MAIN ROADS CONTROL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18550, 7 November 1923, Page 11

MAIN ROADS CONTROL.

THE NORTHERN GROUP.

FIRST MEETING HELD. {»T TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHANGAREI. Tuesday. In accordance with the directions of the Highways Board, Mr. J. McEnnis, district engineer of the Public Works Department at Whangarei, convened a meeting of members of the District Council for No. 1 group this afternoon. Those present were: Messrs. J. L. Lane (Whangaroa), A- H. Long (Mangonui), R. B. Russell (Hokianpa), C. Nesbit, (Bay of Islands), W. Jones (Whangarei), V. Trounson (Hobson), R. Coates (Rodney), F. Hodgson (Rodney), P. Theet (Waitemata), and L. Cooper (secretary). The Mayor of Whangarei, Mr. D. McLean, and the chairman of the Whangarei County Council, both welcomed the visitors and expressed a hope that their deliberations would be profitable to a hitherto neglected part of the Dominion. The convenor outlined briefly the main points. y Mr. Jones said he intended to move that the Government bo approached to contribute half instead of one-third of the cost of maintenance of roads. He also regretted that the board had not set down an indication of the procedure required of tho district councils. Mr. Coates said the board probably intended to get the feelings of the 18 district councils upon the subject, and would then formulate a scheme of procedure.

Mr. McEnnis was unanimously elected chairman, and Whangarei was declared the headquarters. When touching upon the primary duty of classifying main and secondary roads and going into the question of estimates, the chairman said that a tour of inspection throughout the peninsular would be imperative. He suggested getting recommendations of what was required from the several counties, but it was decided to defer obtaining this information until the tour had been made. • *

There was considerable discussion ■} as to whether the main function of the council was to recommend a main arterial road from Auckland to the North Cape or whether it was to deal with the secondary roads, giving access to ports and railway. Finally Mr. Russell moved that in view of' the fact that the policy of No. 1 group of the Highways District Council was that of constructing roads that would provide facilities for increased production,' on which the national pros, perity depended, the council would defer declaring the main highways within the council territory until an inspection of main and secondary roads had been made. This, was carried unanimously. It was decided to invite Mr. F. W. Furkert, engineer-in-chief to the Public Works Department, to attend a meeting of the executive after the proposed tour.