GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19124, 16 September 1925, Page 12

GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

DIFFICULTIES OF FINANCE. MANUKAU COUNTY PORTION. COST TOO MUCH FOR RIDINGS. Difficulties in connection with roading matters in tho Mannkau County were discussed at a meeting of the County Council yesterday. A request was received from a meeting of ratepayers in tho Turanga riding that tho following roads should bo. recommended for declaration as main highways: —l. The road from tho junctiou of the Great South Road at tho Harp of Erin, leading from Ellerslie, Panmure, Howick to Whitford. 2. Tho Tamaki-Howick Road, from its intersection with the Great South Road, past the East Tamaki depot, and via Saleyards Road, to intersect with the 110 wick-Whitford Road. 3. The road from Weymouth, via Manurewa, Alfriston, Brookby, to its intersection with tho Howick-Whitford Road. 4. Tho Papakura-Clevedon Road, from its intersection with the Great South Road to Clevedon township. 5. The road from, tho Mangere Bridge, via Coronation Road, McKenzie Road, Kirkbride Road, Massey Road, Buckland Road, to Station' Road West, in the Papatoetoo Town District. 6. The road in tho Papatoetoo Town District known as Station Road West, Station Road East, and via Carruth Road and Puhinui Road, to tho intersection of the latter with tho Great South Rpad. The Works Committee recommended that the ratepayers' request bo complied with. The chairman, Mr. F. M. Waters,, said the council was up against it. All its roads had to stand an enormous amount of traffic. Tho council's portion of tho Great South Road was typical. It was manifestly unfair to expect the two ridings to meet the cost of reconstructing this road. Other assistance should be given by the Government' in addition to that contributed by tho Main Highways Board. The county councils in tho Wellington and Taranaki districts were receiving much greater assistance' than the councils near Auckland. No. 2 council had taken up the attitude that each council could finance only one main highway in each district, but the other councils did not work on the samo principle, and a great mileage had been declared main highways. It' had been stated, continued Mr. Waters, that the county council .would benefit greatly by the new heavy traffic license fees, but as a matter of fact the council was really no better off. Mr. G. H. Morrison said the Great South Road could never bo made by county finance. The counties would not sanction a loan, and the road should really bo a national highway and constructed with national finance. The county engineer, reporting later on the Great South Road, said that repairs had been temporarily discontinued pending further supplies of metal. Pile-driv-ing at tho Win Bridge was to bo commenced shortly. Traffic had been diverted to tho temporary bridge, and tho old structure dismantled. The Great South Road Improvement Association wrote asking what steps the council was taking in connection with tho proposal to lay down an experimental stretch of the Great South Road at Papatoetoe, and to assist if it should be necessary to hold a poll. It was decided to reply that the council did not propose to do anything at the present time.