COAST HIGHWAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 28, 23 June 1939, Page 2

COAST HIGHWAY

OPOTIKI PAPERS VIEWS

MR HULTQUIST'S ATTITUDE

QUESTIONED

An attack on Mr A. G. Hultquiyt M.P., by allegations that Ik is neglecting the interests of the Opoiiki end ol" his electorate by working in the interests of the proposed highway between Whakatane and Opotiki, is contained in -Monday's issue of the ''Opotiki News. , ' Extracts from the article referred to follow: — '"Opotiki residents were rather astonished, when reading the recent reuort of proceedings ax. the monthly meeting of the Opotiki County Council that Opotiki had to choose between road and rail, and that if the district held out for the railway it wouid get neither. However, the suggestion appeared to be rather ridiculous and little credence was given to the impression that Opotiki had prac 'tic.ally had a pistol held at its head. Opotiki has as much right to a good road as any other part of New Zea. land,, and in view of the fact that tho district has no rail connection, it has had prior claims to districts which have had rail connection and have also been provided with sealed highways .... "A lengthy statement appears in to-day's edition, made by the district member, Mr A. G. Hultquist, con, cerning the construction of the railway to Opotiki. In his statement, Mr Hultqu'st makes it cjea r that th*

Government intends going On Avith .the construction of the railway from Tancratua to Opdtiki. ''The question that is deeply concerning the district is the agitation from Whaaktanc to have the mam highway altered to the WainuiOhope route, and in th:s connection Mr Hultquist is strongly favouring the new route and since his election has been working very Iwd towards this end. "There is one thing, however, that Mr Hultquist has. overlooked, and that is, the wishes of the district, which is most vitally concerned in the matter of the main highway towards the Whakatanc district. Mr Hultquist is forgetting that he is supposed to lie the representative of the people, but so far the question of which route is in the best interests of the district, has not been placed before the residents of the Opotiki district. Although it is several months since the election. Mr Hultquist has not visited the Opotiki district for the purpose of inviting and hearing deputations of any kind. Opotiki has every right to be consulted on the question of the mo.it suitable highway and in this connection Mr, Hultquist has appeared to have deliberately avoided the issue. Probably trie fact thalt Mr Hultquist is domiciled in Whakatane has had * good deal to do Avith the Avay in which he has been putting the wishes of the Whakatanc people to the fore Only recently a avcll known Opotiki resident, who has undertaken an extensive tour of the North Island, asked Avhy it Avas that Opotiki had been so badly neglected .... "One reason is obvious, and that is that it has been impossible for the district member to ask that the Opo-tilri-Taneatua highway be built n\) to, the .standard now being enjoyed by other districts, when he has been agitating and doing all in his power to have, the highway altered to the Wainui" route. Mr HuJtquisf has been approached by letter on several occasions to have the present highway properly attended to and even at the annual meeting of the local branch of the Labour Party, members strongly urged that the Opotiki-Tan-eatua highway be attended to and there Avas no question of any other route being desired. As has previously been pointed out by the Opotiki News, the great bulk of road traffic Avould still continue to use the OpotikLTaneatua high, way, even Avere a new road made via Wainui. The agitation from Whakatane for a new route has been Avith the intention of endeavouring to forct tourist traffic through Whakatane, and 'the fact that anyone travelling from Opotiki to Auckland can already save nearly ten miles by travelling by the White Pine Bush road is studiously ignored. It seems to be preposterous that one or two hundred thousand pounds should be AvastcfuL ly expended for no sound reason. One reason advanced for a new route has been from a military point of view but i't is obvious that a road built on the coast is practically value less owing to its vulnerability. In view of Mr Scmple's statement that he Avould not spend sixpence on the Wainui route, it is, .hard, to stand Avhy he is now'' aU'pvying consideration ; to be given;'of, a route ; hf so roundly condemned . ...

"That the Whakatanc businessmen, arc endeavouring to forestall any agitation from Opoiiki is shown by extract from the issue of tae Baj T of Plenty ( Whaka'tanc) Beacon. (The cxtract referred to the calling of a public meeting in Whakats.ne to discuss the road) . "It is rather amusing to find that in the agitation for the Wainui high way, Whakatane people have been endeavouring to point out the advantages that will accrue to the Opotiki district," continues the News. Actually Opotiki"*; wishes have not been consulted, but it is usually pointed cut that the distance from Opotiki to Auckland will be shortened. "The main objection to the Wainui route from the Opotiki district point of view is that only a small percent, age of the traffic at present using the Opotiki-Tancatua highway would be diverted, and in the end it would he found that the Government would have no option but to build the present "highway up to a proper stand.ard*.;'' ' It stands to reason that two highways will be quite unnecessary, and would be only a scandalous wasfce of public money.