KAPONGA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2320, 7 January 1893, Page 3

KAPONGA.

(FBO3I OUE OWN COBRESPONDENT.I Having now entered into another year, and the coming of another year is alwayß a time when many make resolutions for the better, bat it would be quite safe to eav that the olerk of the weather has m no way ohangea, for up to the present time we have had a bountiful supply of rain, making the outlook for grftSß-seed harvest look very poor. Even now a neat deal of damage has been done to the rye grasß, wbioh fine weather will not be able to restore. Cooksfoot will be some little time yefc before it will be fat to flat. M»d it ia to be hoped tbat we shall be favoured with better weather, otherwise it will be a considerable loss to many who art largely dependent on their early ■baxveft of grass-seed. " ■ Jfomonaa has now past its tenth year of 0 ' * iittlemtot and it is wonderful the amount !> of land that has been cleared of a dense ' forest, and laid down in grass, and other- ■ wise brought into cultivation, clearly proving that the district has been settled with the right olaaß of settlers. The town ol Kaponga is steadily growing according to the wants of tbe Burroundmg distnoc. At tbe present time we have a tri weekly 1 coach from Opunake to Eltham, and tbe contractor (Mr. Quinn) for the mail service U tunning a two-horse brake fromEltbam to Kaponga three timeß a weak, which • are not only great conveniences to the settlers, but are sure signa of advancement. • The only things which to the minds of many aettlerß have not advanced bo rapidly as they would have wished for, are the roadg. We have not got one main road which can be called complete, all appear to have fallen short of their destination, wbioh only makes it convenient for those to whose doors they pass. Although local ' bodies have done all they could with the means at their disposal, yet have not been able to keep pace with settlement, ihe want of metal roads has always been a . treat drawback to the settlement of bush . land, and bo long as Government survey and open up blocks of bush land for ' tettlement with a roughly cleared track ' for a road, bo long will tLe drawback laßt. What is required is at least one mam road to be made and metalled by Government through a bush district, and the coat to be added to the land, then intended appliotnte would know what they are enteringinto; andnotaßtheydonow—taKe up land, and at the end of ten years find tbat they are still without a road, and to Eit tbe road that they most need, aye they to rate tbemselveß heavily, wbioh is a heavy tax on all their past . labors. We are looking forward to having tbe Manaia road to Kaponga completed this summer, and it ia to be hoped that (he council will push on with all possible speed and complete the Eltham road to Eltham 10 that we shall have a winter road to the • lailwav station and not have to i plod through mud knee-deep, which haß hitherto been our lot.— January 4.