A PERILOUS JOURNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 12

A PERILOUS JOURNEY.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S TOUR. ONE CAR LOST. IMfSK.Vt.'KKS ALL SAKK. ■J'KVlN'l! KXI'KKIKNVK O\ KAIMAI i;AN(,'K. I>KTKK.MJ NATION WINS IN 111K END. illjr Ti-li-tTiipli—Spwlal l.i ■■Siiir.-i TATIIAN ;A, Friday. T.i (urn his hack on dillieulty and .litiutcr is mil one of tin' characteristics of Sir Joseph Ward, urn] his determinu tioii to go (hroiigh witli an undertaking never was i ;il ,n< s-t shown thiiii it was today. Sir Joseph has a<--coinpli.-hcd what was considered a!nio-t impossible, having covered alm..-t the whole of ill- va>< Tatirangn elect oral c unaided. Mc has visited before uiiK held, has iritvi'ltvtl thousands of miles 10 do 5,,, a ,,,| 1,,,, , m > r aged thro,, or four Kpeechcs a Jay. Karly tliN morning he -it mv on tii-.i hardest d:i.'s wc-rk and the nu it liazurdou-t iuiiruey of the who'e i-nmpaiuii. His („,!< n-«i to cross tho Kaimai I!::mi:cs by motor, deliver half a dozen specche- liy'the way, and reach Tnuniiiga in time to -peak at The Mount in tbv evening. The road across tho Kaimai is notorious, and in wet weather frequent !v is ini":is-:il>le. Heavy rain having fallen hist nijht. telepliune me.«iijjes ' were received in Te Aroha early this morning, saying that the t , :u l „-,',- so bad tlml those who had made arrangements fur meetings along the route did not expoel Sir Josr>pii would attempt to siet tliroii'lh. Hut lie decided to go. The rendition of the road was unbelievable, and the trip proved to lie one of thrills. THE FIR>T STlir. Tlip first stop was mad , . , at Okauin, twenty miles out of Te Aroha. and there a 'brief address was delivered to the settlers, who heartily expressed their appreciation of Sir .Joseph's action in visiting them in very trying circumstances. Then began the long c-limli to Upper Kaimai. a settlement on the summit of the mountain, accessible only by a thoroughfare called a road, hut really little more than a tortuous clay track carwd out of the side of liie precipitous winding cliffs. <\\r.s sKmmxc daxuerously. Tlip cars, even with their back wheels wrapped in chains, skidded dangerously, and frequently tlie safety of the party seemed to rest on the slender thread of the drivers' skill. The condition of the road suggested that it hnd been placed at the disposal of the local agriculturists for the annual ploushinsr match. "Rog" is a term too mild to describe it. The terra "rut" gives no idea of the holes; they were nearly big enough to bury the car. Sir .Joseph's car proved equal to the occasion, despite erratic skids and jazz-like movements at some of the awkward angles of the road. The Press car, however, was less fortunate, perhaps because there was a Reform journalist among , the parly. However that may he. the ear pot bogged time after time, and the pressmen had to pet out and shove. -It took it couple of hours to move the car about 100 yards. Branches were strewn on the ground, the wheels were repeatedly dug out, and soon the party looked as if they had had a shower bath of mud. The hitch with tho Press car unfortunately blocked the road, and Sir Joseph's car could not get past. 'CAR BUHSTs INTO FLAMES. At length the obstructing car was almost out of the bog, and then it burst into flames, the exhaust apparently having overheated. Mr. Alfred Robinson, of Te Aroha. who was at«the. wheel, promptly attacked the outbreak with an extinguisher, hut before the tire was quelled the engine had been put completely out of action, although the body of the car was saved. Most of the party's luggage was on the damaged car, and it was touch and go for a time whether the Imgs. overcoats, jackets, etc., would he saved. The question of the bogged Press car having been effectively settled, the vehicle was jacked to the roadside. Meantime. Sir Joseph and some of the party walked up to tho summit of the hill, a distance of two or three miles. where a car which had come to look fur the belated arrivals picked them up. MEBTrXG< ON TIIK WAV. The delay made it nt-eessary for Sir Joseph to abandon a couple of meetings, but the fact that he addressed three other gatherings before reaching Tauranga. indicates thai he was not idle. During the hold-up he cheerfully put his shoulder to the back of the car. and helped to move her. As he has said previously, he certainly realised the grave disadvantages under which the electors in the Tauranga electorate labour owing to their neglected roads. At Tauriko he humorously remarked that his car had managed to get through all right, probably because he was carrying his lucky Tauranga horse-shoo, and his good luck followed him. for lie arrived in Tauranga in time for dinner, and for his evening meeting at The Mount. Though Sir Joseph was so late in arriving at Upper Kaimai. the people had waited to see him. and gave him a hearty welcome. At Lower Raimai too. they were waiting, and insisted on entertaining him and bearing him speak. Having partaken of their hospitality and received a unanimous vote of confidence. Sir Joseph pushed on to Tauriko, where he had a great meeting. He was received with cheers, accorded a unanimous vote of confidence, and drove o(T amidst renewed cheering. On his arrival in Tauhe was met by a big gathering, which heartily cheered him ;u lie stepped off the car.