SETTLERS METAL A ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 124, 28 May 1930, Page 16

SETTLERS METAL A ROAD.

WORK IN MANGAWARA

VALLEY.

ACCESS TO BUSH FARMS,

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

MORRINSVILLE, Tuesday,

An interesting example of co-operative road work has just been carried out by eight settlers of the Mangawara Valley in the Tahuna riding of the Piako county, who have spread metal for a distance of 30 chains on the unmetalled portion of the road giving access to their bush farms. There is an abundant supply of good gravel in the creek bed alongside the road, and the County Council has provided a truck and driverj while the settlers have taken turn's at shovel work.

The Mangawara Valley is a deep, narrow valley extending north from Hoe-o-Tainui. It was formerly bush-clad, but after the war soldier settlers and others cleared the bush in the valley ■ and sowed grass among the blackened stumps, but further development has been hampered by the unmetalled road leading to Hoe-o-Tainui and Tahuna. Recently a grant was made available by the Government for metalling this road, and nearly four miles of metalling Was done, leaving over a mile still', to be completed after the grant had been . expended. The riding member, Mr. J. M. Stewart, suggested to # the council that the settlers should be permitted to carry on with the -work, and this has been done, all the ratepayers of the valley taking their turn with the shovel except one absentee owner of a large block.

A few years ago, when the Tahuna Road was in a bad state, the journey to Morrinsville by horse-drawn vehicle took three hours and the return journey was an hour longer, because of the hills and the tiredness of the horses. Until recently the settlers used to take their cream out of the valley on pack horses.

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