PAVING OF HUTT ROAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19144, 9 October 1925, Page 10

PAVING OF HUTT ROAD.

QUESTION OF THE COST. DISSATISFIED MOTORISTS. "If we have any backbone we should tell the motorists to go to the devil." In these words, Mr. J. W. McEwan, of I'etone, summed up a request by Mr. S. G. Nathan, of the Wellington Automobile Association, to have an independent audit madfe of the cost of paving the Hutt Road under the scheme of the Wellington City and Suburban Highways Board, over which there has for some time raged a controversy. Mr. Nathan said at a meeting of the board this week that there was a feeling of dissatisfaction among motorists in respect to the replies given by Mr. H. D. Bennett to critics of the board in respect to the cost of paving, and the Wellington Automobile Club was prepared to assist in financing a thorough investigation to see what the actual cost of the work was. The interests of 1200 motorists was involved in hn club. The Mayor: You question the figures ? Mr. Nathan: That is so. The Mayor: You may call for any return and it will be furnished. But surely you do not suspect that the auditor— Mr. Nathan; No, I do cot question that. We question the whole charge made. "Mr. McEwan said that he considered that the motorists had received full value for the 30* tax which they had orginaliy agreed to pay. Later they had come again for an additional 25 miles of road to be constructed. Now they were beginning to squeal about the cost of laying down the road and, knowing nothing about it, they had come to the board. Mr. A. J. McCurdy: It is the start of the fishing season. Mr. McEwan: Yes; it is a fishing expedition. We ought to tell them to go to the devil. Mr. Nathan: We want the fees before we go to the devil. Mr. McEwan: T think the motorists have got the softest thing in their lives. Instead of being critics they should assist with the job. The Mayor explained that as the representative of the motoring interests Mr. Nathan was entitled to secure any information that might be required by the association. The matter then dropped,