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Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 5855, 1 October 1917, Page 3

A getleman who has recently visit - ed the North of Auckland lias given a somewhat graphic description of the hardships settlers ave suffered dUr.ng the wet winter. His visit was in the area bebwOen \Yhangar ei . Kaikohe, and Hokianga practically in the centre of the district north of Auckland. “I found the roads in a terrible state,” ho- writes. “The settlers say they liuve never before seen them so bad as at the pre_ sent time. My horse was bogged within thirty feet of the verandah of the house of one farmer. 1 reall|*' thought we were going out of sight, so 1 slipped off the horse’s tail ; after which the poor animal managed to -t niggle out again. The back block settler has had a hard time oif it this winter, with floods, slips, and practically no toads. At one place I saw eleven horses dragging one waggon. That was on the road to a place calltxl Titoki. Notwithstanding the eleven horses, it was impossible to get the waggon through the mire without, taking out some of the load. In several places the Hoods had washed away the bridges, and the fords are. not good l»y any means. At a place called VVaimatanui the roaV.l was so had on account of the slips that had taken place lhat I was' forced to climb the hillside to scramble round them. Some of the farms are in an awful state owing to the hills having slipped on to Low ground. The grass paddocks arc covered with mud, and as the slips have left the bare rock on the hillside. there is no chance of growing grass there again. Some fine Hats, which used to bo cultivated, are now covered with logs stones, and silt, left by the floods'. Still most of the -elders are going ahead with brn-vo Iheurta.”