"COME AND HELP US."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 91, 7 October 1911, Page 3

"COME AND HELP US."

THE CRY OF THEMOKAU ( BACKBLOCKERS. Mr. A. Barnit, of Waitewhena, in a letter received at yesterday's meeting of the Clifton County Council, wrote that settlers out. there in the Taranaki hinterland were very much interested in getting a short road to New Plymouth or Waitara 'harbor in order that they might 'lie able to-get their produce, wool, etc., out to the ocean-going steamers at only a fraction of the present cost of sending it to Auckland. The same remarks applied to getting stores in. Mangaroa was practically the centre of Taraiwki hinterland, and* from there to Auckland is about 200 miles, 30 miles of dry road, and the remainder railway. Prom M|mga,roa to the foot -of tlie Pa-nii-au rapids (where he understood there was sufficient depth of water for large river steamers), via the proposed Panirau road, was only 20 miles (in a direct line it would be very much less), ten miles less than going to Ongaru-e, and with a steamer service down the river from the above point to either Waitara-'or New Plymouth the cost of carriage of goods could lie reduced to a, minimum. Even taking fo-r granted that the railway would be in Mangairoa in a feiv years, water carriage ought to lie able to compete very successfully. For the above project it would be necessary to make the almve Panirau road, which would lie about ten miles long. The part in the Mokau river watershed would, he thought, be in the Clifton County and the other part in the Ohura County. He asked what prospect there was of the Clifton County Council endorsing this project which would enable merclmnits out there to obtain their -birthright and at the same time be a saving of £. s. d. to the settlers there, who, from this on, would have a lot of wool to get out to the market. Cr. Kennington said that any work of this kind, which would have the effect of improving the settlers' communication with this district, would be good for the County Council. The chairman said that the Council could not do anything in the matter at present, except that the thirds accrued there might 1* scheduled for the work. A copy of the letter will be forwarded to Mr. 'W. T. Jennings, M.P., with the Council's favorable recommendation.