WOODLANDS ROAD.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7011, 19 July 1918, Page 4

WOODLANDS ROAD.

The following letter from Sir W. Fraser (Minister of Public Woiks) to ' rhe Chairman (Mr H. Sou'.ht-y) ia regard to Woodlands Road was rend at the last meeting af the County Council : "In February last 1 received a j-.dnt communication si-_.i_.ed by yonr-■-elf snd the Chairman of the Eatikaii Road Board regarding the formation uf Woodland?? R >ad through theTuapro Block for the purpose of opening up th j-t block of Grown la _d and providing* a new road between .-auraoga and Waihi \rith better grade.; than the existing one. I have had ihe matter investigated and fiud that the proposed, road would be rather more than eleven ! miles in length and tha. the construe tion cf it, exclusive of metal, would cost about £4,800. It would not mate.i-i.ly shoiten the distaLce to be travelled between Waihi and Taura--iga, but a batter road could be provided, as thero would be no grades on it steeper than 1 in 15 and there are several places on the old road with gradients as steep as lin 9 and 1 in 11. r£he nor road should, es suggested by yourself end the Chai'r_QJU of the katikati J?oad Board, commence from near the Tahawai Bridge ut the southern end. I regret that the construction of this road ia too large an undertaking to commence at the present time, wh.n high ntes of wages and prices of material are ruling, but step 3 will be taken to reserve the road line through the Tuapiro' Block in order that there may be no undue delay iv proceeding with the- formation who?, tormal con citrons prevail again after the war." Cr Stewart also read a similar letter received by him, as Chairman of the Katikati Road Board, from 6ir W. Frasor.

Cr Stewart a'so read the following reply foiw«rded by him to Sir W Fraser: <( I have received ycur letter dated June 18, on the above mar/er. I de*iro to thank you foi haviu^ gone so fully into the subject and am very glad to find from the repoit you have received that the section of the road et present requested 'should commence from near the Tahawai Bridge at its southern cud, thereby confirming my joint Liter with Mr Southey, dated last February, in this and other details to which you have ref< rred. I hive not at p.-esenfc a copy of ihat letter, which has been filed in the County Council recoids, but my main contenricn was based on a request to have th t section or the r<*ud fntned at ihe present time from the T.thawai Bridge to the boundary of the Woodland?, properly. From this point to tho neighbourhood of the old sanmill—a considerable distance—a private road rxbts, and I ui_de_stand that arrange meets have been made by the Depart ment to acquire it ou behalf of the public. this section of the road, Tab'iwai to Woodlands, is the key tn tbe .ifu>_tion, as the exisiiug road to reach W roodlai_.d3 bout»d-iry involvc-s rot s,*d!j a detour of about three mi^s. but the grade is in some pl.c;s nLu.s-r prohibitive for traffic and as a .urn of £500 is at- present available, granted on the Tuapiro Block, I most respectfully urge upon you to adopt the necessary steps to have this section of the road formed, which in nr-my places can be done by the plough. Year district road cm-ineer at Tauranga has already done splendid work by contract in the southern portioa of the settlement in the expenditure of similar grants and I can see no reason, wfty the samo courao should not be adopted in tLo cresent instance.

Road Extension Woodlands to Waimata. "Having now disposed of the section from Talmwai Bridge to Woodlands boundary 1 now propose to refer to the above, affording, as you have correctly stated an alternative road to Wfiihi with a far better grade than that of the existing road, "but with the prospect of the early completion of the East Coast Railway Section, Waihi-Katikati, I do nDt attach much importance thereto as a road, but in the fact that it forma an elbow inland from the sea, opening up a g'-eat stretch of country for settlement, which I am satisfied will be at once taken up by the public. Over 3000 acres at Kptikati were recently surveyed and every section wrs applied for. 1 did not, however, anticipate that the cost of the road would amount; to £4,800 as stated by you I fully concur with you that under existing labour conditions when every available man should be either at the front or at essential industries, that it is selfish and unfair to press the Government to start upon any large expenditure for new works; still we must consider that in the present instance, labour alone is required, that the settlement of the country after the war with our enormously growing but indispensable national debt, is a matter of national and imperative importance, I therefore respectfully suggest: (I) that this ro.id bo not only defined but opened up by the employment of German prisoners at present living in luxury at our expense, (2) that with the co-operation of the -Hon. Minister of Lands an area of 10,000 seres be surveyed for settlement, thereby providing revenue for the State ; with an increase of exports from land at present idle and unproductive. In fact, from my experience of the past, and confidence in the district, lam quite prepared, old as I am, to provide the £5,000 required to construct the road in return "for the Crown lands at present idle and unproductive, v; der the strictest guarantees of close settlement on the same lines as those given for Ivatikati and Te Puke, one of the conditions having been to combine settlers from Hone with those from the Dominion, thereby combining capital with local experience and labour. In conclusion, I therefore trust that as a start, and ati earnest, you will give instructions far the construction of the short road from Tahawai bridge to the Woodlands boundary with the £500 you have available. I will find the labour?"

Cr Hume moved-—That the action of Cr Stewart be approved.—Seconded by Cr Lochhead and carried. Cr Hume moved—That this Council heartily supports the application made by the Chairman of the Katikati Road Board, in his letter dated June ti7 to have the deviation road formed from the Tahawai Bridge to the Woodlands boundary with the £500 at present availablo

from tho Tuapiro Block and farther supports hi.*** suggestioiH for completing the road from Wo .dlands boundary to Waihi—.Seconded by Cr Loch head and carried