A HALF-FORMED ROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 31

A HALF-FORMED ROAD.

MT. ALBERT'S GRIEVANCE. MAINTENANCE OF IMPORTANT ROUTE. Twice in Tuesday's meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council, the subject of Mount Albert Road, a notorious "casus belli" in local body affairs, cropped up, and was vigorously discussed. In the first place, notice was received that the Main Highways Board declined to make any contribution towards the maintenance of that section of the road from Mount Albert to Royal Oak which was within the Mount Albert Borough.

Commenting on the notice, the Mayor, Mr. L. E. Rhodes, stated simply that the Mount Roskill side of the road had already been declared a main highway.

""This should be followed further," declared Mr. J. H. Langley. "Mount Eoskill has done nothing, and gets paid for it, while we, who have laid our part of the road permanently, do not get anything."

"It is a regulation that the Main Highways Board will not subsidise on a population .over 6000," explained the Mayor. "I do not think it is a law." The council decided to approach the local M.P.'s for their assistance.

■Later, Mr. A. A. Buckley pointed out that in order to divert traffic to Mount Roskill's side of tlie road, and so force that' body to do some repairs, the Mount Albert Council had decided at a recent meeting to close their side. To maintain a man there continuously, and to light the turn-off, it was costing, he said, nearly £25 per week, without noticeable result, except to antagonise all the motorists using the road. He suggested that the position be reconsidered. "The measure was not intended to be a permanent one," stated the Mayor, "but it was necessary at the time. It has partly achieved its object, for Mount Roskill have scraped and cleared the road a little, and done it up a bit —in their sort of way." The question was referred to the joint committees.