THE GREAT SOUTH AND ONEHUNGA ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9160, 15 September 1888, Page 5

THE GREAT SOUTH AND ONEHUNGA ROADS.

Thanks to the energy and judgment of the various local bodies concerned, the above main thoroughfares are in a better state of repair at the present time than they have I been for years past. The Onohunga road has ; received n. coat of broken metal over nearly J its whole length, and care was taken to pre- ■ vent the material from rolling about by pro- : viding fine scoria ash to bind it, which was ! spread over the broken metal soon after it. | j was laid. Where this was not done, the i j metal was compressed by a heavy roller I which was kept passing over it for a considerable time. The convenience of pedestrians lias also been considered, and an i i excellent footpath has Deer, constructed j I by the Mount Roskill Road Board from ] ' Coffey's Hili to the boundary of theOnehunga. , Borough. The Epsom and One-tree Hill I I Boards having done their share of this work j j some time previously, foot-passengers can j ! now travel on a wide well-formed footpath ; Irorn the Auckland wharf to the wharf at Onehunga. The Great South Road has also received a great deai of practical attention. - and many hills which were formerly " terrors' to those who had heavy loads, are now much easier to get over, notably wh.it is known as IScarrott's Hill. On this place a vast deal of expensive work was done, under the practical superintendence of the chairman of the One- j tree Hil! Board, Mr. Robert Hall, and for his ; valuable services rendered on this and other important works executed on the .South and , Onehunga roads, he has earned the thanks of the travelling public. The Mount Wellington Road Board are also doing good work on the section between I Penrose and the portage road, though there lias not been much broken metal placed on " : this portion as yet. Some excellent -work has i also been effected on the Otahuhu portion, i which has received a heavy coat of metal, ■ i broken at St. Ann's Bridge by the " unem- i i ployed." The Otahuhu Board has also j i bevelled the side track, and have made pro- : i visions for a capital side drive from the port- j \ age road to the township. The road is also ! I in good order through the J'apatoetoe and j Fast famaki lengths, but the same cannot be | said of the lengths allotted to Panakura i Valley anil Manurewa. These Boards have | charge of nearly five miles of the road, and | as tliev are small districts, and much ' of the land in an uncultivated state, and j i therefore rated low, it is difficult to see how j j these Boards will do the necessary repairs, I I and keep the road in order, especially as their resources have been hitherto taxed to the uttermost to keep their bye-roads in order. What has been done, however, has proved a great drain on the revenue of the respective districts, and they one and ail deserve to be appreciated by those whose interests have been so well served. It is satisfactory to know that the roaas Tiaving been taken over by the Boards upon fairly equitable lines, the question, which was a, burning one re these roads between them and the Government, has been amicably settled. In carrying out the above-mentioned im- | provements, the Kpsom Road Board has ■ suffered to a considerable extent, as most of , 1 } the heavy metal was carted over their by- ' I roads, and they are in consequence very much j cut up.