AWAKINO-MOKAU WANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1922, Page 4

AWAKINO-MOKAU WANTS.

THE .VALLEY ROAD DEVIATION. PROGRESS OF METALLING MOUNT MESSENGER. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TOUR. The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce touring party arrived back in New Plymouth on Saturday night after a most enjoyable and interesting foyx’ days’ trip through the hinterland of Taranaki. The party were met on arrival at Awakino township on Friday afternoon by the leading settlers and escorted to the dog trials, whlere afternoon tea was partaken of, and some of the events witnessed. In the evening members met the Awakino settlers. Mr. W. D. Thompson, who presided, welcomed the delegation, and hoped to see satisfactory results from their visit. The chief thing needed, he said, was a good road. Some hopes were entertained of the main arterial road scheme allowing for the arterial road north passing through Awakino, but unfortunately the Bill was not put through. The second need was for a bridge across the Mokau River, which had cost more in losses sustained than the cost of building, estimated at £ili2,ooo. The district had been suffering from inadequate communications for thirty years. Originally there was no road, and the beach was need. Then the inland road was commenced, but was so bad that settlers continued for some time to use the beach. Now, after many years, a metal road had reached the top of Mt. Messenger.

As a result of the bad roads and lack of a bridge over the Mokau river, Taranaki was losing money, for traffic was drifting northward. The boats did not pay, probably because there was no regular service. A POSTAL DIFFICULTY. Touching on the postal service, the speaker said that the 19g miles between Awakino and. Mahoenui was not served, so that, if a letter were posted at Awakino for a Mahoenui address, it had to travel via New Plymouth and Marton. This gap should be bridged. The early completion of the lower Awakino Valley Road was urged, as this was the main link between Taranaki and Auckland.

Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P. for the district, joined in welcoming the visitors to the back country. He was bound to say that Mt. Messenger had given him a pleasant surprise, as it was now metalled to Sullivan’s place on the Mokau side (near the 40-mile peg). In regard to the Lower Awakino Valley Road, he had the assurance of the Minister that the work would be pushed or. quickly, and a number of men had been put on recently, leaving only a three-mile gap. In the face of these statements there seemed to be more hope than there had been for the last few years. The difficulty about the postal connection with Mahoenui was that that office was in the Hamilton postal district, whilst Awakino was under New Plymouth. There would first have to he an amalgamation. The Government had been placed in a difficult position owing to the strained state of the finances. However, the Awakino people must “push their harrow forward” to get the work accelerated. In this connection the Taranaki Chamber had the power and influence to considerably help the settlers and himself as their member.

£4r. E. Duncan said the vis ; tors had seen the roads under tlie best conditions. He Was glad to know they were interested in the hack-blocks. The northern portion of the Lower Awakino Road was finished, except for gravel, aud twenty-five men were working there. Owing to the nature of the country slips had occurred on the Awakino side of the tunnel. With up-to-date machinery this part of the road could be cleared in six months. The completion of the road would be a great boon to the district, but there was still a great deal to be done. CHAMBER PROMISES HELP. Mr. T. C. List (president of the Chamber), after returning thanks for the warm and sincere reception, said the Chanitber of Commerce had set out two or three years ago to make acquaintance with the back-blocks, and to take an active part in furthering their interests. They had been prompted not altogether by unselfish motives, as what benefited the one benefited the other. The party had had their eyes opened by what they had seen of the 350 miles of the tour, mostly through the hinterland of Taranaki, and had arrived at fairly unanimous and definite conclusions. He assured the Awakino settlers that his Chamber was very anxious to pull with them wherever possible. This was what had been needed for a very long time. It was a national crime, continued the speaker, that there had been no through communication between Taranaki and Auckland for so long. He was pleased to hear of the good progress on Mt. Messenger, for which the Minister and engineer in charge deserved warm thanks. Sir William Fraser, formerly Minister for Public Works, had promised many years ago to have the work pushed on, but the only really serious effort ’was being made now. Sq far as the Awakino Valley Road was concerned, he considered the work of paramount importance, and a vital link between Auckland and Taranaki. Every possible effort should be made to expedite the work by the installation of labor-saving machinery and putting on extra men. There had already been too much delay; they could not afford to waste another day. The Chamber would lend its support in expediting this most important work. In negotiating with the Government it was inadvisable to spread their efforts; they should concentrate on one thing at a time. Mount Messenger was being concentrated on, and similar vigor was wanted in respect to the Valley Road. BRIDGING THE MOKAU. ’

Touching upon the necessity for a bridge across the Mokau River, Mr. List said the settlers had paid the cost of the bridge many times over in losses sustained and in depreciation of the fat stock. The Chamber was alive to the urgency of the bridge, and would support whole-heartedly their efforts to have its construction authorised.

