THE MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 September 1928, Page 2

THE MAIN HIGHWAYS.

HOROWHENUA COUNTY'S POSIx TION. A meeting of the Main Highways Board was to have been held on Thursday, when it was expected that consideration would be given to the. strong ease put up by the Horowhenua County Council for more liberal subsidies than those hitherto offered. In addition to the action taken by the County chairman (Mr Monk), the strongest representations have been made to the Government by the members for the districts affected. The following letters from Mr W. H. Field, M.P., for Otaki, show what has been done in this direction: — - NO FURTHER LOAN-.WOULD BE CARRIED. The Hon. Minister for Public Works, Wellington. Dear Sir,—l strongly urge that immediate reconsideration and a reply shall be given to the offer of the Horowhenua County Council for settlement of -their .financial difficulty with the Main Highways Board. There is very strong feeling throughout the County that the Council's offer is under the circumstances a most liberal one; indeed, many ratepayers I believe, hold that they a-Te offering too much.. If the offer is accepted I am informed that the nott result will be that Jhe Board is providing £2 2s for every £.l supplied by the County ratepayers on the whole main road system of the County... The Horowhenua Caunty Main Road is, as you know, a national arterial highway, carrying enormous traffic, •of whieh but a very small section originates or ends in the County itself. lam assured that if the County, instead of getting to work at the beginning to meetthe exigencies of traffic, had held back and neglected their main road, as I believe other Counties did, they would today be £2OOO a year better off. I notice by the papers that there are Counties which are even refusing the £3 for £1 now being offered by) the Main Highways Board.. The present .position is that the Horowhenua County receives little or no benefit from the increased petroji tax, ..beyond aixteclaration of a few short lengths of subsidiary highway, which do not immediaitely require ajny large expenditure upon them. It is quite certain that no further loan would be carried by the ratepayers, and the County would have to close down its main road activities,, sell up its plant and material, put numbers of valuable expert men out of employment, and generally destroy its excellent main road organisation. This, as you and the Board will be aware, would be little short of a disaster. — Yours faithfully, W. H. FIELD. September 18th, 1928. .• FAIR SETTLEMENT ASKED FOE. The Chairman, -Horowhenua County Council, Levin. Dear Sir,—l have, as you know, had many interviews with you and others and also with the Minister for Public Works, with the object of securing a fair settlement of the Council's difficulties with the Main Highways Board. One evening last week, I think on Tuesday or Wednesday, you and Or. Jensen waited on me at the Parliamentary Buildings, ai.VL. (after discussing the situation, you asked that Mr er and I should wait on the Minister for Public Works, and if possible Obtain the acceptance by the Main Highways BoaTd of the Council's recent offer in its entirety, as being the only possible w.ay out of the difficulty. I. at once saw Mr Linklater and he and I had a long interview with the Minister on Thursday last. He expressed himself sympathetically and favourably, and said he *vould lose no time in conferring with the Main Highways Board. Mr Linklater and I made it quite plain' that nothing short of an acceptance of the Jeuncil's proposal would be of any use. On Thursday evening last, soon after that interview, I wrote you reporting what had taken place. I addressed .the.,letter..to-, Riki- ■ orangi, but am afraid you could not ha\e received it because I notice*, that no mention was made of it during tke discussion at the Council's last meeting. Having heard nothing further from the Minister, I wrote him yesterday a letter eopy of which I enclose. To-da.y I have seen him again and gather that no 'definite - reply can be furnished until the next meeting of the Main Highways Board, which I understand takes place to-morrow. I have good hopes that the reply will b-3 a favourable "one.—Yours i'ait.hfullr> W. H. FIELD. September 19th, 1928. Mr Field alsj sent the Minister the Levin "Chronicle's" reports of the Council's meeting, with a strong covering letter.