ROADING PROBLEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15639, 19 June 1914, Page 8

ROADING PROBLEMS.

north ISLAND wants. | premier sympathy;;?. [BT TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER.] Te Kern, Thursday. The control of the main roads of the DoI minion was mentioned to the Prime Min- '■ ister by a deputation from tho Te Kuiti j Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. | Mr. Mostyn Jones, chairman of tho i Chamber of Commerce, made special reI ference to the fact that there are at preI sent two gaps in the main road from Wellington to Auckland. There was a road, he said, from Wellington to within about 20 miles from To Kuiti. There was then a hiatus of about 15 miles which required' forming, and north of Te Kuiti there was another length of about three miles which needed forming. Eighteen miles of reading was thus required to provide an unbroken road between Auckland and Wellington. j

In regard to the proposal that the Government should take over the control of the main roads, Mr. Jones said that whatever the opinion was in other parts of the Dominion, the neonlp in the Province of \nckland, and tho greater part of Taranaki. were strongly in favour of it. Mr. Massey said that the Government's Hill dealing with the roading question would be introduced earlv in the coming session. Th« ma'""" question was a very ■nportairt one. Thero was a strong de--orr.A in other countries for New Zealand produce, but if the farmers were to make ,Un best use of their land they must have better roads. Motor traffic was a special matter which would need attention.

'1 Tic Government intended to ask Parliament for additional loan monev for (Vie nnroose of making roads. He thought that the road from Auckland to Wellington should bo As to the question of Government control of the main roads, he had been rather surprised at the extent of the opposition to the suggestion, but Parliament would be given an opportunity of dealing with the question.