DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 109, 8 June 1909, Page 4

DISTRICT NEWS.

TOXGAPCmii'iU I U'raiu Our Q„. u . Correspondent.j he weather duriug the past fort:ii..,il thoJih" ltuit coui -' •* ss «•■»«*• tts L btoe k J . s looking well. 11 s.s, 1 itoitoi has changed skippers Captain Williamson, rumor says, is put»'g t,ie oil launch Kotahi i„ order ' and may be expected in here anc day now.

I lirai- hat the s.s, I'itoitoi lost her dder when entering to ilarakoua, and is „ow waiting. tl new u„e - iron! Auckiiim. H cannot vouch for the truth 01 tile above as no communication has boird m ' ClVL ' d hL ' lu fl ' uiu iul y°ne on

All the co-operative men (with the exception of those 011 the Kiwi itoad) have been knocked off. This has occurred on all the roads in .New Zealand, and is made a lot of. No long as I can remember, during Fcbruarv and Jlaich tile same thing |, ils occurred ami the crv was "Oil" slackening oil' hands again to swell the surplus! we come to the change ironi .March to •nine of the Financial year, and 1 for one consider that as this time 01 the year is the best time to slacken on hands (if sut-ii has to be dune) ? * ery little work can be done in wet weather, and as the average number ot days that a man can work duiiiig tjc winter months j* a l:out two days a week 1 do not think much narm can* be none, the men employed during the summer months should remember and makv provision Ufi- a rainy day, but if thev will I not do this then the blame is on" their own shoulders.

Tlie Clifton County Council men are making a good job of the sandstoning on the Okau road. I hope that the same error will not be made here as on that portion of the main road at the foot or -Mt. Messinger. The sandstone was put down and not crowned, and now it is tiie worst part of the road from Uruti to the foot of tiie mountain. Sandstone when put down must haw a crown of at least one foot in the' centre. If not, well the sandstone will not set and only becomes a bog. J am speaking from experience. That portion of the main road that .has not received a coating of sandstone is now cutting up badly. Of course, there is more traffic now and it is increasing, no l think some sandstonig should be done very soon or our roads will go hack to the old state—mud—mud—mud— Our schoolmaster (Mr Armitage) )s recovering slowly, and I hear that the schools are to be re-opened on the 18th or 21st June.

I learn that some 7000 acres of bush , is to come down during the next six months, this of course extends for some ( 15 miles radius from here. | Our bridge requires a coat of paint, and 1 notice the north span has dropped : and requires tightening up. It freoccurs that hoodlams canter across the bridge, and as tor the vehicles, well, 1 think the drivers of the same should have more than to trot over this structure. Those riding across on horseback some frosty morning will come to grief. I hope those in authority will put a notice up warning the public against crossing at other than a walking pace, I was pleased to see tlie comments about the steamer services from and to New Plymouth. I so o that the importers are affected. I have written in the same strain time after time as regards a coastal service between New Plymouth and Auckland and New Plymouth a:id Wellington. In a voting country like this (1 do not allude to New Zealand generally, but to these new settlements) we are all importers; we require different hardware and soft goods, and we have to send out for our supplies or pay, as T said before, from 50 to 75 per cent, more for our goods in here. Well, we find—and 1 think everyone will agree with me—that tlie New Plymouth importers arc very slow to pick up trade. Why do they not combine and put on a little steamer to run from the breakwater to every port along the coast? No, they prefer Wellington and Auckland houses to come in and show them : how to trade. Wake up. you importers of New Plymouth! You have been asleep long enough. Help yourselves, and consider yourselves very fortunate 1 if you get tiie tail end of the trade now. Yon have been very slow. T cannot understand why. at every Chamber of Commerce meeting, the annual onus at any rate, you urge the (Jovernment tn go on with this or that road. What efforts are you making all this (imp to secure the trade of the settlers in here? T have heard it rumored that such resolutions are only from those who are fimncially interested in the land along these roads, ami thev want roads opened up so as to yet rid of their mortgages at a profit. 1 don't think this is the object of a Chamber of Commerce. Seif-svlf goes and loses the goose that lays the golden egg. It's laughable fo see bv the report of the last meeting of the Chamber that the (Jovernment have declined to take up Mokau Jones' estate. Now, 1 say your Chamber has refused to meet the demands of settlement up this way and look to it. Take interest in that which will benefit the community, not the individual.