COUNTRY NOTES.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume L, Issue 7972, 29 April 1922, Page 4

COUNTRY NOTES.

(From our Correspondents)

KAIMAI

(By our Correspondent)

Sunday wa? a red letter day in the history- of Kaimai, owing to the lion. Mr* Coates passing through lure on his way to Tauranga, A large deputation waited on him on several matters, mostly concerning the road, but owing to the very baa state of the road, the party was four or five hours late, the last few mile; between the hilltop and Mr Hanth residence occupying about five hours to negotiate, or less than one mile per hour. In many places two draught horses were unable to pull tho cars out, and the shovel bad to bo used freely. The Minister gave the settlors a very patient hearing, and the following arc a few of the many- reasons advanced as to why somethingl should bp done to improve tlm road : In 1919 a poll was taken of one month’s traffic on the road with the following returns;

216 motor cars, carrying 571 paseengers; 1 motor lorry; 5 motor cycles; 373 head of cattle; 35 horsemen, ami 17 other vehicles. Motor cars, motor cycles and motor lorrys have since increased 100 per cent. On some of the very worst parts ot the road no| one sutler's vehicle per week has passed over it during the last three months. The Government owns thousands of acres of land, and the Maoris more, none ol which produce one penny in rates. Not only motor tyres, s/hsould he taxed towards the metaling of this road, but the travelling public should ho made to contribute a share, as on the poll taken the 570 people paid £855 in fares, whereas if it were a metalled road the fares would be about half, or a saving of £425, and the best way in our opinion to collect the same would be by a 101 l gate. During the past summer two visits by a -doctor to a returned soldier's wife cost £340. It lias been taking two days to get the farmers cream a distance of 12 miles if being impossible for the contractor to get to the landing to catcJi the Cambridge Road cart. As dairying is tho principal industry of the country this is another good reason why the vacant land here should be occupied, and the only way to do it is by giving a good road. Owing to the had state of the road children are unable to attend school more than half-time, which, according to the Minister for Education, is a distinct loss to the country. Several settlers have left this district recently for this reason.

The Agricultural Department tells us that (his country wants lime and super and the best, time to apply it is the early spring. Now owing to the cost of cartage the lime must be cut out altogether, while super must be purchased in the summer and held through the winter, or put on the land when only half its value will be received. This again is a great loss to the production of the country. There arc at present two families here wishing to be removed to other districts but can get no one who will undertake the carting. The settlers here are willing to raise £2500 if the Government will guarantee a £2 for £1 subsidy to metal from Tauranga County boundary to Iluahihi, or, given permission, to erect a toll gate, wo will raise the whole of the money. We are sorry we could not paint things as black as wo would like to, ns the honourable gentlenianman had been over the roads and had seen for himself, but if he came along in three months time ho would find the roads are not so bad just now.