CAMBRIDGE AND TAUPO ROAD.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 827, 4 October 1877, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE AND TAUPO ROAD.

The A. C. Force are to be employed in the construction of the road from Cambridge to Taupo. On Tuesday, sixty-one men of all ranks left Cambridge for the scene of operations. Last summer, it will be remembered, about forty men of the Force were employed in making the road from Cambridge to the Waipa creek. At that time, however, tbe natives were unwilling to allow tbe road to be continued further in tbe direction of Taupo, and as the land on the other side the river was native territory, the Government did not attempt to carry it beyond. Since tben it would seem all native objections have been removed, and the work, we may say, has been actually commenced. The natives, we understand, are desirous that the road should be carried round by way of Waoui, instead of crossing the river where tbe Government intended, which will make some considerable detour, but probably this will be part of the arrangement, a, trifle compared with the advantage to be gained by the opening up the road through to Taupo. When this is completed, the Waikato route to the Lakes will become the most con venient and most fashionable. Tbe disagreeable sea voyage to Tauranga will be substituted for a railway trip through that portion of the Province

most noteworthy fern its interesting historical rerainiecenses, and a drive through the beautiful cultivated lands of Waikato. f Lasb year a smaller party of coos tab alary did good work between OaaibrUge and Waipa, starting much later in the season, so that it may be reasonably expected that the much larger party now entered on the work will, before the summer is ■ovejy open up a carriage road direct to the Lake Country. /

The complaint of the siulers of Paterangi, an important district ,'n the County of Waipa, which appears in ihe letter of our faterangi correnpondenfc to-day, is one which deserves the attention of tbe Postal authorities Pijterangi is by Jar too important a disfcrici to be left with a post bub once a and theu so arranged that, thefioutgoijig mail leaving immediately after the < incoming one is received, the settlers cjtnnot reply to their letters till the next mail goes out a week later. A : bi-weekly mail would, obviate this difficulty, and from what we kuow of the district, it ieno mure than the settlers are fairly entitled to. The Postal authorities rest their deoUion in these matiera altogether upon ihe extent of correpondence passing fchr'ougu the poat-oflLe of the district; making such, application for incr9aied aocoiri uodacion, but even if the letter* traffics oiuld -be thus arrived at,/the test would scarcely be a fair one. •'' Increased postal facilities always' increase the pus al returns, nor should afjUovermnent be solely guided even by such returns. Tbe postal dopartment may be worked at a money loss in particular instances, aud vet be ot ouch vjuue iv the settlement o a country diatriol, and offer so much convoui^nej t> tne iihabitanti, thao .he Gtovernmeat will oe warranted in eutering on an expenditure it cannot hope directly to recqnp. Bat M our correspondent very justly urges, the returns do uot chow tW aotaal traffic. The very inadeqaa « accommodation affardei at the local otfioe Zaueei letters and papers to bo mailed at 4ny office in ■ tne country, ■to 'which the Render's frieud or neighbour or even a stranger passing along may be travelling, so thai, to PaterangiV lose, tho Alexandra or Ngaruawahia or Hamilton offices may credited with the resume which really belong to that district. As w<* have said before, the matter is one which we think tho authorities may well reooueiuer with advantage to all parties concerned.