Queenstown-Kingston Road.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3967, 23 September 1930, Page 4

Queenstown-Kingston Road.

AGAIN BEFORE SOUTHLAND LEAGUE. At the monthly meeting of the Executive of the Southland League last Thursday the question of the resumption of v work on the QueenstownKingston road was given prominence. The following extract from our contemporary, the Southland Times, re ports how the matter was brought up: “The Hon. A. F. Hawke forwarded a copy of a letter from the Prime Minister concerning the KingstonQueenstown road. The letter stated that Cabinet had considered the matter and had decided that the work would have to stand over for the present. In his covering letter Mr Hawke stated that he had replied asking that the road be put beyond the Staircase.

In a further letter in reply to Mr Hawke’s representations, the Minister of Public Works stated that prior to the decision being made to cease work on this road, the whole question had been very thoroughly considered by Cabinet and it had been decided that it would be inadvisable to expend any further Government moneyon this road at the present time. The decision had been made only after every aspect of the matter had been thoroughly considered. The chairman remarked that the position looked to be somewhat hopeless, but it would be advisable to support the action taken by Mr Hawke. In reply to questions, Mr Longuet said that the road had been formed for 30 miles and only three or four miles required to be formed to complete it. Mr Russell said that £30,000 had been spent on the road and at present this expenditure was serving no useful purpose. ' Mr Drewe said that ’the remainder of the road would cost a very large sum to cut.

It was agreed that the wors' portion of the road remained to be done. Mr Drewe said he believed that the completion of the road would not be to the advantage of Queenstowni. Mr Willett remarked that the Queenstown Progress League was in favour of the road being completed. Mr Ritchie said that at present it was a difficult matter to transport motor cars to Queenstown by lake stGciuiGr* It was decided to forward to Mr Hawke copies of the previous correspondence which contained ah the arguments in favour of completion of the road.

Mr Ritchie said that at the present time the best argument that could be put before the Minister was that the heavy expenditure already undertaken on the road would be wasted unless the road was completed. The meeting appointed Mr Ritchie to collaborate with the secretary'(Mr J. S. Dick) in providing Mr Hawke with the information asked for.’