CORRESPONDENCE^

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 3084, 26 March 1892, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE^

ELTHAM 'S NEEDS.

2b the Editor of tie Star. Sift,— l quite endorse tbe remarks of your Eltham correspondent r« telegraphic arrangements at Eltham, aod, as an instance of the delays acd inoonvenienea we have to pat np with, I ifaall be happy io hand yon a telegram that was recently put in at New Plymonth at 11.40 a.m. and reached me at tba Eltham Post-office at 4.20 p.m , thus covering the distance in about thf same time aa an ordinary hack wouli have done it. The message referred to was of an important natnre ( and its delay caused me much inconvenience and a considerable amount of loss besides. This is only one out of many similar instances that have come under my notioe daring the past few months. I cannot blame the officials here, for t - none oould be more courteous, obliging, or prompt in their official capacity than our local stationmaster and his assistant. Tht fact is we have only a telephone, and everything has to go through Normanby. If we bad an instrument at Eltham these delays, of course, would . not oocnr, , as we could communicate direct with Hawera or Sew PlYmoaih. ' Of coarse, like all other rising places, we have oar wants, bnt, next to oar neglected Eltham road— whiob, I am son? to say,is already regular quagmire— there is our small railway goods-shed, and a very small affair it is, too; in. Jaet, jut abort onethird the size required for the traffic Tbere is often _scaroely room enough for the weighing machine to stand, ami sacks of grate-seed have to be passed owr the top of cases of goods to the tracks aiuLm* versa. Tbe siding accommodation, ,lpo, ig simply abominable ; jost one small loop, and the officials and pablio too are expepted to make horses of themselves poshing -■ track* about in order to get them into the sbeS, which, instead of being in a eonlW- > nient place, is at one end of the aiding.' The trade is undoubtedly baing driven from its proper and natural outlet for want of a few simple conveniences. There are miles of unused sidings at Manntabi and other places along tbe line, a portion at least of which would well repay the cost of trans* ferring to Eltbam. Another reproductive work would be cattle yards at Eltham. At tbe preßent time stock are driven to Normanby (a distance of nine miles) if going sooth, and to Stratford (seven miles) if going north. Only last week sheep for seven trcoks were driven irom here to Normanby, and the week previous about the same quantity, when by erecting yards here all tbie extra driving would be saved, besides giving to Eltham tbe traffic that^ from its position, naturally and rightfully^! belongs to it. The Eailway Department I have ample room for an extra siding, a large goods sbed, and cattle yards ; and I have no doubt if oar wants are fairly brought under the notioe of the department, through tbe medium of the Press and tbe member for tbe district, we shall soon be in a fair way of getting redress. Apologising for trespassing on your valuable space,— l am, &0., p, Gowebn. Eltbam, Maroh 25.