SOUTH WAIRARAPA ROAD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 9

SOUTH WAIRARAPA ROAD.

! : ;r;;;: v v;-y:>';V.,, : ..>—-—; ■ ;.,; -'H ! .•■' -WHYi A:'yOTB.;WAS. NOT EXPENDED. ; : With' the 'object of. obtaining-the expenditure of • ft, .grant on a road: from Stoney Creek to White Kocks, in tho;South Wairarapa, a;deputnt)on'( waited upp'n.:tlio\'-npn,'-''nß. -..M'Kenzio,, Minister for Roads and Bridges, yesterday. • Mr. M'Leod : (chairman .of tho Featherston County Council) stpitbil that-in.l9p6 tie settlers potitioned through; the council for. work to. be, done on.-. tho ,i'dad,',nhd a vote ;of JB40O: was /placeclon tho Estimates. : Upon.' the-suggestion of , the Government,'; ;the' council -afterwards , agreedjto'.'anexcliange of-road-lines, , nndXICCO I ■was .vcjted for tho work.. Whilst-Jlr. Hogg wasMinister , for Koads and" Bridges, ho:had; howover; 'said that, • -us ,faras - h0... could, soo , tho rood was not required.-. The position now': Was that, the owner of the property had intimated 1 that' if the new. road{wero, not mado heiwould clo.'O: Hio. 'old :.l;ne.' . ,- ' '-'-.I ';■■■•■' 'iilr. (n settlor, in the district:which tho' prpposod:road would serve) mentioned that,. . for; nVfow •■weots prior 'to '. the -last general election,' some , men' , wero put on to .tho works on; the co-operative plan, but immediately, after ■'thff'i.elEction they -'wsro -tokon off arid-,it was >'announced that the -'Government intended to [complete the work by public 'tender.' : : : >. '. :■'• Councillor..-ll'Leod; stated that ; it -was at. ■first proposed to ,expend■ JCSOOO 'on ,the work./ The ; council Hvas prepared to ti3sist to the ex- , tent :o'F. iE200., : It'waa.'impossiblo to raiao a. loan, for ;thc work, because the property holders were already heavily bnrdoneu witii taxation. ...'lfr:' Buchanan,:.M.P.. ; (who had introduced. , tk.li' (lepntntion),. considorixl it .was. now too la'to in; the ;diiy/'after the., Government had made surveys, /effected tho. exchanffo of: foad-lines, ;and'.placed votes for,it to say..that 1 the'-road was not. needed. . If the road:,we"ro" improved, and: various. Crown - and' Native 1 .lands, in .the":district -ffere. thrown openi: numbers of additional settlers could : be; •obtained.'-,■''... ".;. ', i:-- .'■■'. 1 .-Tho'.'-Minister (in- reply) said' that .'if the pouncil; wcr6" prepared to. assist, reasonable ■help, shottld be by, the Government, It was 'hard : for him to. ask Cabinet to expend :'fnovote in view of the decision of his predecessor,, Mr. Hogg,- who had fawyn the' particular district; for-years..■•.:■", y-.-) '■'■■'■ ', ; ■'~../ r,:- ■;■'■. ■; •; Jlrl: Buchanan:' That 'is not cte.-.V -■;". : ••".''•"-'. ",V'lfr. M'Kenzie: You must all admit that Mr. Ho#g was very, good at getting roads, and you : havo. heard whit ha eaid about this road.. v ''■." !Mr.,Haycock.: Hβ left on record other matters wliicU wero not.:tolerable. '.'. . ; . i.'.- ..■ Mr.M'lCenzio: Evidently a matter, whioh he didn't understand so well;. 1 . (Laughter.) -i After: further discussion the Minister stated •tint the , GoVernment might bo able to subsidise the council at the rate of J! for Jt. There wai no probability of the Government 1 being able to; give .£I6OO for the work during the coming year, v'-''■V-'■:■ '■■';■•■•','■''■ '.-■ "•; .. v; '.'-,■;. :'-. '■':'■