OUR MAIN HIGHWAY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11390, 8 March 1930, Page 6

OUR MAIN HIGHWAY.

PERMANENT SURFACE AT LAST COUNTY TAKES ACTION. ROAD TO BE SURVEYED. The chairman {Civ S. Bolton) presided.. over the monthly meeting of the Pahiatua, County Council to-day. There were also present—Crs T. Eouhy. IT. Cornelius, F. V . Bryant, J. Champion, IT. Whitta, and li. Alason. The County Clterk, in a letter, advised, that the estimates for maintenance costs, had been exceeded, on the Wellington-Napier via Wairarapa main highway, north borough boundary to Manawatu river by £2 9s 2d owing to an. additional increase in traffic. The estimate, on the main road from Hamua to the Pahiatua. borough boundary had also been exceeded by £2O 9s Id for the. samereason. The- sum of £744 would be required to be -se-t aside- for the balance of the- year, the Board’s share b-e-ing £490, and the Council’s share £248. He therefore applied for an additional amount of £496 to be provided by the- Alain Highways Board. The clerk's concluding paragraph read: “Is ,there any prospect of the Board declaring its policy with reference to permanent surfacing of this highway? My Council is prepared to proceed if the Board, will grant a preferential subsidy on the better class of paving, say, penetration method.” The chairman said he had received a verbal message from the P.W.D. engineer. Air R. H. P. Eonayne, asking the- Pahiatua County Council to put an amount- on the estimates for tar-sealing the main road and indicating that a good subsidy would be allowed on this work. A meeting of the- No. 10 District- Highway Council would be, held in April and the estimates would have to be in before then. The chairman s; V, .the. question was which end of the main road to start on first. Provision would have to- he made- for doing the work over a number of years and the question was whether to (borrow the money 7 or strike an extra rate for a few years. Cr. Cornelius: “We would have to strike a considerably larger rate, wouldn’t we?” The chairman said that on the other hand a- loan (with sinking fund) would cost the Council per cent. Cr. Cornelius: “What amount will we have to put annually 7 on the estimates ?"’ The chairman: “Roughly £2,500 a year if the Main Highways Board gives £3 for £l. Cr. Cornelius said this would equal £SOOO being spent on the work each year. The chairman said that to strike the extra rate would he a better principle than borrowing, which became very expensive. The whole road, he said, would have to be- reformed from end to end to a- certain extent and a proper survey would have to be made, especially at Konini. Cr. H. Whitta said it was true there would be- a lot of work Before any tar was spilled the road had to be mad,© ready. The point was that if an amount was not- put on the estimates at once it would not be in tinio for the meeting of the No. 10 District. Council in April. He would move then that the survey for preparation of the estimates for the permanent surfacing of the main road from Hamua to Ngawnpurua. be put in hand at once. Or. Whitta said lie understood from. Air Sladdi :: that when the preparatory work .was done to the road it would have- to stand for 12 month, s before the surface- could he put on. The- motion was carried without dissent.

SECOND EDITION