THE MAIL GETS THROUGH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 64, 16 March 1936, Page 6

THE MAIL GETS THROUGH

TASK OF CONTRACTORS EXPERIENCES ON ROADS BACKBLOCKS DIFFICULTIES I When the postman’s whistle sounds i ami the housewife gathers the. mail ! from the box at the front gate or the I lette.s siither through the slot arid ■ fall on the floor, there docs not appear I anything out of the ordinary iu the ini cident. The life of the postman then (does not appear to bristle with difficulties. Hut when weather conditions are adverse, especially in the backbloeks district'. the life of th*? postman, like that of the Gilbe't and Sullivan police man, not a happy one.” Such was the experience of niail contractors in the Wanganui hinterland after the storm, which wrought widespread destruction at the beginning of February. “Mail services are back to normal throughout the Wanganui district.” stated Mr W. G. Cooper, chief p itmaster at Wanganui, when interviewed by the “Chionicle” on Saturday. “There are one or two gaps in tbe Waverley ami Waitotara inland mads which cannot be traversed by \* ihi*ular traffic,” he continued, “but mails are carried over these slips ami washouts afoot and delivery is effected. The depaitment appreciates the loyalty of the mail contractor in his endeavour to sec that the mail gets through to schedule. and the ready co-operation of settlers and their appreciation of the difficulties sometimes encountered;” said Mr Cooper. Wanganui to Raetihi The mail service on the WanganuiRaetihi road was interiupled on February 3, and it was not till considerably later in the month that the contractor, Mr T. Baker, was able to cover the full 6? miles iiivolvc*l. On the Monday morning after thu storm which ha*l raged over Saluiday night ami early Sunday .morning, the mail cmild not he taken further than Makir>ki>i. a dilance of seven miles, and then onh after a detour through intcrveipng paddocks owing t*» the washing awax of the Kukuta bridge about fixe miles from Wanganui. Two days later *l*' livery was effected as far as Glenn’s .Junction, a distance of 22 miles, and a few days later the mails were carried through to Baddelpy’s Hill, about 31 miles from Wanganui, where a large break in lh*> road, which was coripletf lx washed away, prevented further pro gross. Attempting to make his daily journey from Raetihi to Wanganui on the morning of February 3. the mail contractor could get no further than Oruaknkura, only eight miles fr >m Ra*? tihi, slips and wash-outs blocking the road. Later in the week, travelling some of the d : stancc bv *ar and some by packhorse, he was able to effect delivery as far as Kakatahi, but the remaining six miles of the roithorn section could not be negotiate*! bx- l im. Settlers wore, however, informed bxtelephone if there was any mail for them and, appreciating the efforts of the department under abnormal circumstan'ecs, the settlers made their own arrangements about securing delivery. On February J2 the mail contractor brought his own vehicle to Wanganui hv way of Taihape, and for a period he took the. mails through to Baddcley’s Hill, when thev were carried two miles on foot to the IJiroti Hill. After several weeks of trying conditions the contractor is now able to carrx- nut his difficult, task of dailx’ negotiating over 120 miles over a road which is destined to become a portion of one of the main highways of the North Island. An interesting incident occurred ’n an attempt to secure delivery to the Afangahouhi district more than a week after the storm. The contractor managed to get in over a clax- road, but his horse was bogged on the return journey. Paparangi Settlers The delivery of mails up the Kai Iwi Valley toward Paparangi and on to Simpson’s, near the Wanganui River in the vicinitv of Te Tuhi, p:escrßed considerable difficulty. Two days after the storm the contractor found the road blocked by a large -lip about 11 miles from Kai Iwi, but he managed to effect delivery as far as the Paparangi Hill, six miles further on. Ihe .'oad traverses very rough country ami i< reported to be in a shocking condition, repairs being estimated to rake months of work. Weekly delivery is now bo’.ng effected beyond Paparangi as far as Simpson’s by a settler who carries the mails on horseback. The co-operation of settlers in this instance, as well as in many others, has been of material assistance. The Raetihi-Waipapa Road section of mail delivery is through hilly ami heav-ily-timbered country, an*l for the past twelve months it has present-cl probtwelve months it has presented probtion f bm Peliu Junction to Mangatiti there xvere no fewer than 36 slips and wash-outs, and the section from Maugatiti to Alangapurua wa- blocked by eight slips and three wasa-outs. Partial delivery over this route was effected by the contractor on February 5, and three days later all mail was delivered, packhorses being ased. Settlers and PublX: Works Department workmen furnished assistance in an endeavour to ensure that there would be a minimum of delay, but packhorses must still be used. Over the ,39 miles of road fr.*m Waitotara to Taumatatahi more problems than on other sections were presented, the flooded river leaving silt 4ft. deep on the road. It was impossible to arrange delivery until February 13, and then it was effected once weekly only. The distance had to be covered in three stages, packhorses being used. It was not possible to get horses over the huge slips and wash-outs. The contractor, Air Hurley, noxx - carries the mails three days a week as far as the Piraunui Bridge, 21 miles from Waitotara, where Air Ciawshaw takes over with a packhorse to cover the three miles to a big slip on the Kaimanuka Hill. Another packhorse is then used by Mr Washington to cover the remainder of the journey to Taumatatahi. The mail is generally delivered by horse and buggy transpoit over the 28 miles from Waverley to Moeawatea, but a settler tarried out the task afoot for the first week after the storm. A packhorse was then requisitioned and the service is now back to normal save for a portion of the road where nearly two miles must be traversed a f oot. AH mail on the Wanganui River route has to be taken up by steamer or

launch for the full distance of 65 miles to Kirikau. past Pipiriki. Prior to the 'j storm, mails were taken by service car to Koriniti and thence travelled by river steamer. Manv expressions of appreciation hai been received from setth’fs who had recognised the difficulties with which mail contractors were •confronted, stated Air Cooper in conclusion. Tho co-operation and assistance of the settlers and their acceptance of the difficulties of the situation were in turn greatly appreciated by the department.