SEALING THE HIGHWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 4871, 16 February 1933, Page 3

SEALING THE HIGHWAYS.

HIM AT A NGI -RANG lOTU TO BE

COMPLETED,

NO. 1 .MAIN HIGHWAY neglected.

CONFLICTING OPINIONS.

If evidence were required in support of a National Highway Board to' control the main highways, it was forthcoming at Tuesday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council, when approval was given to the sealing of the ITirnatangiRangiotu highway to the absolute neglect of the Himatangi-Sanson portion of the Wellington- Auckland No. 1 Highway. This latter work was referred to in terms other than parochial by Cr. McKelvie. REPORT ON HIMiATANGTRANGIOTU SECTION.

The Chairman’s report was as follows: — “I have pleasure in reporting that after., repeated and persistent efforts on. our part, spread over a period of two and a-half years, the Highways Board Has now consented to the carrying out of surfacing work on the ajbovc road. An interview was recently held with the Highways Board officials in Wellington, and as a result an arrangement has been made whereby the type of work recommended by this council some eighteen months ago is to be adopted, namely, the ‘mix in place’ method. This class of work although not nearly as expensive a* ,‘hot- mix,’ will finish with a minimum .of li ins. of mixed material, and will not "cost more than three-coat.

sealing. , “Although this type of work has been extensively and successfully adopted in America, it. is new as far as this country is concerned, with the exception of a short length of road in the vicinity of Christchurch. This length of road has been laid down about twelve months and is giving every satisfaction. By arrangement, with the Highways Board the first mile of the road (from the Himatangi end) is being commenced immediately, and tenders will ,be. called for a further length as this work goes on.” Concluding,-Cr. Barber said: T would stress the point that interest and sinking fund for the council’s

. share of the cost will be no more than what -we have to pay at the ’present time as our share for maintenance.” . After the report had been read, Cr. J. Boyce' suggested that, there was a chance of the whole job be-

ing done. The chairman could not sav, as councillors were well aware of the peculiar circumstances attaching to the Highways funds. However, the Main Highways Board realised that the work had to be done and it had to be remembered thn.t the Manawatu County had been badly treated since the diversion of highwavs funds. MAIN HIGHWAY NEGLECTED. Cr. >T. F. McKelvie hoped that the council avus not losing sight of the necessity for sealing the main highway. The sealing of the Himatnagi-Sanson section, should be kept in view. If a side road was going to be tarred it. was not a good thing while a main-highway was -miring attention. The Chairman: The HimatnngiKangiotu road is a main highway. Cr. McKelvie: For very few. It is a highway which will not be used by the motoring public travelling between Auckland and Wellington, nor by the ratepayers a.t this end of the county. The Chairman: Admittedly. Cr. McKelvie: The condition of the riimaiangi-Sanson highway was talked of all through New Zealand. I believe that the section of highway between Turakina and Bulls is going to be sealed and there will then"be left this gap on the main north highway in the Manawatu County. The-Chairman: It is not our fault. If the Highways Board came to light and authorised the sealing of the 14 miles between Himatangi and Sanson and we got a guarantee from it as to funds, I for one would be prepared to go on. However, it was never done and I am not prepared to get the Council in the same position it got.into over the liangiotu road. Cr. McKelvie: 1 ain in favour of "Tabbing everv penny we can. CONFLICTING OPINIONS. The Chairman went on to say that the Highways Board had agreed that the treatment of the Rangiotu road was the first job to be done. Cr. J. Boyce felt it was no doubt a ,bit late to raise the HimatangiSanson issue, but he agreed with Cr. McKelvie that it was a very important highway. The Chairman: I am afraid it is too' late to take that attitude now. liad we taken it in the first instance it’would have been all right. Cr. Boyce: Yes, we appear to have little option as a council. We were practically told to go on with the Rangiotu job. The engineer pointed out that- the Rangiotu road was a road leading from a main centre. The chairman: If the Kangitikci had come at it earlier there would have been a claim on this end. Cr. Boyce: Horowhenua and Kairanga Counties, by sealing their highways really pushed us on to do the Rangiotii road. The engineer agreed that those works really influenced the attention given to the Rangiotu road and admitted that the position was different' 1 to-day. He ftgreed that the Himatangi-Sanson highway certainly fejuired sealing. ROUGHER THAN EVER.

The Chairman: Coming; up this morning; I found it rougher than ever before.

Cr. Bovee (jocularly-): Don’t spend so much money on it —let it get rough! Cr. W. E. Pearce: It is an abominable piece of road. The fact that the Rangitikei County is now proposing to seal the TurakinaBulls highway means that this piece of road has simply got to he done. The Chairman: The Highways Board will not look at it until the Rangiotu road is done. TRAFFIC TALLIES. Later the Chairman quoted from traffic tallies in reply to Cr. McKclvie’s question as to the necessity for the sealing of the Himatangi.Sanson highway. He said that the tallies revealed that the HimatangiRangiotu road carried 160 more vehicles per day than the HimatangiSanson section, Cr. McKelvie: That has nothing whatever to do with it. I am thinking of the travelling, public —the public travelling over the main north highway. There was a wee bit said about that traffic tally. My point is, that we should not lose sight of the completion of the main hiirhwav.

The Chairman : T sympathise with you very much, and I trust it will not he long before we get the through road dealt with. NATIONAL HIGHWAY.

Cr. McKelvie: My point is that ii is the real highway of New Zealand; I don’t like it to be said that the Palmerston North people have a tar-sealed road to their sea beach. The Chairman: They have got it. They have got the people; they have got the population and that affects the position.

Cr. Boyce: That’s; not much consolation to our ratepayers! The Chairman: That is so, but we have to go on with it. Cr. McKelvie: Yes, go on with it; and I only hope we get a sealed highway through Rongotea. I am not against spending money. The debate then concluded, following which the council passed resolutions authorising the work to l)e undertaken and covering financial arrangements.