METALLED ROADS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1934, Page 6

METALLED ROADS

: , y r y. ' . 7: \ "... . BETTER ACCESS FOR .SETTLERS

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY

WELLINGTON, August 6,

The mileage of roads metalled and formed by the Public Works Dep «jt-. rpent during the year ended 3Vfarch 31 last constituted a record. Figures supplied hy the Minister (the Hon. J. Bitchcner) to-day ®hmv that the road* metalled totalled 710 miles and the roads formed 260 milc-s, Jll addition many bridges were built, these representing. 7900 lineal feet. Although the ' details,.-, are not . available, a large proportion of this development work ha,? been done in backcountry districts. Ever since he has been responsible for the administration of the Public Works Department, M,r Bitehener has given much thought and time to the possibility of improving road access for settlers in out-of-the-way district's, and his best efforts have been directed towards giving relief to these people. . He defined this, policy in his last Public Works statement.

“During visit*} *>f inspection.” he diid. “I have been impressedwith the number of. settlers, many of whom have been established for considerable periods, who are dependent on unmetalled roads tor access to their holdings. The difficulty of carrying on farming operations with indifferent access needs no mention, and it is my desire., to .continuel,-the policy of my predecessors! by .'lussi,sting j < such., isolafed and established; settlers, as much fIS possible. Eyen aMthin cO ting of. metal of 79ft to 10ft width would ..afford ■cpnsiderabie relief, and -bn,:-those sicle roads which serve perhaps only two nv three settlers, and where traffic is light, such relief could bv this means be riven at a much smaller cost than would be occasioned by the construction of the full-width metalled road of standard .’depth, and available reading funds thus be made 'to go much further than -it nresent.”