NOTES FROM TATU.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144197, 13 September 1913, Page 4

NOTES FROM TATU.

THE OHURA-NEW PLYMOUTH CONNECTION. (From a correspondent.) While speaking of the main road between Stratford .and the Main Trunk .lino,,thus tapping the Ohura frqjn the Stratford end, I might here state-that the bridges over'the Tangarakau River will ho at for traffic in the course of a day or two /V'- During the time these bridges have been under constrtiotiou the main . road ‘through Tatu,and up thls^Side'-of l Sadaleihavo been! dormant, like those who have been itrespohsible: for'same.' : d ’ This Tatu. settleinent was allotted in [ the- year 19i)3, .and /the lessees of the sections , were compelled to .- reside on v three, months; after their first burn, iietween nine and ten years have now passed, and the greater part of this road is still remaining a :9ft. formation, and a good deal or it, like other roads which have not' been,'; attended to, is very much one-sided, with holes 1 in it fit .to capsize - any . vehicle. Now before the mail coach or any other conveyance can be driven along this road with' safety these Tangarakau bridges will - not be needed for a- great deal of heavy wheel traffic. There are also corners on some of the bends this side of the Paparata Saddle scarcely, fit for a one-horse team. The part of road I am alluding to is under the.Te Kuiti Roads Department’s control. I might ask if .the settlers, are responsible for such work, or is the Government or the Minister of Finance escaping to / take notes in his diary? Roads apply to mail coach traffic, and mail coach to mails between Stratford and Ohura. While waiting for my mail at the Tatu Post Office a couple. 1 of weeks or so ago, I was informed there, that I would have to wait awhile for my letters, the reason, being that a Count of the letters from Stratford was to take place. , Now. all the letters being mixed at Taumarunui, the postmistress here had to read the postal stamp mark. This is.impossible. Letters are ’stamped in a hurry,-; and one only .heeds to look at letters received by himself to see how often he can .read the face-mark on the stamp. Is this a fair test of the number of letters that this post .office might receive from Stratford end? And what about Ohura? If they had to do the same, how long would it,take the postmistress there to take tally? Fancy such business! Like our mail going north from Tatu, the letters are counted that are posted here. , Novr take into considers-, tion that our mail arrives on Saturdays only. If we . wish to answer a letter, this is the example:—Say "a letter arrives at Taumarunui, where the mail is sorted, on: Friday, August-29, too late to catch, the mail coach before it leaves for Ohura. , That letter does not arrive bat Tatu Post Office until Saturday, September 6, and if it is to be answered we are supposed ■to post at Tatu, where it leaves on September 13 for Ohura, and leaves Ohura on Tuesday, 16th. Now to gain time we must post' at the Ohura Post Office, nine miles distant, and this counts to Ohura. I have known 26 letters to be.posted there, from Tatu in one week. Yet the postal authorities will work on the : count from Tatu. In speaking of. the through mail we want Matiere to Stratford or New Plymouth. Just think that Tatu is situated oh the main road and will take eight days to get a letter after it is posted at Taumarunui. How long would it take same’ to come from Stratford?