DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 192, 3 January 1913, Page 7

DISTRICT NEWS.

AWAWIXO AND MOKAU. (From our Travelling Exporter). Awakino is rapidly becoming a most important centre, and that it is destined to be more so in the future is shown by the fact that the Government is erecting a post and telegraph office there at -a cost of abo.ut £IOOO. Messrs Coleman and 'Sons, of New Plymouth, have secured the contract, and commenced work. The plans show that it is to be quite up to date, with adequate mail room and public accommodation. The residence attached contains six fine large rooms. There are may—though they are not to be found in Awakino —who think that £IOOO of the money would have been better expended on some of the roads, and the balance put into a post office.

Evidently the authorities intend to make Awakino the important office in preference to Mpkau, jrhich lias a post office of the sardine-tin variety, built in corrugated iron, under the capable charge of Miss Shcehy. Residents of that locality naturally think that a portion of the money should iliave been utilised in providing adequate accommodation at Mokau, which is a Government laid-off towship, whereas Awakino is built on private land. Awakino residents, it is understood, contributed a site, or a portion <}f one ,for a post oflic.?. At present the Awakino postVilfice is established in a room in Messrs Avery and Brewer's store, where a Morse instrument has been fixed and is operated by Mr. Grenfel.

Awakino certainly has a healthy appearance. fn the last few months a confmodioin hall. 00ft by 3Gft, has been erected and fitted with stage, dressing rooms, etc., complete. Mr. Walsh, proprietor of the boardinghouse, which is quite equal to a city hotel for accommodation, has found it necessary to add several additional bedrooms to cope with the requirements of the travelling public. A feature of this establishment* is its lighting arrangements, for which purpose Aerogen gas, a beautiful mild light, manufactured out of benzoline, is used. The news that a daily mail service is to be inaugurated from the beginning of the year is hailed with delight, and Mr. W. Jury can be assured that his daily coaches will be heartily welcomed along the road. Settlers are, keen to realise ] the advantages that accrue from being i brought into touch so closely with tho | outer world. For one thing, settlers'] realise that thev will be able to secure a ; copy of the Daily News each evening, a » boon that will doubtless be readily avail- | ed of. - J

At present the road is in first-class order right through to Awn kino, and motor ears are of daily, indeed, almost of hourly, occurrence along the road between Mokau and Waitara. In fact, the majority of the bushmen froin up the Mokau river went out by motor car to spend their Christmas vacation. Several cars have made the journey right through to Te Kuiti, including that of Bishop Cleary, of Auckland, and Mr. -J. Franklin, of Dannevirke. The latter, who is a member of th* Weber County Council, motored right through from Dannevirke, and in conversation with the writer remarked that he was agreeably surprised at the state of the roads. He had been led to believe that he would strike bad roads in Taranaki, but this "was not so. Certainly, they wore sot as bad as those in his own county. He could see that they would be almost impassable in places in the winter, but so were the Weber.-<?ouiity roada. He was not favorably impressed with burnt papa as a substitute for road metal. Weber had heard of it from Taranaki and had spent about' £6OOO on it s»mt few yeara ago. It' was now worn out ..and..would have to be replaced with metal at a cost of £15,000. He for one wished they had not heard of burnt papa. Still, he admitted that the patch of burnt papa, on Mt. Messenger was in good order. Perhaps it was burnt better.

If the daily coaeli is to be kept going, something will have to be done to the road this summer, remarks the pessimist, who asserts ~t|hat a daily mail is not warranted yet. Well, it is understood that something is going to be done. About two miles of that very bad piece on the New Plymouth side of Mt. Messenger is going to be metalled. This will be a decided improvement. It, is also intended to plough and scoop up other portions of the road. A motor ferry is to replace the present punt over the Mokau -river, and ferryman Stewart will find it mueh easier and more congenial to transport this across the river than- tire present heavy hand arrangement. Moreover, it will be a great time-saver.

On one or two places alpng. the road the sand is encroaching, but grass has been planted to cope with this, and in a year or two this nuisance should cease. Horse traffic does not find it a hindrance. but motors d-o.

Settlers up the Mokau river are also to bo well catered for in the matter of mails, as Mr. Leo. Jacob's launch is to run up the river three times per week during this year. The river is now so well known as a tourist resort .that it is almost unnecessary to mention it ~n these notes, but its popularity is becoming greater every day. as its beauties are becoming more widely known, and each -tourist that does the Mokau is the best advertisement it can get.