THE GORGE ROAD.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2076, 17 March 1922, Page 2

THE GORGE ROAD.

LOCAL BODIES CONFERENCE. LOAN OP £20,000 SANCTIONED, A conference of local bodies contributing to the Manawatu Gorge Road Board of Control met in Palmerston North yesterday to consider the question of sanctioning a loan of £20,000, to push on expeditiously the work of improving the Gorge Road. Over 80 delegates were present, representing "the Palmerston North Borough. Kairanga County, Woodville County, Dannevirke Borough, Pahiat.ua Borough, Woodville Borough, Feilding Borough, Oroua County, Dannevirke County,., Hangitikei County and Waipawa county. Mr. J. P, Nash M. P. presided. The chairman said they felt, as a Board, that in matters where the expenditure of large sums of money was required, it was only right and proper that the contributing local bodies should have some say. There were many, local authorities or boards set tip with full rating powers and the Gorge Road Board of Control enjoyed these privileges. It thought that when it was prepared to bring proposals forward and to push on with the work, it meant a large sum of money from the local bodies, and it was deemed advisable to have a conference of their representatives. The proposal was. one of urgent necessity, and ho hoped the reprosentativs would be able to report to their respective local bodies that {hey were fully in accord with it. The present proposal ! would not finish the work that had been outlined and approved. When this loan was expended another loan would be required to complete the job. The Board did not desire to exorcise: its privileges in the matter of raising loans, witljput first endeavouring to obtain unanimous support. The Board desired to arrange for a loan of £2O, I 000, arid' asked the bodies to find it. j) A statement that had been prepared showed what would be the liability of the respective bodies assuming (he £20,000 .jvas raised. It, would bo seen that under the loan scheme, an annual cost to the local bodies would lie much less than they were now payf ing. The statement as follows shows > the respective bodies’ yearly quotas t under the proposal, and present pay- > incuts being given in parenthesis:— > Palmerston North Borough 24% , basis, £4.500 principle £360 interest > and sinking fund (£720).; Kairanga { County Council, 109 0 basis. £2,000 £ principle, £l5O interest (£300); Pah- > iatua County and Woodville County, > the same. Dannevirke Borough S% basis, £1,600 principal, £l2O interest. £ (£240); Pahiatua and Woodville Bor- > ough. and Oroua County, the same: > Feilding Borough, 5%, £IOOO pritici- > pal, £75 interest (£150); Dannevirke Rangjtikei and Waipawa Counties 3 %, > £6OO principal, £45 interest (£9O). 5 These figures are based on the as- > sumption that the loan will be obtainJ ed at 6S per cent. The Chairman, i speaking of the work already done. saidi' the upper bridge had practically > to 1 be reconstructed. It had been abso- . luteiy unsafe. This work had cost ab. > out £1.765. The sum of £20,000 was t required to push on the work, but there might not be any necessity to > raise the whole of that amount. A QUESTION OF SUBSIDY, The Government had been vjjiving J the Board £1 subsidy for every £2 it i had contributed. It would have to > arrange With the Minister for Public 1 Works, if possible, for a subsidy on the > proposed new expenditure. The Gorge road was a national highway, and beiftg so, it became the duty of the Government to help in its upkeep. The 1 Board felt the Government should take over the road altogether and if a National Highways Bill came in this coming session, there was every possibility of the road being taken over. The Board had tried to get toll-gates erected, but was unsuccessful, Had it got them, there would have been no 1 necessity to ask for this money. The Highways Bill, if carried, would do away with that problem of taxing, and consequently the Board could not hope to get them. At the time, the Board told the Government that if assistance could not be given in that direction, it would have to help in finding money by way of a loan. Passing on, Mr. Nash said there had been much improvement in the Gorge road !and it was being made very safe.. It was not desired to carry on for a period of years at the present rate of progress, which was very slow, not- i withstanding the good work being j " done. If the Government said it would ' give a yearly subsidy of £1 to every v £2 up to a stated sum, it would enable the Board to spend about £5,000 a year. THE CHAIRMAN EXPLAINS. Mr. J. H. Vincent (Oroua County): What would be our position in the case of the Government bringing down the Highways Bill, in connection with the money already, expended on the Gorge? Mr. Nash: I take it that the local bodies would ask for a refund of the money spent. That would be the Board’s attitude. Whether it would get it back or not is another matter. A delegate: What would happen if the Highways Bill came into force after we had raised the loan? Mr. Nash: The Government would readjust that. Mr. Nash later said in reply to a question that all of the £20,000 would not be required immediately. Mr. Nash: We will ask the local bodies for the money. Instead of asking for the whole of the amount the Government would be asked to give ; a.subsidy. The local bodies could i get the money by way of rate or loan. , As far as "Palmerston North was concerned, it would be by loan, because in providing roads for the people, posterity should do its share. .Mr. Dobson (Dannevirke County): j How long would the work lake under existing conditions, and how long under the loan scheme.? Mr. Nash: If we carry on as wc arc doing now, it would take about 20 , years before wo could get through. , If we get £20.000 now and £20.000 , • later,.,the whole of the work would bo completed in about from four to five , years. , Mr. R. S. Chadwick, (Dannevirke j County), Mr. J. Linklater (Kairanga . County) and a Rangitikci delegate, , spoke supporting the raising of the j loan. THE LOAN SANCTIONED. Mr. C. Pt. Baker (Woodville County) then moved: “That this conference < . of delegates of local bodies contribut- 1 ing to the Gorge Board, approves of : the proposal of the Board to raise < £20,000 by way of a loan,” This was t seconded by Mr. Wilson (Pahiatua), t and carried unanimously. ( On the motion of Mr. C. R. Mears i ■I (Dannevirke) the following resolut- i ■ ion was carried:. “That this.canxejt-u