DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1921, Page 2

DISTRICT NEWS.

OHURA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) A meeting of the Terota School Committee was held at Mr. R. Dougherty’s residence last Monday night, Mr. R. Dougherty presiding. Air. R. Owens (secretary) recently sent an application to the Taranaki Education Board asking, If the residents of Terota gave the ground, would they build a school for that district. The correspondence from the board was very unsatisfactory and it was decided to build a school at once. Messrs. Dougherty, Ryan, and Owens kindly gave two acres of land as a sit© and the committee are losing no time; the timber is now being carted to the ground, and the new school will be ready for occupation after the school holidays.

At a representative public meeting held at Ohura on August 27, it was decided to put forward the following facts for consideration .of tte Minister in view of the recent announcement in the Main Roads Bill, the proIposals concerning the West Coast route from Te Kuiti: Taking Pio Pio as the common starting terminal and Stratford as the common objective terminal it will be found that the distance per scale (our only means of computation in the absence of an exact survey) is shorter via Ohura by about 10 per cent.; that from Awakino to Tongaporutu there is at present an unfonmed or partly formed road only, for a distance of about 16 miles; that on the coast route an exceedingly expensive bridge, including a lift span to allow of steamer traffic, of about 15 chains in length will be required at Alokau; that the coast route cannot, be truly called arterial, since it will have the coast on one side for the greater part of Its length; that the population on the coast route is already well and .sufficiently served with regard to freight-transport inasmuch as there are regular steamer services thereon at the three ports of Waitara, Tongaporutu, and M’okau; that, according to Ministerial statements the railway connection between Ohura and Stratford end is unlikely to be made for a period of ten or more years; that it is obvious until such time as this line Is completed a larger and growing volume of traffic will fall to this road; that from a scenic point of view the grandeurs of the Tangarakau gorge are unsurpassed in New Zealand inland scenery; that between Waitiwhena and Ohura and elsewhere en route there are ascertained and readily workable coal deposits, for the tranrqcrt of which to the rail head at Ohura a goad road is a prime necessity; that by adopting the route via Ohura a truly arterial highway will be attained with veins branching in all directions; that also it will be easy to connect with the Wanganui River service at. the house boat for Tatu (distance about 15 imiles, with Taumarunul about 27 miles).,, thereby forming a through connection between Taranaki and the East Coat, via Taumarunui and Taupo; that there are ample ascertained and suitable deposits of road metal at convenient points on tte Ohura-Stratford route; that from an engineering standpoint the Ohura-Stratford road lends itself to great ultimate improvements by the obviating of gradients, the Alokau saddle, and in the shortening of the distance through deviations.