PROGRESS ON ROAD WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 56, 7 March 1923, Page 11

PROGRESS ON ROAD WORKS

PAEKAKARIKI AND RIMUTAKA.

At a meeting of the Central Progress League last evening the following interesting report was submitted by Mr. G. Mitchell:—

Paekakariki Hill.—B4 men are . still working on the Paekakariki Hill, but they are now nearing the top, and the work will be drawing to a close shortly. All those -who have cause to use this road ■will. appreciate fully that it is in the national interest to employ these men. on such. permanent work, rather than leave them unemployed, and a charge on charity in the cities.' There will be a number of unemployed this winter, and when the Paekakariki Hill is finished, these men could be employed on the same north road, widening and straightening the wretched narrow part beyond Jobnsonville, and making it conform to the new standard. Rimutaka;—l44 men are employed on the Rimutaka road, and the work is gradually nearing the top of the hill. Some of the men are now working on the • Feathersfcon side. After the hill is finished it will be necessary to come nearer home, and straighten some of the sharp curves and widen the' narrow places between the hill and Upper Hutt. There^ is a small deviation also which could be done with great advantage. These two roads are national works of great value. Forty-one men are working at Akjtio on the Dummy Hill road, and with small numbers engaged on other roads, there is a total of 337 men employed on road relief works in the district. , Akatarawa road.—On the AkatarawaUpper Hutt-Waikanae- road, the bridges are at last finished, and the road completed. The road passes through some of our finest Native bush, and when worn smooth will make a splendid motor road, Motorists can now make a round trip, via Upper Hutt to Waikanae, thence home over Paekakariki Hill or vice versa. As requested at last meeting I made inquiries in reference to the position regarding the Main Roads Act, and find that so far the Department has not yet been able to put the Act into operation. The Government is now in communication with the counties' associations with a view to their- submitting names of their two representatives on the board. When they are received the board will he constructed and put the Main Roads Act into operation. , The report was adopted.