"ROADLESS NORTH."

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 26 December 1924, Page 9

"ROADLESS NORTH."

A MISNOMER.

MAINTENANCE THE DIFFICULTY

"There's any amount of roads in the so-called, 'roadless north,' " remarked Mr J. D. Bruce, the South Island Counties' representative on the Main Highways Board, to a reporter on Wednesday. "Roads enough and to spare," he added, "but the difficulty is their .maintenance and getting metal. The most important matter is maintenance—that is their trouble."

Mr Bruce, in company with other members of the Board—Messrs Wynyard, Connett, Waldey, and Murray, and Mr A. Tyndall Resident Engineer, Main Highways Board—has just completed an extensive tour of the North and South Auckland districts, the object of which was to investigate on the spot the proposed works in respect of which applications for grants have been received by the Board. On the North of Auckland tour the party was accompanied by Mr J. E. W. Mclnnes, Resident Engineer, Public Works Department (formerly stationed at Christchurch), and in the southern tour by Mr L. B. Campbell, Resident Engineer, Public Works Department, Auckland. The two tours involved travelling a total distance of between 1100 and 1200 miles: the north of Auckland tour alone involved travelling 589 miles.

As records the tour south of Auckland, Mr Bruce said that it would result in the unmetalled gap, north of Mokau, of fifteen miles, being metalled this season; and the work on the fam-. ous (or from the motorists' point of view, infamous) Rangiriri Hills, will also be completed this season ' This will give a metalled road right from Wellington to Auckland. As to the main highways north of Auckland, Mr Bruce staied that they are by no means first-class roads—in some cases they are extremely bad, and only usable in the summer. At Kaitaia the party saw ten working bullock teams employed on a three-mile section of road, and thirteen more bullock teams are to be put on other portions. There are practically only two months in the year when the weather is suitable for metalling operations) to be carried on—once' the rains come nothing can be done on the roads.

•'lt was a very interesting trip," Mr Bruce said in conclusion, "and I tiiink an immense amount of good was done by coming into direct touch with tli© local people. A great many misconceptions were removed, and those connected with roadina; matters have a truer conception of what the Board is aiming at. Generally, they did not think so badly of us when we left as when we arrived,"

Commenting, as he lias done on several occasions previously, on the comparatively few applications received !>y the Board from the South Island as compared with those from the North, Mr Bruce remarked that probably when the South Island applications came to hand there would not be much funds available.