GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15603, 8 May 1914, Page 8

GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

. T ■■■'•', J ■'■■■■'S.'~ : THE COST OF MAINTENANCE, V EPSOM TO OTAHUHD, ; ?: COMMISSIONER TO INQUIRE v :"i The question of the construction'ma 4 maintenance of the Great South Road „ ' 1 long been a matter of concern to manY 1 small local bodies with limited incoraei • and the thoroughfare in many parts is in I a bad state of disrepair. Recently, repre, H Fentations were made to the Government' on the subject, as a result of a conferees' 1 of delegates of local bodies, convened by the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J Parr). The Government has now set up • a commission to inquire into the question of the construction and maintenance of the Great South Road from its junction with Manukau Road, Epsom, to the Otahnhu township. Mr. W. S. Shorfe (Assistant Under-Secretary to the Publj a Works Department) has been appointed commissioner, and he will commence to take evidence at the Magistrate's Court Auckland, on May 12.

In a communication which lias been sent! to the local bodies concerned, th.9 commis< sioner states: That he has been appointed by the Governor, under section 109 of tlio Public Works Act, 1908, and section 12 of the Public Works Act, 1909, to inquire into the cost of maintenance of the Great South Road, from Epsom to the boundary of the Otahuhu Borough, so that the costmight be apportioned between the local authorities whoso districts were bounded by, or benefited by, the existence of the thoroughfare.

" I have been instructed," proceeds thl commissioner, "to inquire which local authority could most conveniently and' efficiently control the whole, or portion, of the Great South Road, and what proportion of the cost of maintaining, repairing, improving, or constructing the sama should, in my opinion, be provided and. paid by each local authority; . the traffic from whose district largely uses, or whosq district is benefited by the said road " Local Bodies Interested.

In conclusion, tho commissioner asks the local bodies to be represented at tha inquiry, and to adduce before him such evidence as would, in their opinion, be sufficient to support their respective views of the case.

The local bodies interested in this pertion of the Great South Road are tha Remuera Road Board, Mount Wellington Road Board, Ellerslie Town Board, and One-tree Hill Road Board, but several other local bodies which are benefited by the thoroughfare will also give evidence before the commissioner.

Preparatory to the inquiry, the commissioner has given instructions that a tally of the vehicular traffic over the road should be taken for the guidance of the commission. For this purpose six tally-clerks are now engaged in making a count Three of the men are engaged in this work at the Otahuhu end of the road, and three at the Epsom end. They commenced their duties at 7 a.m. last Saturday, and they will conclude their tally at the same hour next Saturday. The men are working in eight-hour shifts, so that a register of tha wheeled traffic throughout the 24 hours each clay may* be taken. • Position of Otahuhu Borough. Mr. Short's letter came before the meeg. ing of the Otahuhu. Borough Council on Wednesday evening. •'-'■*• '-•; The Mayor (Mr. A. considered that it was very wrong that the council should have been cited in this matter! If it had been asked to co-operate in dealing with the Great South Road between Auckland and Hamilton it would have been willing to t- *-.e a large share of responsibility, but tne matter now before them was one entirely for the different road boards concerned. ~■•' " V ; It was suggested by one member thai) counsel should be engaged to represent the borough at the inquiry. Finally, tha whole matter was referred to the Finance, and Legal Committee, with power to act.