PAHIATUA TRACK

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10960, 8 October 1928, Page 5

PAHIATUA TRACK

MAIN HIGHWAYS REQUEST REFUSED BY BOARD. The monthly meeting of the Pahiatua County Council, held on Saturday, was presided over by Cr S. Bolton (chairman). There were also ' present, CYs A. S. Clulow, H. "Whitta, J. Champion, F. V. Bryant, H. Cornelius, A. \V». Bissetc, and T. Fouhy. The Main Highways Board advised that it was unable to make an additional highway of the Mangaone . Valley—Kiwitea Pahiatua road. The council’s application, however, would b© re-considered at the next annual review. Following representations made on the same matter to the Public "Works Department by Mr E. A. Ransom, M.P., the latter intimated he had received the following reply from Mr R. H. P. Ronayne, district •engineer of the Public "Works Department : “Tt i© Pahiatua County have, Through the correct channels, made numerous applications to the Main Highways Board to have the Pahiatua. Track declared a main highwy. “The Main Highways Board have definitely decided they will not agree to the request. In my opinion, it is not a correct thing to approach you in respect to highways matters. Correspondence of tins nature should be referred to Mr A. E. J nil, who is the county’s representative on the highways board. “The council has been particularly well treated as will' be seen by the following: “1. Last year the Department spent approximately £2,400 of free money on widening work Pahiatua "Track. “2. The Highways Board are now subsidising the maintenance of the Manawatn Gorge on a £2 for £1 basis. “3. £9OO free has recently been granted and work is in hand for widening the road between the gorge bridge and Ballance. In addition the county have been granted £IOO, £1 for £1 for further widening of this road. “4. The Pahiatua County were recently notified that if the gorge were to become blocked, they The board to subsidise the county on a 30s for s sis for any extraordinary damam done to the gorge to Ballance t 'xoad or tile Pahiatua track. “Could anything be more liberal than the items mentioned above? “AA ith regard to the Mangaone—Kaitawa Pahiatua road being declared a subsidiary highway, 'this matter has also been turned down by tlie Main Highways Board. “When applications were invited from the counties for subsidiary highways, this particular road was well down the list when the applications were received from the Pahiatua county. This length of road situated in the Eketahuna county was declared a subsidiary highway because it was the first on their list. Nothing call be done until next March with regard to tliis matter.

“With regard to Hill road the work is recognised as a necessity but no money is available this year for the work."" Tlie communications were received. THE BONE Ol- CONTENTION. Advice was received from the Mnnawan* Gorge Board of Control and the member for the district, Mr E. A. Ransom, that no satisfaction had been received ffom the Government as yet as a result of the deputation asking for the road to be taken over as a national highway. The council passed the following resolution: “That this council considers that, a grave injustice is being done to the local bodies contributing to tlie M anawatu Gorge road, by the -action of the Public Works Department in not meeting with the reinvest that tliis road should be declared a national highway and the expenditure thereon being met by the State.” A copy of this resolution is to be forwarded to the chairnmii of the Counties’ Association. Mr Jull, for his support, and the Minister of Public Works. Cr Cornelius: “Tt is just as well to keep them stirred up. They keep hanging it up.” NGAWAPURUA BRII )GE. On the matter of tlie Ngawnpurua railway and traffic bridge, the Public Works Department wrote saving it understood that the Pahiatua county, in common with other local bodies, was required to pay to the Railway Department the amount of £6O per annum towards tlie cost of maintenance of the bridge. The Main Highways Board had advised. in consequence of a request from the local bodies concerned, that it was unable to take over entirely the • •barges made by the Railway Department, but the hoard was agreeable, however, to pay the usual maintenance subsidy on any amounts contributed by tlie various local authorities. The letter was received. NOT ENTERTAINED. In view of the danger at the Kopuranga railway crossing, the Masterton County Council wrote saying that it was proposed to erect an

overhead bridge at this spot, at a cost of £1,600. It was intended to ask the contiguous local bodies to contribute something towards the cost of this bridge, and the Pahiatua County Council was asked if it was agreeable to being responsible for an equitable proportion of the cost. The chairman: “They don’t contribute towards any of our bridges.” Cr Bryant: “If we start on that we will never know where to finish.” Cr Cornelius: “That bridge does not affect us anyway.” It was decided not to entertain the request GENERAL. A discussion was taken in committee regarding metal from the Makuri river for the Akitlo County Council, and it was decided to hold over the matter till next meeting su that steps can be, taken ascertaining the prices to be paid for access and royalty, and to duly consider damages that may arise from removal of metal from owner’s property. Notification was received from the Highways Board that a subsidy of £798,. being £l4 for £l, would be granted for maintenance of 143 miles on the Makuri—Coonoor—Mangatoro road. GORGE BOARD REFUND. A communication was read] from tlie secretary of the Man aw at u Gorge Board of Control, advising that with reference to the monies raised by the contributing bodies towards the work of improving the Gorge, road, the board, after meeting all it s obligations. had an unexpended credit balance of £797 2s 8A belonging to the Talan Account, and that it had been decided to return this sum to the contributing bodies, and enclosing a cheque for £79 14s 3d, which was to be credited to the sinking fund of the council’s Gorge Loan Account. The Board had arrived at the foregoing decision owing to the refuse, of the Government to allow the balance to be utilised towards the maintenance of the. road. A further communication was read from tlie board, stating that owing to the Government’s refusal to permit tlie transfer of £797 2s 8d from Loan Account to Maintenance Account. it was now compelled to impose a levy'on the contributing bodies to provide the sum of £720, being the board’s share, of the estimated- cost of maintaining the Gorge road for the current year. Pahiatua Countv Councils contribution being £65 10s Tbg account was passed for payment.