THE RIVAL ROUTES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14822, 13 November 1913, Page 2

THE RIVAL ROUTES.

COAST ROAD TO KAIKOURA URGED.

DEPUTATION WAITS UPON AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.

A deputation from the South Marlhorough Roads and Bridges League waited upon the Canterbury Automobile Association yesterday to urge the Association to support the bridging of the Coast route from Chris-church to Kaikoura in preference to the inland route. Mr F. W. Johnston presided.

Mr H. J. Murray said that come time ago the peoplo of Kaikoura formed a Roads and Bridges League with a view to getting the rivers bridged and a motor road lormed from Christchurch to Kaikoura. The first meeting of Kaikoura residents suggested the Coast road as a more desirable route than the inland route. A deputation which had gone to Wellington had received a very favourable reply from the Prime Minister and trie Minister of Public Works as to bridging of the Coast route. Since then the Kaikoura people had heard that the Canterbury Automobile Association was moving in favour of getting the Government money spent on the inland route. The result ot this move would probably be to get the money' held up, and neither routo benefited.

Mr A. "A". Rutherford said it,was in the interests of the settlers that the shorter road should be completed, and it "was an easy matter to hridgo the Coast road and form it into a motor thoroughfare. Tho Kaikoura people realised equally with the Automobile Association that Kaikoura should be made a week-end resort. (Hear, hear.) Mr Rutherford pointed out several advantages of the Coast route over the inland route, one of them being that whilst tho inland route was often covered with snow, the Coast routo was never so subjected. Another member of the deputation said a large number of settlers were waiting for better communication in order to get their fat stock away from the district.

Mr H. J. Mitchell who said ho was a member of the Marlborough Association, strongly urged the claims of the Coast route in preference to the inland. The Blenheim peoplo, he averred, were very much surprised at the Canterbury peoplo favouring the inland route. Mr W. E. Broadway said it was a question of which route would serve tho greatest number of people. Tlie Coast route would only serve one side, whereas he thought tho inland route would serve both sides. He merely made these romarks in a questioning way.

The Chairman said he understood the Automobile Association's attitudo was governed by the statements of fact put before it. * If the Association's assistance was of any use, it was a pity the Kaikoura peoplo had not .ought it earlier, as tho Association had had placed before it tho advantat.es of the inland route and tho disadvantages of the Coast routo. Moreover, motorists had no guarantee that they might not be excluded from usinc the Coast road, the opinion being held by several county and borough councils that where there was the sea on one side and the hills on tho other, it was too dangerous for traffic to allow motorists to use tlie route. He could eafely promise that the matter would be considered by the Association, and the deputation's views put before it. It was stated that from Kaikoura to Culverden the distance was 67 miles, while from Kaikoura to Parnassus it was but 37 miles.