A FAIR OFFER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10474, 3 January 1928, Page 4

A FAIR OFFER

FOR. OTOKO-MATAWAI HIGHWAY SECTION,

SrnSIDY OF £3 FOR £1

An offer of a subsidy of £3 for -1 has been made by the Main Highways Board to the Wnikohu County to reconstruct and metal ihe Dtoko-Matawai section of the GiC borne-Mot.u main highway running through Dig county to the*-required standard. Thus far the local body has not formally accented ■ the offer but the council has found its contribution towards this season’s expenditure, and therefore the reconstruction of the route to accepted standards should proceed unchecked. It will cost nearly LM 0,000 to bring the i Utuko-Matawai section of the highest 11 ** to specifications, according to Mr. Tyndall engineer to tli© Highways Board. . J The hoard recognises that, the J, usual basis of construction would not pppl.v equitably. The., settlers did -tF upt need, for their own use, a road \ oi so costly a nature as the through mghiyay, it was, argued, and the yy uh.t.v OmSncil ' had Expressed its inability to contribute to the cost on a basis of £i f or £l. It was suggested finally that if the council would find a.quarter of the money necessary to regrade end metal this section of road..the HighBoard would find the balance. ■ " e ,i':'! ol, hty .Council’s contribution, on basis, would no more than equal the cost, under the conditions which had existed in the past, of pot--lnK down a strip of metal barely sufficient to meet the absolute essen--11 vp settlement. , ” Gds road were situated right off , “no of a main highway, Air. Tynpail observed, the county would have -< ? metal it some day in order to gn-e its ratepayers access in the winter - H would do this perhaps with fU-U for £ subsidy from the Public . ij S utl ds. and when complete it "oiilcl give the settlers bare service ana no more. Yet the cost to tie ■purity Council, under that arrangement, would be no less than it promis^cl, to be under . the Highway Foard s offer, while tjhe county as a .Whole, and the settlers along the • oute in particular, would enjoy the • use of the road infinitely better from an points of view. .Further, there "'as the fact that completion of 1 His section would bring much through traffic, and also would encourage the greater use of freight -transport by motor lorry, . When all- the advantages were considered, it would, fie seen that the countv must benefit considerably from tfie buildings of the road. / ~ "v r