URENUI.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1165, 29 June 1894, Page 18

URENUI.

Some time ago I promised to send you some news from this district, but *ne tact is that there has been very little worth chronicling hitherto, but now things are & changed, and our once sleepy Urenui has awakened to the fact that outsiders are beginning to see something in this locality which the local people have previously failed to notice.

But I suppose I had better give your readers some idea as to where we are, what we are, and a description of the country generally. Urenui is located 10 miles from Waitara on the main road to Mokau. The White Cliffs, or Pukearuhe, are 10 miles further on. The land between Waitara and Pukearuhe is of first-rate quality, very level, but most of it is in Native hands, which accounts for the heavy crop of fern which it grows. The township is provided with an excellent store, balrery, two butchers' shops, a church, town hall, and the indispensable hotel. Hitherto we have not had many visitors from the outside world. A batch of 16 married men came her* about six weeks ago, and are at present occupied in extending the Mimi road. I trust they will be kept in constant work at this very requisite employment until the road is open for traffic right through to Te Kuiti. The men are under the control of Mr F. W. Fuller, who has had considerable experience in managing and laying out work for the unemployed at Bitham and Tarata.

The men seem perfectly satisfied with the work that has been provided for them, and, judging from appearances, they will make good settlers should they decide to settle on any of the adjacent Government land.

About four miles north of Urenui is the Mimi River, along which there is a formed road for six miles. This road would have been metalled last summer if it had not been for a few parsimonious settlers voting against a loan being raised for the purpose. There is some very good land up the Mimi Valley, and all the genuine settlers, who have taken up sections, seem quite confident of success. .There is one particular point that I would like to draw the attention of the Government to, and that is that they empower their overseers to " put on" local men to the works. Of course I mean deserving cases, as inability to obtain employment is not alone confined to our big centres. «

Another batch of unemployed have come here lately, and have been«'started" en the Okoke road. This road starts from the Wai Toi Toi, about three miles north of Urenui, and is intended to go through the proposed State farm and on to some Government land at the back. A Government survey of a large block of

capital land has been recently completed, and plans are daily expected. The block is situated about three and a half miles up the Urenui River, and at present is covered with standing bush, but a considerable change in its be apparent ere a couple of years pass. It is mush to be hoped that the sections, which are generally moderate in bize, will not fall into the hands of other than bona fide settlers. Mr Morpeth (surveyor) and party are up the Urenui laying off the sections for the proposed State farm, t One thing more, and I have finished. We want a telephone to Urenui. We cannot send a telegram to Wellington or anywhere else unless wo ride or walk to Waitara. Our energetic member promised to get the Government to do the work, but so far nothing has been done.