PONGAROA TO MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11264, 3 February 1912, Page 4

PONGAROA TO MASTERTON.

Our Pahiatua contemporary, in its leading columns on Thursday, made a vigorous attempt to show that it would not he to the advantage of Pongaroa and Alfredton people to support the scheme to establish a coach or motor service between Masterton and Pongaroa. It is, of course, the duty of our contemporary to resist any attempt to deprive Pahiatua village of any part of its trade with the back country; but we may he very certain that the people of the districts under notice will have no hesitation in hardening their heart to Pahiatua's appeal once they are satisfied that it is to their interest to have more direct communication with the principal town of the district. The only one of the many arguments made use of by the Herald, to show why the Masterton proposal should not be supported, that deserves serions notice, is that the coacii leaving Masterton at mid-day for the back country would not connect with the mail train from Hawke's Bay and Palmerston. Under the present arrangement, the Pongaroa coach does not leave Pahiatua until after the train from the north has arrived at Pahiatua, and as it also connects with the train from the south, the Herald holds that the service could not very easily he improved upon. The Pahiatua connection mignt, in this respect, have an advantage in the summer, when a daily service is maintained; but in winter the state of the Pahia-tua-Pongaroa-road is so had that only three coaches per week reacJi Pongaroa from Pahiatua. If the MastertouPongaroa service is to be established, it. must be a daily service all the year round, and this fact, and the advantage of having more direct communication with Masterton and Wellington, will easily outweigh the slight disadvantages of somewhat slower communication with Hawke's Bay and the Manawatn. The Herald says that the hack country people will gain nothing by visiting Masterton instead of Pahiatua to transact business. The gentle humour of this statement becomes apparent when it is shown that the population of Pahiatua is about 1300, while Masterton is a town of 5500. However, nothing can be gained by a newspaper argument at the present stage. Representatives of the Mastertou Chamber of Commerce will visit the district shortly, and, after investigation, will report, fully upon the proposal; and we will then learn whether or not it is practicable.