NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 123, 26 May 1928, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Eig Paving Proposal. The, Kangitikci County Council has for ,some timo past taken a lively interest in the good^roads movement, and at its last nfceting adopted a scheme,, for submission to its ratepayers, put forward by its engineer, Mr. S., A. E. Maii>for tho improvement of 164 miles of roads in the county area. If carried out the schomo wil "bo one of the biggest roading projects in tho Doposes a seven-year programme for ward a plan for bituminous surfacing on the highways in tho Bangitikei-Wa-nganui area to be financed by moans of a local motor tax similar to the old Hutt- road tax. The extra revenue available for rural roads in consequence of tho petrol tax imposed.later in the year :has made the proposed local tax unnecessary, and Mr. Mair bow proposes a seven-year programmes for bringing the highways in Bangitikei County up to modern standards.'. The total cost of the work is estimated at £240,000. Of this sum £98,630 will be spent in widening and preparing the roads for bituminous treatment, and £141,370 will be expended in the bituminous surface treatments. Under the present subsidy basis of the Main Highways Board a contribution of approximately £141,119 will be duo from theHighways' Fund, and the county will 'have to find £98,921. • Schools for Miramar. About six years ago the Wellington Education Board bought five acres of tho old Miramav Polo Ground, and plans arealmost completed for a new school now to bo erected on the south-western corner of this site; Probably the school will bo ready at the beginning of next year, and will bo and built; of1 wood." Plans are also under consideration at present for another school at Kongotai, next to the new Boys' College, so that the growing population at Miramar should soon find their educational wants well mot. School Destroyed. > Word that the Wellington Education Board's school at Picton had been destroyed by fire early on Friday morning' was received yesterday by Mr.- G. L. Stewart (secretary of the board). As no details have' been sent it is not known what was tho cause of I the fire. Mr; Powell, the board's supervisor of buildings, left yesterday for Picton, and the local committee's proposals.for tho temporary accommodation of the children of tho standards (the infants are not affected by the fire) will be considered by him in conjunction with Messrs. M'Callum and Pike, tho Marlborough ward's representatives .on the board, and arrangements made to resume school work at tho earliest possible date. The school destroyed was a four-class wooden building, erected about 47 years ago, but the board had placed tho ro-building of it on its urgent list for this year, and preliminary plans and estimates had been drawn "P in accordance with this intention. Mr. 1 owell will now oxamino the site and submit immediate proposals for the erection of tho now school, which will also be of four rooms. Town Planning. , "You havo to realise tho Town-plan-ning Act does not apply to harbour .boards, and tho Government can do what it likes irrespective of any townplanning committee or local body " said Mr. J. A. O. Allum at a'mooting of tho Auckland City Council, when discussing tho proposed railway crossings in Quay street, in connection with tho lay-out of the new railway goods yards (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). Tho Town-planning . Committee had placed beforo the council a copy of tho minutes of tho recent meeting convened by tho Chamber of Commerce o« tho matter, and had reported that it was giving tho subject close attention. Mr. A. J. Entrican, said trouble was bound to arise when they had shipping on one side of Quay street and railways on the other side. The committee's report was adopted. , Angela Babbisss. Five Angora- rabbits wero born in tho Town' Hall, Auckland, on Wednesday night (states tho "Now Zealand Herald"). Their mother is part of a disolay by tho'"New Zealand Smallholder" in the Auckland Advertising Club's exhibition, and yesterday'morning tho. attendant discovered there had been an■ increase) in tho family.'Angora rabbits aro quito valuable), but doubts aro expressed whether the litter will liyo for long. . j