TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Te Aroha, Friday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1938, 6 December 1884, Page 2

TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Te Aroha, Friday.

I Whatever good there may be in the new railway tune-table, it certainly ib not shared in by outlying districts situated as this it., a doxien miles or so from the termiinib of a branch line. The inconveniences to which persona journeying to such places are put by the change introduced on the 24th ult. have been so frequently alluded to in the columns of the Times and other newspapers that it is needless to refer to them again. Yet it is not in that respect alone that its disadvantages are felt, for in the matter of mail communication there in still more grievous cans>e for complaint. Reference was made in one of the^e letters on a recent occasion to the defective postal arrangements existing here, but bad as they were at that time they have become immeasurably worse since the new timetable came into force, and are now, in fact, a disgrace to the department. As an illustration of the utterly stupid and culpable indifference that at present prevails with regard to the interests ot the public, it is only necessary to mention that, under the existing regulations, the greater part of a week is required f»r an exchange of letter-, by ordinary course of post between Hamilton and Te Aroha. For instance, a letter posted in Hamilton on Monday reaches here at 8.30 the same evening, but the mail that brings it is not sorted till 9 o'clock next morning ; consequently the letter is not delivered until two hours after the departure of the return coach with the mail on Tuesday. It cannot therefore be replied to, under the pieaent tri-weekly system of communication, until the following mail on Thursday, which may probably be delivered in Hamilton on the evening of that day, or on Friday morning. It will thus be seen that four full days are required for correspondence between persons living within three or four hours' reach of each other daily by rail and coach. With the ! Thames communication is just as bad, and with Auckland by either route, of course the same confusion prevails. Comment on such a state of things is needless. Some radical reform is necessary, and must be insisted on by the public, whose interests are being so wantonly sacrificed. The project recently set on foot for the prospecting of the range above this township has now assumed a practical shape. A meeting of subscribers was held on Saturday evening last and was presided over by Mr John Gibbons, the chief promoter of the movement. It was resolved that the nane of the company be the Aroha Mining Company Association and that the number of shares be limited to fifty. The Chairman announced that thirty-seven of these Lad already been taken up. A committee of management was elected and »n experienced prospector appointed to conduct operations. Work has already been coinmenQedand high hopes are entertained that the efforts of the company will soon be crowned wJth success. .. „,

mining community with the decision of the ' Piako County Council at their iccent meeting to make application to Government for a subsidy from the grant set apart for making tracks &j on goldfields. A very large area of auriferous country is known to exist between Waiorongomai, Waitawheta and Karangahake but owing to the exceedingly rough nature of that part of the district it has hitherto remained a terr.i incognita. The opening' up that and other localities by means of good bush tiacks radiating from the Waiorongomai gnlrlfield is likely to prove of very grevt benefit, and the enterprise of the council will doubtless give a fie^h impetus to mining and add hugely to the ie-.omces and to the population of the county. A public meeting, at which Mr J. B. Whyte occupied the chair, was held "at Waiorongomai hist .Saturday evening to fuither discn>s the boiough question. The opinion of the meeting was in favour of letting the matter rest until fcl.e introduction of the proposed new local Go\emineut bill ne\t session of Parliament and ic^olutions affirming the desirability of this course weie duly passed.