KIRITEHERE—MAROKOPA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 108, 19 November 1908, Page 5

KIRITEHERE —MAROKOPA.

(Own Correspondent.) This district is looking extremely well at present. Grass is exceptonally plentiful and stock are doing well. The only thing required to convert the district into the garden of the King Country is a system of good roads. The settlers realise they cannot get everything at once, but with the assistance of the town centres, and the advocacy of the Press they hope to obtain a good deal more attention in future than in the past. If the townspeople only realised what roads meant to a district like this, and what its development meant to the towns, they would leave no stone unturned to get good metalled main roads put through from the railway. The settlers are willing and anxious to do their own bye roads, but the main thoroughfares should be done by the Government. One of our most pressing needs at present is a bridge over the Kiritehere. This stream is impassable in the smallest flood, and mails and stores have to be taken through the properties of Mr Gregg and Mr Klein, and even there the water is often on a level- with the horses back. We expect to have the Waipawa road through by March, and by the following spring to have our road fit for dray traffic. With a wharf at the heads, this will be a veritable godsend to the settlers, as it will leave only about ten miles of narrow tracks in the forty-five miles between Marokopa Heads and Te Kuiti. Very rough weather has been experienced on the coast during the past few weeks, and in consequence there has been something like a famine in the district from Marokopa to Glengregg. It is not possible for the S.S. Rothsay to come in in rough weather, and with roads of a proper width it will be easier for the settlers to get their stores in during summer. Satisfaction is being expressed over the side delivery of the weekly mails. Each settler has a box on the side of the road, and as the mail man passes on Friday, he collects the out-going mail and on the return jounrey on Saturday delivers he incoming mail. The system is worked over about twenty miles, and is much appreciated. A new store is to be opened at Marakopa about New Year, by Mr Stanley of Te Anga, and should be a great convenience to the settlers. A dance was held at Mr Willison's, at the Heads recently, and in aid of the new hall. For the first time in the history of Marokopa, there were more ladies than gentlemen present. Several causes are assigned for the unusual happening, but in any case a a most enjoyable time was spent.