LEWIS SADDLE ROUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1929, Page 12

LEWIS SADDLE ROUTE

POSSIBILITIES INVESTIGATED.

Since the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce was asked at last month’s meeting to support a proposal to investigate the possibilities of making a highway between Canterbury and the West Coast via Culverden, Waiau, the Lewis Saddle and Maruia to Reefton, much ■ progress has been made. At the meeting of the Chamber yesterday advice was forthcoming from Mr P. R. Climie, organiser of the Canterbury Progress League, that the Chamber’s representations urging completion of the GreymouthWestport Coastal Road and proposing construction of a road between' Canterbury and the West Coast via the Lewis Saddle had been considered by that body. The Progress League decided to communicate with the Minister of Public Works urging him to complete the Coastal road at the earliest possible date; and to refer the question of the Lewis Saddle road to the Amuri County Council for an opinion. Mr Climie said that the final decision of the League in the latter matter’ would no doubt depend a great deal on the reply from the Amuri Council. The President, Mr Joseph McLean, said that he had been in communication upon the subject of the Lewis Saddle route with a good many i people chiefly interested, including IMr E. P. H. Berbury,, of Sherwood

Station, Mr G. C. Black M.P., Mr W. F. Brett engineer, Mr W. Clayton, Chairman of the Inangahua County Council, and Mr T. A. Johnston, Public Works Department engineer. The result was that a party of sixteen people from Canterbury, including the Commissioner of Crown Lands, District Telegraph Engineer, and members of the Canterbury Progress League and Press, intended to travel from Culverden over the Pass on Good Friday to Maruia and Reefton, where it v r as intended to hold a public meeting to discuss the possibilities of making the 23 miles of road over the pass and to make representations to the Government. Mr McLean referred to the earthquake having completely blocked the Otira road route to Canterbury. Had the railway line been interrupted it would have meant that the West Coast would have had to rely on shipping alone and that would have a crippling effect upon industries.

The second and shorter route required opening up and it was therefore hoped that there would be a representative gathering at Reefton to meet the party after they had travelled over the Saddle. The speaker understood that the Aniuri County Council had not been altogether in favour of opening up the route, but four members of that body were included in the party to traverse it, and Mr McLean thought there was a good chance of getting the 23 miles of road made, and he was sure that if that were done it would be of great benefit ,to the community. “Mr Freeman, of the Automobile Association,” said Mr Greenslade, “had stated that if fair and reasonable demands were made by united effort there was a good prospect of getting the road made.”

Mr J. M. Bunt urged that Greymouth Local Bodies should be represented at the meeting at Reefton. After some explanation of what transpired at the preceding meeting of th© Chamber in reference to the need for linking up certain roads in this district being of primary importance, the President declared that he would not be parochial, and he would not go to the meeting at Reefton if he were hampered by the Chamber which he would be if they did not. support what he considered a matter' of national importance, to have the road made.

Mr L. B. Miller suggested constitution of a committee,' but the President said he was sick of committees. If possible, he would attend the meeting, but, if the Chamber was against the proposed road he would not go as its representative, as he was strongly in support of it. He moved that the letters from the Canterbury and Reefton Progress Leagues be received and that the Chamber cooperate with those bodies in their endeavours to get the road made. Mr A. Naylor seconded the motion which was carried. ENGINEER’S STATEMENT. Subsequently, at a social function at which.the President was host, Mr T. A. Johnston, District Engineer of the Public Works Department, stated i that he had just returned from Murchison and Maruia. Two days previously he had been on top of the Lewis Pass on the boundary between Westland and Canterbury. On the western side there was a track and a road had been graded years ago. On this side of the boundary the track was on the proper location, but he was unable to say what it was like on the other. One could not but be impressed by the possibilities of the route, as it was a very low saddle, presenting little difficulties, with no big rivers. Formation of the road had possibly been delayed by certain opposition in some quarters, or possibly the Government had not had the funds in the past to do the work. However, since the speaker had been on the Coast the Main Highways Board had had perhaps more funds at its disposal than previously, and he intimated that the possibilities of the proposed linking up of the 23 miles between the east and west by a road was worth further investigation.