PERILS OF PIONEERING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 October 1907, Page 8

PERILS OF PIONEERING.

LIFE ON THE OUTSKIRTS,

WANT OF ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The' hardships that fall to the lot of ths' struggling back-blocks settlers of the North. Island have been the theme, of many an enrncst oration from the floor of tlie,House. But no better illustration of the dangers and difficulties attendant on life on the outposts of civilisation has perhaps been given than ■'■ that contained in a letter just received by Mr. ' Remington, M.H.R., from a resident of Raetihi. The writer gives an account of a recent bush-felling accident, which, he says, "sadly emphasises the necessity for roads and bridges. A, young, man, named Charles Dempsey, a bush-feller on the Ohutu block, had his leg smashed through the treo'hc Was felling striking a- smaller, tree,,.' which', was. knocked back on him. The accident happened on a Wednesday afternoon. A messenger was despatched to the doctor at Raetihi, but-' failed to,get there, that night. Tlio.next morning ho attempted to cross the Ararawa River on horseback, but was unable to do so as the stream was in high Hood. Leaving his horse on the track, ho managed to'cross,on a., fallen tree; and ho then walked on.to Raetihi. On Friday morning the doctor commenced his' journey, and about two o'clock irithp.after-' noon ho met the party of bushmen carrying': the injured man to Raetihi; thoy having been l ' engaged all Thursday in clearing tlie track 1 ' sufficiently to enable them to carry out their unfortunate comrade. It was; thus 47 hours from the time of the accident to, the time when the sufforei received the" first surgical assistance, and this despite the fact that tlio distanco was less than fifteen miles. It was then found that" the man's injuries Were very serious, and he had to be taken to Wahganui Hospital, but it was not till six days after tbo accident that he got there. The unfortunate young man subsequently.succumbed to injuries, and who' shall a.iy," .' asks the correspondent, "how much or how little tho want of a small bridge and a .few miles of road contributed to,his death?" .■■ '~ ~ '

\ The writer points out that from the Mang»whero Bridge,'-'on the Riictihi-Warigahui road, to Ore Ore there is a distance of live miles, on which not even, a liridlo track has been made, there being merely; " a', track' cut through' the standing'; bush, ■■ tip arid down spurs, and "along ridges which arc'in places' desperately steep, and this is on the main Raetihi-Wanganui road." Ho also refers to tho necessity for two bridges, one over the' Ararawa'.River, and., the other, over tho Mangawhero. ..; In the latter- case fifteen miles of track have been formed, but the Mangawhero River was left uiibridged, and all for tho sake-of ;£250, which, it is estimated, would provide a suitable bridge. In each case there is great danger 'to lifo involved in. crossing, and the correspondent pertinently asks: "Is it:too preposterous a request to ask that'a bridge be granted before a fatality really occurs?.'.' ~'.'., , .''