MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20172, 5 February 1929, Page 11

MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD.

NORTH AUCKLAND TOUR.

THE NEEDS OF SETTLERS

SEVERAL DEPUTATIONS MET

Members of the Main Highways Board yesterday commenced a comprehensive tour of North Auckland. The party, consisting of Mr. A. E. Jull, acting-chair-man, Messrs. J. Wood, C. J. Talbot, M. H. Wynyard and J. J. Gibson, members, Mr. W. A. Sutherland, secretary, and Mr. J. McEnnis, district engineer, was accompanied yesterday by Mr. A. M. Laing, chairman of the Waitcinata County Council, and Mr. A. Murray, engineer to the council.

Ihe first deputation was met at (he Whau Bridge, Mr. W. A. Gray, engineer to the New Lynn Town Board, explaining (lie difficulties encountered in commencing the new bridge. He said it was being delayed chiefly owing to the proposed canal scheme, which would be affected by the bridge. Mr. Jull suggested it was a matter between the engineer and tho Marine Department. Members of the board wero favourably disposed toward the erection of tho bridge. The board would telegraph to Wellington and a decision would be come to when they arrived back 011 Monday. Glen Eden Matters. At Glen Eden assistance was sought hv tho Town Board for the concreting of 150 chains of the West Coast Road within the board's area. The chairman, Mr. W. E. Martin, said the Auckland City Council and Waitemata County Council were willing to contribute toward a concrete road, although not bound, to do so. A loan proposal to do tho stretch in concrete would probably be carried. Application for a subsidy had been made last April, but nothing had yet been done. Mr. Jull su d the board would reconsider the matter.

Tlio chairman, Mr. W. 11. T. Lcighton, and members of (lie Henderson Town Board met the board at Henderson with reference to the concreting of a portion of the Lincoln Road. Tlio Auckland City Council had charged £3005 for concreting a portion of the road, said Mr. Lcighton, and tlie board had received no subsidy for this part of the work. They were asking for it pound for pound subsidy on the £3005 involved.

Mr. Wynyard said there must have been a misunderstanding with the City Council. The board had agreed to subsidise the concreting up to the junction, but did not consider concreting justified beyond that. A subsidy of pound for pound had been offered for doing the Lincoln. Road portion in bitumen.

Requests at Helensville. Mr. Lcighton said the board had not been advised that the City Council had agreed to a subsidy for bitumen and not for concrete on the Lincoln Road. "It seems strange that two years ago wo made a certain proposition to the City Council, and it has never been conveyed to you," said Mr. J nil. In view of the fact that they had not received the information the board would go into the. Tiictter again. There was « large gathering of ratepayers at Helensville, the MayoY, Mr. C. West, presiding. The matters placed before the board were the proposed Ohirangi deviation and the time ot the completion of the highway from Helensville to the Springs. It was stated that against the cost of forming the deviation and the construction of a bridge there would be a saving of one and a-quarter miles in paving. Settlers in the. south were anxious to see it finished, and were willing to contribute a reasonable share toward the cost.

Mr. Jull said the question of tlio deviation would receive the board's consideration, but while one. and a-quartcr jniles was a substantial reduction in distance to local people, it did not seem to warrant a large expenditure. No estimates had yet been prepared. He could not say when the Ilelensvillc-Springs Road would be completed. Last evening the board stayed at Walkworth.

MAIN NORTH HIGHWAY. INSPECTION BY BOARD. [by telegraph.—OWN correspondent.] DARGAVILLE, Monday. The Main Highways Board will be met to-morrow at Kaiwaka by the membeis and staff of the Otamatea* County Council, and together they will inspect the proposed route of the northern main highway between Kaiwaka and Maungaturoto. There will be a meeting of the Otamatea County Council with the board in (lie afternoon at Paparoa. Later the board will be met at the Hobson County boundary bv members of the council and a meeting will be held to-morrow eveninc. On Wednesday the members of the board will continue their tour north via the Waipoua Forest. At a recent meeting of the No. 1 Highways Council it was decided that, rather than bring fresh requests before the board, the counties should concentrate on getting finalised the proposals which li«i\e been adopted and recommended by the council. Among the requests to be made to the board is one which affects both counties, namely, that the grant" for the maintenance of the Dargavillc-Muungatu-roto highway be increased to £6 for ill, instead of £3 for £l, as at present. The Hobson County will also ask for an increase in the grant to make possible the completion of the Wititai-Tokatoka deviation, and that the main highway be extended from Te Kopuru to Green Hill quarry. , While the board is in Dargaville (lie Mayor, Mr. F. A. Jones, will have some requests to make on behalf of the borough. Mr. Coates is accompanying the board on its Lour of the Kaipara electorate.