakau Gorge, which is not the best track in New Zealand to drive sheep on. The recent heavy rains caused slips throughout the district and many settlers are unable to get to town for stores owing to the track being blocked. Mr Murray, Chief Road, Surveyor for Taranaki, paid a visit to Whangnmomona last week. What a pity for us settlers that he had not waited another week. Then he could have seen what we have to put up with. Still, I suppose he is not to blame.

The Stratford County Council have not yet put on a surfaceman to take care of the road, which was recently handed over to them by the Government, and already it is getting into a bad state. Mr. E. G. Robinson, Stratford County Engineer, was here this week. It is hoped he will do something in the matter. A large area of bush, is being felled this season by different, settlers, and many farms are being ring-fenced, which speaks well for the district.

MAKAHU. v On the 13th the day broke showery, but by midnight had settled down in earnest, and Friday proved one of the wettest days for months past, the rain being so continuous. The weather during the evening was very boisterous, but cleared about midnight. Saturday broke nice and fine, and, as usual after a heavy rain, Mr Foley was about early inspecting his various roads. He commenced his tour on horse-back, but had only gone about a mile when he came face to face with several tons of earth, about half a chain long and four feet deep, clean across the Brewer-Taihore road, there being no less than four blocks for all kinds of traffic, so he had to use "Shanks' por.y" to carry him to the Makahu telegraph office to ring up the engineer. Ther are also three tremendous slips between Mr Gatton's residence and the Puniwhakau post office, one of which will take three men some few days to dispose of, bring an entanglement of limber at the worst, anil eight feet high and a chain long. The Taihore road is also a complete block in several places, and the posts and wires from the settlers' fences are to be seen across the roads in various places. Some of them have been recently erected. Mr Foley is to be commended on the speedy manner in which he obtained sev en able-bodied men, who have .already opened the Brewer-Taihore road for horse traffic, and hope by to-morrow evening to have it opened down to the Puniwhakau post office. The surrounding country has slipped very badly, especially from Puniwhakau up to Hastie's. where the road is a blank.