THE ROAD FROM TAURANGA TO OHINEMUTU.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 314, 11 September 1875, Page 3

THE ROAD FROM TAURANGA TO OHINEMUTU.

The following excellent letter from Oolono Harington appeared in the JSieiv Zealand Times of the 27th ult.: —

Sib, —I arrived hero on Monday from an overland journey from Auckland -via Waikato, Tauranga, Taopo, and Rapier, and on looking over your late tiles observe that amongst other matters discussed in the House of Eeprcsenta* lives was a motion by Mr Kelly, of the EastCoast distnet, asking if the Government intended to complete the metalling of the road to the Hot Lake district from Tauranga, a distance of eighteen miles, requiring an outlay of about £IO,OOO. After some discussion, the motion was negatived. I have no doubt that but few of the members are acquainted with this road, and that they considered the matter of minor importance. Perhaps some

were also satisfied with the statement of the Hon. Minister for Public Works, in which he said “ that the only road calling for special attention is that between Masterton and Manawatu Gorge, on which £28,022 has boon expended during the year, and on which the metalling will bo proceeded with in the spring," I must ask you to bo good enough to publish this letter, in which 1 shall endeavor to give a true and faithful description of the state of the road in the bush, for a distance of about eighteen miles, between Tauranga and Ohinemutu, I shall leave the public to decide whether it is good economy to leave a road in such an unfinished stale, after having spent several thousand pounds on its original construction, when a sum of about £IO,OOO would make it complete by metalling it for the short distance, as has been promised by the Hon. Mr Richardson in the case of the road

between Masterton and Manawatu Gorge. At daylight on the 10th inst. the coach left Tamanga. the only passenger besides myself being Mr Buck, of the Bengal Civil Service, who was making a tour of the North Island with mo. lie expressed much surprise at my putting a saddle and bridle into the coach remarking that ho had just sold his saddle, which ho used in riding from Auckland. I observed that from past experience I never went in the coach on this road without being provided with a saddle, as tho chances were I should find it uso'ul. It was a lovely n o-ninp, and wo quite enjoyed the drive for tho first two hours when wo entered tho bush at Oropi. Hero I plainly saw our difficulties would begin, as the mud on this unrnctallod

road was literally over tho horses* knees Although wo had an excellent team of four horses in front of us, we calmly resigned ourselves to their walking slowly for tho next six miles, when we should come to the first stage, and meet the down coach from Ohinemutu. There were no signs of tho other coach, but after wailing patiently for an hour, wo saw the now coachman floundering through tho mud ou horseback, accompanied by one unhappy passenger, who was assisting to drive tho other two coach horses laden with her

Mnjoety’s mail bags and his luggage. We soon ascertained that tho coach had broken down, and could not be brought nearer to us than twelve miles, so I got out my saddle and rode (o it on one of the coach horses, whilst

tho mail bags and our luggage were packed on tho remainder of the team. Here I may mention that my friend appreciated my foresight in having brought a saddle. He was, however, fortunately provided with a rough one by the coachman, and after four hours’s floundering through a sea of liquid mud we arrived at tho broken-down coach. Wo did not take long to harness up our weary steeds to the coach, in which wo drove at a slow walk for several miles through tho almost interminable mud, and on getting clear of tho bush the horses were urged into & gentle trot, and at eight p.rn. we arrived at Ohinemutu, having done tho first forty-one miles of our journey in Use short space of fourteen hours! At daylight, the same team took us the next stage of thirty mile to tho Waikato river, but over a good road, and so wo continued our journey through Taupo to Napier, where we arrived on the fourth night, with no other casualty than tho smashing of a forewheel twelve miles from Napier, when wo again gladly got on our saddles and rode the coadi horses into town, I may add here that this same team after a rest of only about eighteen hours had to return to Ohinemutu and their shelter in the Oropi bush the following day, thus making a total distance of 108 miles for these poor horses to go over this charming road in four days! I must say that the road from Ohinemutu to Napier (171 miles', is in very fair condition, with tho exception of one stage of seventeen miles from Pohui to Eniwaka, which requires immediate attention. It does appear strange to me that the road from Eunanga to Pohui, on the Napier side of Taupo, is always kept in good repair, whilst that on the Tauranga side is shamefully neglected. So fully aware are the Napier Press of this fact that in one of the Hawlcds Rag Heralds of las’; week a local was published warning all intending visitors to the Hot Lake district from Australia and the

southern provinces of Kew-Zealand not to go to Auckland and Tauranga and thence to Ohinemutu, a distance of forty-one miles, but | In go to Kapler and thence to the Labes, a j distance of 170 miles! Can it be possible that | cur small portion of the line at the Tuuranga

