FEILDING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 19

FEILDING.

The contractor for the bridge over the Oroiia Liver connecting Fowlers with A pit i (Mr D. Sinclair) is progressing with his contract. This bridge will he a boon to the travelling public, as there is considerable traffic on this road now. Mince my visit to the Apili district about five years ago, there have been considerable improvements made. Then there were just the settlers who had taken up land under the Feildiug Small Farm Settlement, taking their initial stage in bush life. Now they have a cheese factory, two stores, butcher's, blacksmith's and shoemaker’s shops, boarding-house and an hotel. They are connected with the outside world by the telephone, and have a tri-weekly mail. This is another proof of the advantage of small farm settlements. A quantity of bush lias been felled and considerable improvements made by the settlers who have taken up sections in the adjoining block. The making of tho roads in this block have been let by the Government in small contracts to the settlers and have proved of considerable ben el it to those settlers who had not much capital to work on when they took up their sections. Air Snow, the engineer in charge of the work, fully appreciates tho ability of the settlers to do the work properly, as ho has no trouble with them, but be cannot say so much for those who have been dratted from the unemployed and sent out Horn the towns.

'The settlors in Aplti have availed themselves of the facilities offered under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, and have metalled a large proportion iff their roads. This district is now under the Pohangina County Council. H used to bo included in the Kiwi tea County Council. There . is some talk of other portions of the extensive Kiwi tea County lopping off its branches j and forming new separate; counties, j The popular “Sammy’ Daw manages | to get through to IVmbortoii and LangiJ wahia with his coach and the mail thrice weekly. An opposition coach lias been started, but the settlers are very loyal to Sammy. 'They showed their appreciation ot Mr* Daw’s services by presenting him with a purse of sovereigns lately. A Government surveyor, with a stall of men, Ims lately been engaged taking the levels in Feildiug tor the Borough Council. If EeiUing goes on progiess.ng, it will ho the duty of the Council to make provision fora water supply and a drainage scheme. The project which was mooted some time ago to light t he town by electricity or gas j Honours to have fallen through. The town is now lighted by a few paltry kerosene lamps. The principal portions ot the side paths are a'liiut as rough as a country load. 1 wonder at the business ‘people not doing something thomselve./to impiove the footpaths in front of their simps. 'Two or three tradesmen have asphalted the portions of the footpath in front of their respective places of business. Of course this is a considerable improvement, but far more remains yet to be done. Mr Donald McKenzie, of Apiti, has sold his property of 200 acres for £7 10s per acre, Mr W. Watson being the purchaser of 100 and Alt- G. E. l'rince cf the other 100 acres. Air Watson bought tho 100 acres to give him an outlet to Apiti. 'Tho decision which the Kiwitea County Council came to some time ago to build offices at Fowler’s in which to hold their monthly meetings and to transact all business appears to have fallen through. All business in connection with tho comity is still transacted in Feildiug, although one has to travel nine miles through another county before lie comes to the boundary

of the Kiwitea County. 'The settlers naturally complain strongly of having to travel so far to pay their rates or to transact any business.

The road leading from Fowler’s to Pemberton is reported to be in a very bad state itLrain. It is rather early in the season for a "complaint of this soil. There has always been a difficulty in keeping this road in a proper state of repair. Tho Government has 1 come to the aid of the Council in special grants, yet it is not in a passable state of repair. It is presumed that the Kiwitea County Council has too much work to look after, aud that is the letson why the hr,inches are being lopped off.