PROVINCIAL HIGHWAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20115, 28 November 1928, Page 13

PROVINCIAL HIGHWAYS

progress and problems.

tour by members of board. I HAURAKI plains improvements. [»IY TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.,] THAMES, Tuesduy. . The Main Highways Board, which is making its bi-annual tour of the North ' Island, arrived at To Aroha last evening. This morning the chairman of the I'iako County Council, Mr. W. R. Lowry, drew attention to the heavy cost entailed in the maintenance of tlio roads of the I'iako County. The council also asked for financial assistance in the cost of traffic inspection, especially in regard to the detection of offenders against heavy traffic by-laws.

Several members of tlio board commented on the improved loading activities of tho council in recent months, particularly emphasising their approval of the adoption of tlio board's system oI highway maintenance. Tlio I'iako Council was assured that tho finance for tho Wairero road was do■finitely arranged. The Government would Bud £IOSO and tho county council £350 At Paeroa and Ngatea tho members of tho board were obviously pleased to learn from Mr. W. Marshall, Mayor of Paeroa, and Mi*. E. L. Walton, chairman of tho Hauraki Plains County Council, of "the unqualified success of its highway roading policy." At Paeroa Mr. Marshall said this was wholly duo to the fine assistance «it' Messrs. L. B. Campbell and 0. G. Thornton, engineers to the Public Works department. "We have had real assistance from them," said Mr. Marshall, "but what wo valuo more is their practical encouragement and friendly help at a time when our borough could not afford to em-

piny an engineer." At Ng.itca Mr. Walton said "the Main Highways Board has proved au unqualified success in this district. Every reasonable demand wo have made has been granted and 1 can only speak in terms of gratitude of the way wo have been treated."

Tho minor requests of both bodies, together with the representation of matters of interest to the Ohinemuri County Council as represented by the chairman, Mr. H. M. Corbett, were promised full consideration.

The board left Ngatea at 4 p.m., en route for Coromandel, where on arrival p.;. 7 p.m. it dismissed problems of roadiug of tho Hauraki Peninsula, as submitted by tho Coromandel County Council.

To-nior.ow the board will confer with the Thames Borough and Thames County Councils prior to proceeding to Tauranga, yia Waihi. THE MOUNT ALBEET KOAD. BEQUEST MADE FOR SUBSIDY. [r.V TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE AKOHA, Tuesday. When tho Main Highways Board reached To Aroha last eve.iing it was met by members of the Mount Roskill Road Board, Auckland, who asked for the provision of a subsidy on th<» oi the pro. posed reconstruction in concrete of the Mount Albert Road, between Mount Albert and Royal Oak The acting-chair-man of the board, Mr. C. J. McKen/.ie, stated that tho request involved a departure from the board's well established policy for thn assistance of highway construction in the provision of subsidies for concreting sides of roads only. The request for the subsidising of the whole of a concreted road was rather a big order and would require consideration.