end b purposely neglected in order to compel strangers to go through Napier? I can seaseeh* giro the authorities credit for such conduct, but it does look very like it. I may bo misinformed, but I have reason to believe that the repairs of this part of the road are provided for from the source of General Go* vernment fund, am! not Provincial I easually mention this in case some of your readers > might suggest that the Tauranga Road Board should provide funds for the metalling at their • end of the line. It may not be generally, known that the gioator portion, or I may say. all the bush road between Oropi and Ohiuemutu is in the hands of native owners, and therefore however willing the Tauranga people • might be to tax themselves for the repair of this road, it is not in their power to do so. If the Napier end of the line is constantly kept in repair from colonial funds, why is the Tan* ranga end of the lino neglected ? Wo have , not, unfortunately, an energetic hard-working General Government agent at Tauranga like Mr Ormond ; and although I believe representations have been repeatedly made to the Government by our District Engineer, a* deaf oar has boon turned to all his entreaties, and the road remains for over in tho s tine deplorable condition. In justice to the * contractors I must say the horses were all good and kept in high condition, but tho poor creatures bore evident signs of the hardships they have to endure during the winter months, and their shoulders and necks were covered with galls from dragging tho coach over these unmoiallod roads day after day. Can you tell : me, sir, if there is in the colony any “ society for the prevention of cruelty to animals ?” if so, lot their representative go by coach from Tauranga to Ohinemutu, and report his visit to ■ his follow philanthropists, I candidly admit that I felt ashamed to sit behind those poor horses, witness their sufferings, and then reflect that this was tho main rood from Tauranga to Wellington, through Napier, over which H.M. mails were convoyed twice ft week at a subsidy of £2,500 a year! I must also add that wo passed two largo spring waggons, drawn by eight splendid draught horses, convoying oats up the lino to feed tho coach horse?, as well as food to tho Government horses of tho A.U. stationed at some of the outposts, for tho Government aro only too glad to get any person to contract to- ‘ bring their oats over their own shamefully kept subsidised road. I cannot help expressing.; my huniblo opinion that such a state of things is a disgrace to the colony, and if public money is to bo spent in making roads, let them be properly finished or shut up altogether, I am induced to make this remark because I flea our East Coast member, Mr W, Kelly, asked tho Government if they intended to make a new road from Tauranga to Ohinemuri at a probable cost of nearly £15,000. How ever desirable that now road may be eventually, why does ho not urge tho Govern* inont to complete tho road on which so many thousands have been already spent, and which is in winter almost impracticable? Though I have not tho honor of being a member of tho House, I; cannot refrain from writing to tho Tress when I bco such abuses submitted to, and I do blame our representative for bo quietly taking tho reply from Oorornn ent to his motion. I am sure tho electors of Tanning i will remind him of this when ho comes forward to address them shortly for the next election. I must also ask is it true that whilst tho Government refuse to grant tho sum of £lo,oooll° - complete this road, they are actually spending a considerable sum of money in making a road from Fort Galatea to Opcpo, to connect two Armed Constabulary stations in the Taupo . d strict, over a tract of country which is not now occupied by settlors, or likely to be for ■ many years to conic ? If such is tho case I think you will agree with rao that it is an in* consistent piece of economy to deny us tho completion of our Tauranga road. It was evident that our journey was not attended with any unusual accidents, for 1 found tho coach full of strong rope,iron wire,nails,screws,, hammers, and screw jacks, all of which iny friend and I assisted in using to bind up tho wounded coach. If there can bo anythingamusing connected with this subsidised Hne, it is that tho Post Office authorities sometimes* take to task tho unfortunate contractors for delivering up tho mail bags damp. Had they, witnessed tho carrying of mails on horses, backs up to their bellies in liquid mud, they might make some allowance for an occasional breach of contract j but who is to blame, tho Government or tho mail carriers? or bow can wot bogs bo avoided when tho roads ore loft in such a fearful slate ? If tho Postmaster* ■ General wishes to travel over lids road, I; should bo most happy to accompany him when I return to Tauranga in a short time, but I strongly advise him on no account to go without a saddle. 1 write this in no vindictive spirit to the Government. I think, however that any person who is conversant with fac 1 ” like these, affecting the interests of all of us, should speak out boldly, and I therefore do not hesitate to sign myself, Phi lit IT abingtok, Settler, Tauranga. P.9.—lf I have written anything which, cannot bo substantiated, I am perfectly willing to make an ample public apology for any. inaccurate statements.