BURNED ON ROADSIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18357, 24 March 1923, Page 8

BURNED ON ROADSIDE.

SIR J. WARD'S MOTOR-CAR.

HEAVY ROADS AT KAIMAL

DAY'S PROGRAMME UPSET.

[BY telegraph —BPECIAL reporter.} TAUKANGA. Friday. The loss of one of his campaign care by fire seriously interfered with Sir Joseph Ward's movements to-day. Sir Joseph left Te Aroha at nine o'clock this morning for Tauranga, intending to speak at five settlements on the way. His route lay over the Kaimai road, and heavy rains during the preceding night had rendered this mountainous pass particularly treacherous. Okauia, on the Matamata side of the range, was visited at ten o'clock and after a brief address to a small gathering of settlers the two cars conveying the candidate and his party began the ascent. About half a mile before reaching the metalled road over the summit, a Dodge car which was in the lead ran into heavy clay and, as the result of many attempts to get on to the firmer ground, the engine became so heated that the fore part of the car burst into flames. The personal baggage of the members of the party was being carried in this car, and was retrieved only at considerable risk. The blaze was eventually suppressed without the body of the car being damaged, but it was found that the engine was completely out of action! The second car could not get past the obstruction and Sir Joseph Ward set out to walk to Upper Kaimai, where he was scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. Fortunately a car which had been sent out from the Tauranga side in search of the party, was met near the summit, and Sir Joseph was able to deliver a hurried address some three hours behind time. The damaged car in the meantime had been jacked to the side of the road and the remainder of the party jo : ned Sir Joseph at Lower Kaimai, where another meeting was held. It was the ' intention of Sir Joseph to visit Omanawa, but, as this settlement lay five miles off the direct ronto, the visit was abandoned and the party pushed on to Tauriko. where a number of the settlers and mill workers had assembled to hear Sir Joseph's views. Tauranga was reached shortly after six p.m. At all the-settlements visited the candidate received a vote of thanks and confidence.