WAIRERE NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7846, 12 September 1904, Page 3

WAIRERE NOTES.

{From Our Own Correspondent.)

How the various parts o. the Colony are developing from year to year — whether retro-grading or progressing— ought to be of interest to every patriotic New Zealander, including the political economist, the capitalist- the merchant and the enterprising settler, sighing " for pastures fresh and fields that are new." The following extract from a letter tells us something about Maugaweka, Taihape, etc.:— "■ This (Mangaweka) is a remarkably fine district, although, as- is usually the case- not without its drawbacks, and these' may be summed up in a decidedly wet climate and diabolically bad roads. lam now seeing it at the worst possible time of the year, some of the roads at the present time being completely blocked even for horse traffic. We have scarcely had a fine day during the whole of the present month (September), and, when at Wanganui a few days ago I found it equally as bad there. In the summer months the roads are said to bo the best in the Colony for travelling long journeys on, and the district highly interesting and picturesque in the extreme. The main trunk railway to Auckland runs through the centre of the district and is being pushed on at the present time. It is now opened to Taihape. Taihape is booming just now and growing apace, but as the railway continues north, it is difficult to say where the principal town on the line of route between Hunterville and the Taupo plains is likely to establish itself. Six years ago, when I rode from Napier through this country, Taihape did not exist, unless in name only and Aieirnvhares. To-day there are a number of fine well-built business premises, two large first-class hotels, Bank of New Zealand, and an elaborate scheme for electric lighting and high pressure water supply arranged for. In this respect they have got ahead of us at Hunterville, but, at the same time, this latter place will be well in it at the finish."