TE KUMI ROAD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1223, 12 June 1919, Page 5

TE KUMI ROAD.

FORMATION NEEDED. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTIVE. Mr W. A. Lee addressed the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday night on the state of the Te KumiHangatiki road. Be said that about four and a-balf miles were as yet unformed and anmetalled, and if it were laid witb a limestone foundation and a top-dressing of river shingle the cost should be about £SOOO. That estimate might seem low, but tbere was ample metal and river sbingle only two miles away. One of the great difficulties was tbat two rating areas verged on to the road and a majority of the landowners interested were absentees, who, it was expected, would object to expenditure on the ground that as the road was a main arterial one, tbe Government should do tbe work. The resident owners, however, were in favour of rating the area and having the road properly constructed. Tbe Chamber might be able to persuade tbe Government to grant £ for £ subsidy, but the absentee owners asked for £2 subsidy for every £1 raised I locally. Tbat, of course, was hopeless. There was a tremendous futore in the district for the milk powder industry, but its encouragement depended on the existence of good roads. At present, ths circuit which the motor lorries would have to traverse was not complete, and until it became so, further developments were impossible.

Mr P. D. Hargreavns: Would it not be better to wait till the formation was completed ratber than apply now and be refused because the road was unformed? Mr Lee agreed. Be expressed bis disappointment with tbe attitude of the settlers and with tbe Government for having only given £IOOO instead of £4OOO as subsidy on the •mount already raised.

Mr Stedmsn moved that when tbe Waitomo County Council bad formed tbe road tbe Chamber should urge the Government to metal it as it was a main road, and would be a great benefit to the whole community. He thought the settlers in the district should be shown that the rates would not be nearly as high as tbey anticipated, and a rating scheme would probably be unanimously supported. This was seconded by Mr Mostyn Joncß and carried.