ROADING PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19485, 15 November 1926, Page 16

ROADING PROBLEMS.

WAiTOMO COUNTY AFFAIRS. . TRAFFIC AND MAINTENANCE. HIGHWAY BOARD'S VISIT. ] [BY TELEGRAPH. i —OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] TE KUITI. Saturday, i The Waitomo County Council had an t exceptionally busy meeting yesterday. - Mr. R. Were presided. f The District Highways Council advised a that the Highways Board was unable to f regard as detour roads the Arapao and i, Mairoa Roads, for which the council had b asked for a special contribution on the 3 ground that they were used as detour 5 roads when the Piopio Road was closed by 1 floods. The board also advised that it f could not regard the Takiri Road as a . detour road for subsidy purposes. The Minister of Public Works wrote , refusing a request for a grant for damfc age done to the Mangapohue Road while - the Te Kuifi-Lemon Point road had been . under construction. The Mangapohue . Road had never been suitable for winter 1» travelling and traffic could not therefore f have been diverted to the Te Kniti-Lemon j Point road because of construction or re- . construction on the Mangapohue Road. , Mr. C. P. Rose said that for three , years the whole of the Kawhia traffic had , been diverted over the Mangapohue Road. 5 Mr. J. Andrew said the Takiri Road , was the main highway. There was no other road. It was being worn out by the tourist traffic and its maintenance had ? become more than the settlers could stand. ! The chairman said if the Highways ! Board carried out the function for which ' it was originally set up it would take ■ the main roads in hand. They knew 1 quite well that the New Plymouth road, 1 for instance, had never been constructed » to carry the traffic that was passing over 1 it to-day. If the board took it in hand » it could be raised and strengthened so * that it would not become impassable in winter and traffic diverted from it to ! other roads. None of the roads in the district had been built to stand motor traffic. I After further discussion it was decided to make renewed applications for assistance. i The engineer reported ''that on the Te ' Kuiti-Piopio sections of the AucklandNew Plymouth road two bad breakaway!! on the six-mile hill had given considerable trouble and were likely to' do so during wet periods unless the road could be placed on solid ground. A letter was received from No. 6 District Highways Council advising that the board would arrive in Waitomo on November 27, at 11.15 a.m., en route to Taumarunui. Members would be very much pressed for time and would be glad if the council would so arrange its business that it could be presented and considered with as little loss of time as possible. Mr. C. K. Wilson said at least two hours would be required to discuss the several important matters which the council wished to place before the board. He moved that the Highways Council be informed to this effect and asked how long the board would be in Waitomo. The motion was carried and the chairman, Mr. R. Were, and Messrs. C. K. Wilson and J. Andrew were appointed to represent the Council in the event of a meeting being arranged. REPAIRING FLOOD DAMAGE. WORK IN WAIMARINO DISTRICT. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] RAETIHI, Saturday. The Waimarino County Council met to-day, Mr. A. B. Harris presiding. Two native landowners made objection to the council taking land for the purpose of forming a road through their property. After hearing the objections the council decided that the objections were not well-grounded and that the procedure for the completion of the taking of the land as a public road under the provisions of the Public Works Act be proceeded with. Messrs. Fail and Dolamore, of the State Forest Service, waited upon the council and outlined the scheme of afforestation in connection with the Karioi Run, which the Government has purchased with a view of using it for afforestation. The matter was discussed at some length, after which the council decided to endorse the proposal for the utilisation of the land at Karioi. The engineer reported that as a result of the recent heavy rains further slips had occurred on the Pipiriki Road, but it had been attended to and was again open to wheeled traffic. Slips also occurred at Mangaeturoa and slips and a washout on the Waipuna Road were blocking the road to wheeled traffic. Repairs to flood damage_ on the Manganui Valley Road were being done and a new culvert set where the road had subsided. The suspension bridge on. the Otata Road had been repaired and strengthened where necessary, j In the Parapara riding the Mangawhero bridge had been repaired and left in good order. Slips had been cleared from Parapara and Boyd's Roads and a contract let to clear the slips beyond Houghton's gateway. In the Ruatiti Riding slip clearing on the Ohura and Erua Roads had been completed. Three gangs were engaged on the Mangatiti Road and one on the Waipapa Road. The road round the bluff on Waipapa Road had been cleared for wheeled traffic. Considerable trouble had been caused through slips falling on work already done. MAIN HIGHWAYS SUBSIDY. INCREASE BY-THE BOARD. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent.] TAUBANGA, Saturday. A letter was received at the meeting of Tauranga County Council yesterday from Mr. F. S. Dyson, district engineer of the Public Works Department, advising that the Main Highways Board had decided to increase maintenance subsidy on highways to £1 10a for £l. The increased subsidy is to take effect from September 9 oi this year. The board wished all local bodies to continue to expend on maintenance the same amount as they had done in the past. Tenders were accepted in connection with erection of a bridge on Upper Papamoa Road. A petition signed by 29 ratepayers was submitted asking the council to accede to a request to form a special rating area to raise a loan of £4OO for the purpose of purchasing land and the formation of a road from the old county road, Pongakawa to Swamp Road. The council auth- ' orised the clerk to proceed with the 1 necessary steps to give effect to the peti- i tion. ' A petition signed by ten settlers agreeing to the formation of the Wharawhara i special rating area and consenting to the 1 raising of a loan of £3OO for the construction of the Wharawhara Bridge was presented. The clerk was authorised to - take the necessary steps.