MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 August 1924, Page 8

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETING. A meeting of the No. 7 District Highways Council was held at Stratford yesterday. There were present: Messrs. T. M. Ball (chairman), AV. Green (Egmont), J. B. Murdoch (Hawera), C. H. Belcher (Eltham), R. H. Piggott (Clifton), E. Long (AVaimate), it. Stewart (.Inglewood) and R. Clelainl (Whangamomona). Apologies for absence were received from Alessrs. E. Walter (Stratford) and Connett (Taranaki). GENERAL. On the motion of Messrs. Green and Long it was decided to recommend to the Alain Highways Board that payment of subsidies to county councils be made as from April 1, the date upon which main highways were declared. Replying to the council’s letter, the Alain Highways Board intimated with regret that the request that the time covered by each year’s estimates be extended from 31st March to 30th June could not be acceded to. Dealing with the letter, a. discussion ensued during which members expressed the opinion that, in cases where the full amount of moneys allocated were not expended prior to the end of any financial year, applications for the ensuing year should not lie affected thereby, and bn the motion ■«f Me 'ssrs. Alurdoeh and Piggott the following recommendation was adopted : “That when a local authority undertakes to carry out certain work, and an allocation is made for the same, even providing that the local body is unable to complete the work before March 31, the work be allowed to proceed after "hat date until the amount allocated is expended.'’ Replying to the council’s communication, the Main Highways Board advised that the delegations in the cases of certain town boards had been overlooked. Normanby and Kaponga were town districts included within the county, so that :n those two cases, delegations were not necessary. Deeds of delegation were enclosed in regard to roads within the areas of Manaia and Opunake.—Received. Advice was received from the Alain Highways Board that at its meeting on July 31 the board had decided to grant assistance towards the cost of maintenance of the section of the Auckland-Wellington highway passing through Waitara borough. *" In communicating the decision to the Waitara borough, the council was requested to draw attention to die fact that the assistance to be granted by the hoard was in connection with maintenance only, and the amounts payable by the board would be computed fit a rate per mile of the length of road concerned not exceeding the v a te per mile paid in respect to maintenance and repair of the adjoining main highway.— Received.

Writing with regard to maintenance in the Clifton County Council, the chairman of the Alain Highways Board pointed out that that portion of the road on which the county was claiming a contribution was excluded from the declaration, as it was controlled by a tod-gate. Until it had actually been decided to aholish the toll-gate, the Gld ton County would not receive a contiibution from the Alain Highways Board. At the same time, it would be as well to include it in the estimate •schedule, showing that such was subject to the abolition ot the toll-o-ate —Received.

EG MONT COUNTY ROADS. The Egniont County Council wrote asking lor permits ion to reconstruct, widen to IS I'oet, and bitumen seal the nit ham Road from ;ls junction with the Main South Road to the Taungalaia River, a distance of about 5fl() chains, the estimated cost beinoCl 2,9(56 15s. The chairman said that as the estimates had already been prepared and the expenditure of considerable amounts had been incurred by the Kgmont County, he had taken no action in the matter. Mr Green said the Egniont County had done a great deal of preparatory work which had to. be charged against oidmarv revenue, as they had no authority to expend loan monev They had already taken up £IO,OOO of their loan money, and would shortly have tO ( lift another £IO,OOO, and it 'was inIdei able that they should have to meet die interest charges without having the use of the money. To allow them to proceed with the work, the. Board or the Minister should grant authority to use the loan money on the understanding that the expenditure would lie duly lioiUMiied and subsidised when the Hoard commenced operations. Mr Stuart intimated that the lixdewood Comity'was also in an uufoitunate position, their work being held un pending the declaration as a main mb way, as requested, of the road con■.railed by the \Ysi.ipuku toll gate. Mr Murdoch said the. council should taxe action in the matter, and su«--ijC.sted that the Board be requested to dace in a satisfactory position eases such as the Egniont. and Inglewood councils, cith-ar by having the Act amended or by soeeial legislation —\ lesolution to that effect was seconded \V liolcher and adopted. W.UPCKLi TOLR GATE. Mr Stuart requested consideration ol the Inglewood County Council’s toll gate, winch the councy wished abolished in order that the road controlled I could he declared as a main highway and receive the benefit of the construction subsidy. He moved that the ro.meii recommend the aholitie.ii of the gate and the immediate declaration, as a main highway, of the road between Inglewood and the Stratford Couutv houndary, Mr Murdoch, while net opposed to the principle of the motion, considered that the council should take action only after receipt of a lequest from die local b.dy concerned. Mr Belcher concurred in Jdtis opinion, and said he did not think there was any objection to the abolition ol Lull gates piovided that the comity counciis affected received some, compensation lor the construction work al.eady completed. Mr Gieeit .referred to the present difficulty confronting the Egniont Comity, and advised that before* definitely icq nesting that the gate be abolished, the luglewo-.d County should ascertain the position which would obtain concerning the immediate expenditure: of its loan money, and also whether the length of road would be scheduled r.s a main highway. Tliev might possibly lose both toll gate ievenue and the construction' subsidy. However, he strongly favoured the abolition of all toll gates. Mr Long was also emphatic in his condemnation of the pnnciple which permitted one comity council and not another to ieceive lienefit from toll gate revenue and considered they should all be done away with, Mr Murdoch further thought the recommendation should not lie adopted in the. absence of the Stratford representative. The chairman said that the length of road in question was in a very bad

condition. Its .reconstruction was one of the most urgent works required in the council’s area. He proposed that, without referring further to the toll gate question, the council bring to the notice of the Highways Board the urgent necessity of immediately proceeding with the reconstruction, leaving the necessary action to the hoard. This met with the approval, of the council, it being finally decided to call the attention of th c Highways Board to the bad condition of the AucklandWellington highway between Waipuku and Inglewood, on which,' under present conditions, the Inglewood County was unable to carry out its reconstruction proposals, and that the board he requested to take whatever steps may be necesasry to enable tire local body to proceed with the work, and to receive the construction subsidy.