FACTS ABOUT MINTARO.
[From a Correspondent.]
The name of Mintaro has for many years been associated with the famous flagstone quarries, but there are other things for which it is noted, but which, perhaps, it is as well not to mention. We sometimes do the right things, but usually in the wrong way, or at the wrong time. At present we are suffering through somebody’s bungling. We have only one road to the railway, a distance of four miles—at least, only one road that is passable during wet weather. A few weeks ago the Government pulled down the old bridge over the Wokie Creek, on the station road, and have started (or I believe they have started) to erect a new one. This work, we are told, will take three months to do; but, judging from the present prospect, it looks to me that it may take much longer. It must be remembered, however, that this is not a mere culvert, but a bridge with a span of 10 yards! Meanwhile traffic to and from the railway is diverted through a slough of despond for 300 yards. There is no such thing as going over this. You may or may not get through. Recently I saw a trolly there, embedded to the axles. The next time I passed it had disappeared—whether entirely swallowed up or not, I don’t know. Our local storekeepers have to back all of their goods across a plank over the bridge, or where the bridge will eventually be. We thought to have been able to use Farrell’s Flat Station pro tem.; but our district council, with its keen foresight, stopped that little game by having carted out several chains of rough metal on this road, and leaving it unbroken. As there is a stream of water and slush on each side of this unbroken stone, it is impossible to get through except; by wading. I had almost forgotten to mention one privilege which Mintaro enjoys—We are allowed to send a telegram 200 miles for 6d.—a saving of 3d. If we want to send a message to the railway station, four miles, it goes first to Burra, thence to Adelaide, and is then repeated to the railway station. If we want a reply to the message, we may have to wait some hours for it, and if the waiting has to be done at the hotel the saving is not very great after all. I believe all that is wanted to connect us with the railway station is about 10 yards of new wire; but, as the Government is practising rigid economy, we can hardly expect this to be done yet awhile. The P.M.G. recently stated that the telegraph service was not paying, and that the cost was 25/ for every £1 taken. The wonder is that the cost is not much greater. Probably, if this service were taken over by the State again, the cost would be about 15/ instead of 25/, and we should be better served.
