THE SUMMIT ROAD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20448, 19 January 1932, Page 9

THE SUMMIT ROAD.

TO THS EDITOR Of THB F&X8B Sir,—lt is unnecessary to tell of my personal troubles and difficulties; my friends know all, the general public do not want to be bothered. So I will get all I can done to advance the work and take my satisfaction in watching the general public enjoy their drives,, walks, or rides on the Summit road, and the walker enjoy his walk on the pathways. Motorists' will be glad to hear that the metalling of the stretches of clay surface is well advanced, nearly the whole way to Cooper's Knob, and the roughest parts of the road . between Morten's Bush and Conical Hill re* paired. I was down there to-day, and

will be down there again to-morrow, all being well. I was at work with, a party of men on Saturday all day and a lot of useful work was done, clearing the water table, removing rocks from the road, and metalling nearly a mile of clay surfaces. By the week-end cars will be able to use the road, Gebbie's Pass to Kiwi, in any weather. There are several places on : the road where the views are exceptionally beautiful; at these places I am making parking places so that visitors may stop a while without holding up the traffic. The' unsightly growths of thistles have been cut down, and the tussocks grubbed out by the roadside, making the roadway look tidier. Before the stone-crusher was moved on to Kennedy's Bush, sufficient finelycrushed stone was left at Marley's Hill to repair the road between the Kiwi and Kennedy's Bush; now the large heap of crushed stone which had accumulated at Kennedy's Bush has all been carted out and spread over the wheel track, and the crasher is at work every day preparing more for the metalling of the road. I am having it crashed down to one inch, and I am sending all that comes through the crusher on to the road;- the fine grit helps to bind (it is much better as a binder than clay, which softens with water, while rock grit consolidates, and makes a firm surface). I have had in my mind for many years the making of a roadway to the top of Cooper's Knob Hill, and when the Et. Hon. J..G-. Coates was here last I waited on him with a request for the loan of some tents, so as to enable me to form a camp at Cooper's Knob. He remembered my request, and last week Mr Langbein called to see me with respect to forming this camp. It will be a useful work, and when the road is completed, motors may be driven to the top of the highest hill on the Port Hills range, 1880 ft, where the greatest and most beautiful views may be seen of the whole of the Canterbury Plains, end the view of Port Cooper irom here is unequalled. May I be privileged to have a seat in the first car to make the ascent.—Yours, etc., H. G. ELL. January 18th, 1932.