ROADS IN THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20465, 17 January 1930, Page 12

ROADS IN THE NORTH.

CONDITIONS FOR MOTORISTS.

SOME CARS IN TROUBLE. HIGHWAY BOARD'S ACTIVITIES. Motorists who have visited the northern districts during the past few weeks have expressed surprise at the very favourable conditions they have experienced in general, according to a report received from the touring manager of the Auckland Automobile Association yesterday. A service officer of the association has recently completed a tour of the northern roads, and bis report states that miles and miles of old-timo clay tracks have been transformed into good highways, and that there are now only one or two links to be completed in the northern highways for the whole system north of Maurigaturoto and Waipu to bo connected, to form a real all-weather route. The recent changes and the favourable reports received have, however, led to the undoing of many unwary motorists. Big Programme Undertaken.

Tho real trouble is tho short gap in the lowor North, according to tho touring manager of tho. Automobile Association, who received reports stating that five cars had become bogged between JTelcnsville and Wellsford yesterday afternoon. Similar conditions were prevailing on the east coast routes. The Main Highways Board had undertaken a very big programme of road transformation in tho North 'Auckland district, and now that the connection of the metalled areas was Hearing completion motorists were inclined to become a little impatient. Had the weather over the Christmas season mid the early summer been at all favourable the clay routes would have been graded and would have afforded comfortable travelling. The three most outstanding features contributing toward the recent bad conditions were: Firstly, tho wet weather; Secondly, the enormous increase in motor traffic which clay roads naturally could not hold in wet weather; and, finally, the fact that many of the routes were under construction, necessitating new cuttings aifd soft fillings, which again proved very troublesome in wet weather. These factors had combined to make the position in the lower North very unfavourable.

Allocations Overspent. A difficulty with which the Main Highways Board had been faced was that its engineers in the district had been so enthusiastic in their work that they had considerably overspent the allocations for the past two years in pushing the work forward ahead of schedule time, so that there was now a shortage of funds for the summer months, the only time when metalling could be carried out satisfactorily. In response to urgent representations from the Automobile Association the motorists' representative on the Highways Board, Mr. M. H. Wynyard. had advised the association that the board would come to the rescue and find the money to enable work to proceed with sand-stoning and metalling between Auckland and Warkwprth. The touring manager said this might mean that there would be a shortage of funds next year, but it was hoped that in the interests of the Dominion in general and of the North in particular, extra funds would bo made available during the next session to cover the shortago. Metalling would also bo carried out between Topuni and To liana, but when completed this stretch of road could not be fully utilised until tho gap between Topuni and Kaiwaka had also been metalled.

COST OF METALLING GAP.

MINISTER'S SYMPATHETIC VIEW

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] RAWENE, Thursday.

The state of the only unmetalled piece of main highway between Kaitaia and Whangarei, via Herekino, was referred to the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Ransom, by a deputation representing the Maiigonui County Council and local settlers, which waited on the Minister At Herekino this morning. Air. W. Vickers, chairman of the council. said the gap 'was four miles long, commencing about two miles east of Herekino. Timber carting had held up tiie metalling for three or four years, and until the Highways Board subsidy had been increased beyond*pound for pound the council had been unable to bring forward proposals. It had £2OOO available, but the estimated cost was £IO,OOO. The council had offered to go on with the formation if the Main Highways Board would guarantee to complete the road with a £3 for £1 subsidy next year. The board had not agreed to this. . Mr. A. A. Yarborough, chairman of the Hokianga County Council, said the road was the connecting link between the two counties.

Mr. R. B. Russell, as a member of the No. 1 District Highways Council, said the road was important as tho direct route to the railhead. He thought thp council should have made proposals, opened an account, and gone on with the work as soon as the £3 for £1 subsidy came into operation, letting the Highways Board pay its share as funds were available. Mr.' H. M. Rushworth, M.P., said tho improvemonii of this length was tho most important roading matter in tho hui North.. The Minister said, ho saw no reason why the council should not have authority to proceed with tho work, in anticipation of the full amount of subsidy being available. Ho was convinced that the Highways Board was impartial in" its operations, and that tho maintenance of its freedom from political control was highly, desirable. He gave credit to-Mr. Coates for what he had done in the establishment of tho board, and said he knew that the board was not unduly swayed by city interests, nor subject to political.influence. Mr. Ransom added that while not. in a position to give any directions regarding the road, lie realised its importance, and would discuss the question with the chairman of. tho Main Highways Board.