He was sorry to hear trade was going northward instead of to its natural southern outlet, New Plymouth. He was amazed to learn that settlers preferred to send their stock over the Taumatamaire, especially in wet weather; why was the road over the hill ever made? The postal connection with Mahoenui would adjust itself, he believed, when the Lower Awakino Road was completed, when the matter should be

easy to arrange. When this road was once completed tourists and motorists .would largely use it, as it would offer the most interesting and picturesque trip in the Dominion. The Australasian ■manager of Messrs. Thos. Cook and Sons had assured him that there was no finer tourist route, and as soon as the road was finished no doubt the tourist traffic would be diverted hither. Whilst tourist traffic was worth encouraging, it was the settlers’ interests that were of primary importance, and these, he had no hesitation in saying, had been samefully neglected for many years by the various Governments ’in power. There were no politics about the Chamber, which dealt with commercial matters and looked at things from a commercial angle, but he could say that if commercial men ran their businesses as the Governments had conducted the settlement of the back country, they would have been bankrupt or driven to suicide long ago. If the Chamber could be of assistance in any way to Awakino, they could rely upon them. There was no “dog in the manger” attitude about the Chamber. At the same time, it would not be the fault of Taranaki’s commercial men if they did not gain the district’s trade and custom. There was, of course, a sentimental tie between the districts, but they could win their trade on merit alone. Later, learning that there was no settlers’ association, Mr. List suggested that a dive association should be z formed to keep an eye on the various works, and let the member for the district and the Chamber of Commerce know how the works were progressing A representative of the body could be made an honorary member of the Chamber of Commerce executive in order to co-ordinate their efforts and keep in touch with things. Mr. E. P. Webster and Mr. J. McLeod spoke to similar effect, the former stressing the importance of pushing on with the building of the Mokau bridge. Mr. Jennings thought the suggestion of forming an organisation at Mokau and joining up with the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce a good one, and he hoped it would be acted upon. The matter of improving the tunnel and road ht the White Cliffs, the old stock route, was raised by Mr. Jones_." The estimate for repairs, bridge andffapproaches involved a sum of £lBOO. After the meeting, the - party were the guests of the Collie Dog Club at supper and a dance at the Awakino hall. k MOKAU COAL. The coal mine on the Mokau River was visited next morning by the party, with the exception of the president, who proceeded to inspect the Lower Awakino Road works. Members left at 7 o’clock in Mr. V. Sjolund’s fine launch Cignet. A most enjoyable trip, through miles of sylvan beauty, was made, and the mine, 23 miles up the river, was reached three hours later. The mine has not been worked for about three years owing to a heavy flood bringing down timber and blocking the river for navigation. At this point there is a depth of 7% feet of water at high tide. A tunnel, half a mile long, has been bored vertically into the side of the ridge, from which the coal was mined, but the tracks and rails used now lie idle and in disorder, rusting in the weather. A pleasant hour was spent on the return trip, when lunch was partaken of near the river bank. A search was made for the old lime kiln, but the un-nf! der grow th rendered access difficult. Y The party reached Mokau about 3.30, and at 4.15 a start was made on the homeward journey. The antiquated Mokau ferry having been crossed, the cars sped along to Tongaporutu, where tea was served at Mrs. McKoy’s. As this was the last occasion on which members met as a party, Mr. D. H. Thomson, on behalf of the party, thanked Mr. List for the way in which he. aS president, had carried out the arrangements in connection with the tour, which had been most enjoyable and instructive. Mr. List, ih acknowledging the compliment, said he thought the trip had proved worth while because of the knowledge it had given members of the real needs of the back country and of their importance to the capital town. MOUNT MESSENGER. Tongaporutu was left at 6 p.m., and. very shortly Mt. Messenger was made. It is a different Mt. Messenger nowadays. For years it bad been a bugbear to the whole of the district. Now the Public Works men are changing the whole aspect. The urgly and dangerous bends have been reduced and widened, and the gradient eased considerably, and metal has been put on and rolled in on the whole of the Uruti side and for several chains on the other side. Under Mr. Townley, a real “live wire,” work is proceeding satisfactorily, and with anything like good weather the whole of the hill should be finished in a few months’ time. Members of the delegation were gratified with what had been done, and only regretted that lar progress was not being made on thmm Lower Awakino Road. New Plymouth was reached a littlAß after 8 o’clock. It might not be out of place to make mention of the capable management and careful driving over difficult roads of Mr. Geo. Gibson and his drivers, Messrs. E. Cattiey and F. Lawson. To them the success of the long journey and the entire freedom from accident were largely due. The party consisted of the following: ■Messrs. T. C. List (president), C. E. Baker, J. McLeod, T. H. Rates, E. P. Webster, L. B. Webster, D. H. Thomson, D. Hutchen, W. H Bealey, R. George, and S. Burgess. Mr. Newton King accompanied tho party as far as Ohura. Reporters from both journals also accompanied the party. Fine weather was experienced throughout, except for a slight shower at Tahora on tiie first day.