NAPIER-WAIROA ROAD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9802, 23 July 1903, Page 2

NAPIER-WAIROA ROAD.

(Prom our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Sir W. R. Russell and Mr A. L. D. Fraser waited yesterday evening upon the Hon. Mr Hall -Jones, Minister for the Roads Department, with a petition signed by a very large number of Napier, Wairoa and East Coast residents, urging that the important arterial road, Napier to Wairoa, should receive immediate and favorable consideration from the Government. The deputation specially pointed out the disability the district had been under, owing to the apathy and neglect of • successive Governments; that though an excellent road had* been formed it was m many months of the year more or less useless for wheel traffic. It was also urged that, as the Tourist Department had properly gone to considerable expense m making the beauties of Waikaremoana and Morere hot springs attractive to those m search of the picturesque, it was a short-sighted policy to minimise the opportunities of those anxious to view "Nature's Art Gallery." It was specially advocated that the Tongoio Beach, the Waikare and other important bridges, with a certain amount of metalling, should be first and at once attended to. The Minister, m reply, expressed keen sympathy with\the petition, and realised that something should be done at once. Afc the same time. he impressed the deputation with this important fact, that it was impossible to place a sufficient sum on the- Estimates to complete such a large .undertaking, but following a policy he had laid down he thought for such a necessary main road a substantial sum should be expended each year. He would call for an immediate report from his officers, and upon that report he would lay proposals before his colleagues, which he felt sure would meet with favorable consideration. The deputation expressed their pleasure at the grasp the Minister displayed of the situation, and his keen and practical appreciation of what is, required.