WHIROKINO HIGHWAY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 120, 17 April 1930, Page 7

WHIROKINO HIGHWAY.

DEPUTATION WAITS ON MINISTER. SYMPATHETIC HEARING. ’ (From Our Own Correspondent.) Members o£ the local Chamber of Commerce waited «ipon Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister for Public Worß, yesterday in connection with the WJurokino-F&xton .-ection of the Wellington-Auckland main highway. The deputation was introduced by Mr J. Linklater, M.P. ' Mr J. K. Hornblow (president) stated that this portion of the main highway was subject to periodically flooding and traffic was at such times diverted many miles off its course. The highway when impassable cut off direct communication south of Foxton. This . was detrimental and prejudicial to Foxton. Tho request was that, failing the sanction of the proposed river cut within a reasonable time, tho Government, in view of the national importance of tho highway, sanction a grant for raising the three-quarters of a mile of the highway above flood level. Mr Hornblow outlined a suitable course for tho road to take on higher ground than at present and said he had been given to understand that the work of raising tho road would not present any great engineering difficulties. It had been suggested that culverts bo placed in the ramp at suitable points along the road to allow the water to get away during flood, time so that there would not bo any great backing up of the water. The Minister stated that the request seemed to be a reasonable one and he was prepared to place the matter before the Highways Board. They had been called on to consider tho raising of highways in many parts of the country, although none of tno places had boon of such a serious nature as that outlined by the deputation. The raising of the road in such circumstances had been recommended as the be/t means of keeping traffic open. He understood, however, from the remarks of the speaker that the raising of the Whirokino Road was only asked for in the event of the proposed scheme formulated by the Manawatu-Oroua Board not being Eonc on with. . Mr Hornblow: That is so. If the scheme is carried out tho menace will be done away with. , , , - , , , Mr Ransom said that he had been over the road in flood time before the posts had been erected along the highway as a guide to motorists and ho had been very glad,to get out of the flood water. He had not known the road very well and had been unfortunnto enough to meet another car .n the middle, but luckily the driver of the other vehicle knew the road better than he did and had pulled off Xo allow him to PB Mr Linklater: We have all experienced that difficulty I think. . Prior to the deputation withdrawing, Mr Hornblow expressed tho chamber’s sympathy with Sir Joseph Ward In his illness and wished him a speedy return to health an The kl Minister thanked the chamber for its sympathy and good wishes on Sir Joseph’s behalf which he would be pleased to communicate to him. He also stated that Sir Joseph appeared to be making good progress towards recovery and had lately been able to walk about.