WORK ON NORTH ROAD IMPORTANT: MINISTER’S PROMISE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22821, 16 December 1948, Page 4

WORK ON NORTH ROAD IMPORTANT: MINISTER’S PROMISE

“You can have my assurance that improvements to ttie GisborneWhakalane via Waiocka State highway arc viewed as a work of considerable Importance, particularly in the absence of a railway line.” stated tiie .Minister of Works, Mr. ft. Semple, in a letter received at last night’s meeting of too Gisborne Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Semple's letter was in reply to a resolution passed at a joint meeting of the Gisborne and Auckland Chambers of Commerce asking for improvements to Gisborne’s northern outlet. “As you are aware, a certain amount of work is at present in hand on the route at some of the worst portions iTrafford’s Hill and the head of the Waioeka Gorge', and I am in full sympathy with tiie desire of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce to see the scope of this work enlarged and expedited.” stated Mr. Semple. “You will realise, however, that the improvement of the Waioeka Gorge is a work of very considerable magnitude involving extensive reinforced concrete and crib walling and heavy rock work. All this work requires a considerable amount of material and a fairly large establishment of skilled labour for any forward move on this particular work to be accomplished on a satisfactory scale.” Demands on Labour. The Minister continued: “With tiie present need i’er hydro-electric works and State housing, the demands of this type of labour, which is in short supply, preclude the opening up of such work as the improvement of the Waioekn Gorge on a large scale, but I can assure you that when the position eases the matter of putting this work in hand will receive full consideration.”

The president of the chamber, Mr. T. A. N- Corson, was of the opinion that the Minister should be asked for a definite assurance that he would keep the machinery and men at present being employed on the road between Te Karaka and Opotiki, at work on that road, even when the present reconstruction was finished. Also, new machinery should be put on to the work as soon as possible. He moved that Messrs. D. W. Coleman and W. Sullivan, M.P.’s, should be asked to obtain this assurance from the Minister. Great Deal To Be Done.

There was still a great deal of work to be done, particularly in the Waioeka Gorge, said Mr. Corson. He felt sure that many corners could be knocked off without steel and concrete having to be used.

The main thing was to have the machinery and manpower on the spot and to obtain more as soon as possible, so that the work could be expedited and Gisborne’s northern outlet brought up to a comparable level with other roads in New Zealand.” Mr. C. H. Cooper thought that the chamber should assume that the Minister did desire to carry on the reading work in the district as quickly as possible. "Put yourself in the place of the Minister. You would get very tired of being heckled at by the Chamber of Commerce ail the time,” said Mr. Cooper. If it was found that Mr. Semple was going to take the machinery out of the district, that was the time for the chamber to start questioning him, continued Mr. Cooper. On the chairman’s motion being put to the meeting it was carried, with Mr. Cooper dissenting.