MERCER.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 329, 18 August 1898, Page 3

MERCER.

Aeudt twenty men are busily employed on the railway near Mercer iu carrying out improvements which the Department has found necessary. The work in hand at present is the removal of a portion of the cliff between the tunnel and the bridge over the Whangamarino river, in order that the line may be moved further* back from the Main South Road, and a sharp curve near the bridge done away with. The cliff is being picked clown and the earth shovelled into trucks, which discharge their freight in the swamp near to the Whangamarino station, where the material is required to raise the level of the Vine'. The work is, of course, being carried out as expeditiously as possible, so that there may be no interference with the ordinary traffic on the line. Several of our settlers have found employment on the job, but there was not sufficient local labour available, and men have been fetched from other places, including some from Hamilton. It is a pity the Railway Department cannot be prevailed upon to erect a fence between the line and the main south road where the two run so closely side by side, from the bridge over the "Whangamarino River to the tunnel near Mercer station, and again from the station for about a mile northwards, in the direction of Pokeno. Unfortunately, from the nature of the couutry, no deviation can be made in the roadline. This would prevent the frequent destruction of animals which stray en to the line while grazing on the roadside, or as they are heing driven along. No doubt several Waikato drovers could a tale of woe unfold about cattle, sheep or horses being " done to death" by the trains near Mercer, and as to the sustained by local stockowners—well, I am certainly within the mark in saying that the value of the animals slaughtered by the " iron horse " would be sufficient to pay the cost of fencing the line many times over.

As might have been expected, the works recently carried out on the Main South Road, between Mercer and Rangiriri, have had the effect of putting that thoroughfare into a deplorable state, owing to there being insufficient time for the earth to consolidate before the wet weather set in. The metalling of Meremere Hill and the re-forming of the road on the river-bank have, however, proved a boon already, and we must be content to wait for the benefits we shall doubtless derive later on from the improvements at other pbces. In this connection it may be remarked that there is a very decided difference between the work which was carried out by contract under the co-operative principle and that executed by day labour under the Government overseer : in the case of the contract work, the improvement looks as though it had "co'me to stay." while what"tha day gang did is of a very in. ferior description, and, in many places, all traces of "it will soon disappear. It is only just, however, to the overseer to state that he was instructed to "hurry up" his men owing to the money available for' the work being exhausted sooner than was expected. Very heavy rains have fallen during the past few days, and a large area of low-lying land is under water. It is to be hoped the weather will change for the better with the new moon (due on 17th inst.) as a continuation of the downpour will soon mean another flood.

The Mercer creamery cpeas for the season on the Ist September. I understand the suppliers are not giving a guarantee this season of any stated cpianuty of milk per diem, but that the crearnWy's existence depends upon there belli" sufficient inducement to the Dairy Association to continue running it.— (Own Correspondent.)