ROAD WORKS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20587, 1 July 1932, Page 8

ROAD WORKS.

CANTERBURY MOTORISTS PROTEST. APPEAL FOR WITHDRAWAL. The protest made at a recent meeting of tlie Council of the Canterbury AufeomoMle Association against the likelihood of the Main Highways Board giving preference to the construction of the Gisborne-East Coast road over the Ashley-Waipara section of the Main North road, has been taken up by the Auckland Automobile Association, which has written to the local Association appealing to it to withdraw its opposition to the Gisborne project. The letter, which has not yet been considered by the Canterbury Association, is as follows: — "Our attention has been, drawn to' your Association's protest against the cancelling of the roading contract between Ashley and Waipara, and we are interested in this matter to the extent that it affects the work contemplated on the Gisborne-East Coast road. In common with all other parts of the Dominion, many urgent roadworks have been postponed in the Auckland district, and in some cases surfaces are not being maintained up to the same standard as in the past couple of years, Refraining from Complaints. "The Auckland Automobile Association realises the difficult position in which the Government is placed, and is co-operating with the Main Highways Board and the County Councils by refraining from making complaints so long as conditions are not allowed to become too unreasonable. There are certain urgent works which had been requested by the Auckland Automobile Association, but so long as there is a good metalled road which is likely to carry traffic satisfactorily for the next couple of years, tlio Association has ■withdrawn objection to construction work being postponed. "An example is the section of the Great South road near Hamilton, in the control, of tlie Waipa County Council. Traffic lias used this road for many years, the dust is a nuisance in the summer, but, after all, the surface is fairly reasonable, and, therefore, work must be postponed until more money is available. Another instance is the notorious' section of the Great South road from Papakura to Bombay. This old military road, carrying probably the heaviest traffic in the Dominion outside the city limits, badly needs reconstructing, but it is a metal road and is capable of carrying traffic for the time being; therefore, Auckland is prepared to make the sacrifice in favour of districts less favourably situated, where the greatest good from the Dominion's point of view can be gained. Gisborne's Difficulties. "Gisborne as a district is practically isolated from the outside world during very wet weather, when slips block the roads, and floods render the various river crossings impassable. Road work on the Gisborne East Coast is amongst the most expensive in the Dominion on account of transport and the lack of good metal in the district. The settlers in this district have been paying road taxes for many years, and recently the provision of a metalled road resulted in the boat services being practically discontinued; therefore over 100 miles of country is absolutely dependent on one road for the transport of, passengers, mails, goods, and &ts>ck. Maintenance is particularly difficul&and expensive, and tar-sealing would result in a great saving to both the local bodies and the Main Highways Board. "The A.A.A. can quite appreciate the Canterbury Automobile Association's disappointment, for it has felt the same disappointment in regard to many roads in its own territory—roads which hold probably just as great a volume of traffic as the one near Christchurch which is the subject of criticism. "The A.A.A., feeling that the Main Highways Board should be given a free hand to carry out the work which in the opinion of the Board is the _ most urgently needed and which will be in the best interests of the Dominion as a whole, makes an appeal to your Association to withdraw its opposition to the requirements of the Gisborne-East Coast until such times as the funds are available in the main highways account to allow the general resumption of tarsealing operations throughout the Dominion." Canterbury's Grievance. The secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association', Mr J, S. Hawkes, stated yesterday that the Association did not feel aggrieved that the Gis-borne-East Coast road was to be improved. Its grievance was that it was unable, to learn from the Main Highways Board if the work was to be done out of South Island money in the Highways Fund. "We have been endeavouring for a long time to learn just how much money there is to the credit of this Island in the Fund, but up to the p. 3sent have not been told," added Mr Hawkes. "We consider that the Board has had sufficient time to ascertain the position in regard to the amount of money standing to the credit of each Island. If the work on the GisborneEast Coast is to be proceeded with out of South Island funds, which we think is probably the case, then we are of the opinion that we are not being treated .fairly." . The president of the Canterbury Automobile Association, Mr W. R. Carey, is at present- in the North Island, and it is expected that lie will take the opportunity of interviewing the Auckland Automobile Association and the Main Highways Board concerning the matter. The question will also probably be discussed between representatives of the Association and the engineer to theMain Highways Board, Mr A. Tyndall, on his visit to Christchurch next week. Stoppage of Works. The question of highways construction was the subject of a letter recently sent to the South Island Motor Union by the motorists' representative of the Main Highways Board, Mr M. H. Wynyard, who stated that Christchurch was not the only place which was disappointed at the Board having to stop many works in contemplation. "With regard to the statements that are being made that there are certain work 3 being undertaken in the North Island notwithstanding the shortage of funds and the fact that a greater proportion of the amount has been spent in the North Island than in the South," continued the letter, "I have obtained the following particulars of the Board's past expenditure, both on maintenance j and construction, giving the total for each Island and the proportion: North Island .. £6,494,450 or G7.2 p.c. South Island .. £3,174,201 or 32.S p.c. Petrol Consumption. "The provisional allocations on which we have asked that estimates should bo based are: North Island 67.3 per cent, and South Island 32.7 per cent. The

petrol consumption for tlic four years to the end of 1931 are: North Island 68.62 per cent, and South Island 31.3S per cent. "With regard to the paving contracts, there -were three contracts for -which tenders were failed, held up by the Treasury. Of these, two were in the South Island —Ashburton and Kowai — and one in the North Island—Gisborne northwards. We managed to get approval pf the Ashburton contract, but the two others were held up until after the last session of Parliament. "There were insufficient funds to do both, and after considerable discussion the Board decided in favour of the Gisborne northwards job, as it was the onty means of access, the road being in extremely bad condition with no local metal available, and if it failed the result would be to isolate the whole district, there being no other means of communication. In addition, it came within the reasonable allocation of the North Island on the basis of the use of the road represented by the petrol consumption in both Islands. Hold-up Inevitable. "The reduction of our funds has caused a good deal of heart-burning in different parts of New Zealand owing to important works being held up, but it has been accepted generally as being inevitable owing to the small amount now available. For instance, the twenty-mile stretch of road through the Franklin County on the main road south from Auckland, which was included in the paving scheme, has to be held up indefinitely. This is a stretch something like the Kowai, with two long stretches of payed road, and the same thing applies to several desired connexions in the Wairarapa and other districts. 5 ' i