LEWIS PASS ROAD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20090, 20 November 1930, Page 10

LEWIS PASS ROAD.

CESSATION OF WORK. VIGOROUS PROTEST BY MOTORISTS. The cessation of work on the Lewis Pass road was discussed at length at last night's meeting of the General Council of the Canterbury Automobile Association. A telegram was read from the chairman of the Inangahua County Council urging the Association to make a vigorous protest to the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. B. TaVerner), and a letter was received from the County Clerk giving reasons Why the work should be gone on with. The ciihirtuan (Mr W. R. Carey) said that a meeting of the esecUtivb had been •-.ailed at short notice to consider the matter. The following telegram Was sent to the Minister: "Motorists here very concerned at stoppage of work oh Lewis Saddle road. Kindly advise reason for your action,, to pla66 befoffe meeting of motorists, as sooh as possible." The Minister replied: "Referring your telegram Lewis Pass road: Work" on this road was undertaken and tontinued purely for purposes of unemployment relief, and i& not, therefore, a standard job. When, with other similar works, it Waß considered by Cabinet recently it was decided to cease operations tiiere. Question of providing other Work for men requiring relief will be dealt with separately by Cabinet committee on unemployment, of which the Acting Prime Minister is chairman.'* Injustice Suggested. Mr F. W. Johnston 6aid that one heard whispers from the man in the street that works in other parts ol the country, not necessarily in _ the South Island, were going on, despite the cessation of work on the Lewlh Pass road. That work was of Domin-ion-wide importance, attd outside ot Canterbury altogether. He suggested that they might strengthen the hands of the South tslahd Motor Union tf they asked it to take matter uP* from a Dominion point of view. Tliev ought to have information as to the amounts spent on unetnoloyinent works in both islands as without it they could not say whether injustice was being done to the South Island. Mr F. \V. Freeman said that evidently the Minister did not corisidel the Lewis Pass road as important as thev did in the South Island. The position they found themselves in was that highways money the South ■ Island was being curtailed, While hundreds of thousands of pounds were beitis spent on roads in the north ot Auckland, and on the roftd to Wnikaremoana ; the last mentioned mt a developmental road but nul-elv a tourist road. The Pass road was in the best interests of motoring, and also of the South Island. Tf thev did not agitate stronslv for this work the South Island would develop an in ferioritv complex. Afi. L r>V some further discussion some of which was taken in committee, it was decided to make representations to the Sou+h Island Motor nnrt nlso to make representations direct to the Acting-Prime Minister.