MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 May 1925, Page 3

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

TARANAKI COUNCIL MEETS

NEXT YEAR’S EXPENDITURE,

At its meeting at Stratford yesterday the Taranaki Highways Council recommended an expenditure during the ewelve months ending March 31 next of roughly £75,000, £50,000 being the estimated cost of reconstruction work on the Auckland-Wellington main road in the vicinity of Awakino, and £IO,OOO being the estimated cost of a bridge across the Mokau river. There were present at the meeting

Messrs T. M. Ball (Public Works Engineer, in the chair), E. Long (Waimate West County Council), .1, B. Murdoch (Hawera County Council), C. J. Belcher (Eltham County Council), E. Walter (Stratford County Council), R. Stewart (Inglewood County Council), H. R. Piggott (Clifton County Council), and N. R. Cleland (Wliangamomona County Council). R RECONSTRUCTION EXPENDITURE. Estimated expenditure on reconstruction work was approved as follows, the full estimated cost of the work being stated in each case, but the Highways Board’s share being only half in all cases except those of the works proposed on the Government Road. No. 1 Highway (Auckland to Wellington). —Government Road between Mahoenui and Pukearulie junction £51,250. Mokau bridge on Government road £IO,OOO. Taranaki county’s portion of the same road £2915; Inglewood County’s portion £1542. No. 36 Highway (Lepperton to Ha* ivera, via Opnnake).—Egmont County’s portion, 9J miles of reconstruction and tarring, £9837. No. 37 Highway.—Junction Road, in the Inglewood County, £4150. No. 39 Highway.—Opnnake to Eltham. Egmont, County’s portion, £4550. No. 40 Highway.—Ohura Road from Kohuratalii to Tahora, in the Whangamomona County, £4389. Two small bridges on the same road £250. No. .41 Highway.—Manaia to Dawson Falls, 185 chains of widening and tarring, £330; Kapuni bridge. £II.OOO. It was stated that the Hawera, Waimate West, Eltham, and Stratford County Councils would not be submitting any estimates to come under the same heading, as their “main highways” were all tar-sealed. MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURE.

Maintenance expenditure for the ensuing yeav was approved of as follows, the board to pay a third of the cost: Clifton County, £2000; Inglewood County, £4739; Whangamoniona County, £750; Eltham County, £3300; fyaponga Town Board, £260; Opnnake Town Board, £150; Waimate West County, £835. ’/ It was stated that several applications had not yet come in t<s the council, and the executive committee of the council (Messrs J. S. Con nett, C. J. Belcher, E. Walter, and the chairman) were empowered to deal with Jate applications.

It was also decided to place a small amount on the estimates to cover the maintenace requirements of town hoards and boroughs, which had not yet indicated what their expenditure under this head, would be. Mr. Murdoch pointed out that in the case of certain work proposed in the Inglewood County the Highway Council should not approve of Inglewood going on with a scheme for which they had not yet raised the loan money. They might not get the loan money, and as a result would not only he unable to avail themselves of the highways fund, but would prevent another county in the highways district, which could get the money, from doing so. Mr. Stewart said that the Inglewood County Council was doing its best to raise the loan money as soon as possible. The chairman said it was also a question of viewing the matter from a provincial standpoint and doing the work most urgently required first. The chairman said that thp aim of the council should be to lay down an 18ft. road from Hawera to Inglewood, with perhaps a lesser width as the traffic diverged. ADDITIONAL HIGHWAYS REFUSED.

The chairman announced the Main Highways Board’s decision in respect of the three applications forwarded by the council alter its last meeting.He said that in respect of eight miles of the Rawhitirda Road in the Eltham county the Dominion board had decided to approve of the road being declared a main highway, but only as far as the Rawhitiroa post office, a distance of four miles. The board had further decided not to agree to the declaration as main highways of the Tikorangi Road and the continuation of the v Junction Road beyond Kaimata. Mr. Belcher said that the hoard evidently did not know much about the Rawhitiroa Road, as the Rawhitiroa post office had been burned down about twelve years ago Continuing, Mr. Belcher said he was thankful for small mercies, hut he could say that the Eltham County Council was very disappointed. He- said it seemed as though the district board was being treated like a child. It recommended certain roads as main highways, only to have the turned down. The portion of the Rawhitiroa Road which the Dominion Board had approved as a main highway was the best stretch, and it was the four miles beyond the site of the old post office on which assistance was most needed. The chairman said lie was a little disappointed over the matter himself. Mr. Piggott said it seemed an absolute farce to make recommendations.

Mr. Walter, however, said he thought that the previous speakers were a little harsh in their condemnation of the hoard on the iirst reverse. Last year the Rawhitiroa Road had been the- only road to he turned down. The chairman pointed out that each year the district highways boards wore given an opportunity of revising their lists of main highways. When a main highway had been brought up to a sufficient standard a county could take it over again and get another road declared a. main highway. Counties could not go on getting increases in the total mileage of main highways, otherwise in time every road in the countrv would he a main highway.