HIGHWAYS WELL KEPT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17425, 25 November 1930, Page 6

HIGHWAYS WELL KEPT

WAIAPU CONGRATULATED BOARD MEMBERS PLEASED Pleasure with the manner in which the highways in the Waiapu County liad been maintained was expressed by Air. C. J. McKenzie, acting chairman of the Alain Highways Board, when the members met the Waiapu County Council at le Puia yesterday afternoon. The county chairman, Cr. A. W. Kirk, presided, and councillors present were Crs. 0. T. Williams, M. Hyland, I>. W. Williams, 11. H. Fairlie, J. Busby, and F. .Manuel, while the county clerk, Air. A. L. Temple, and the county engineer, Air. A. K. Giimour, were in attendance*

Commentingi that this was the first occasion the board had met the council at Te I’uia, Cr. Kirk congratulated Air. ■W. Morrison on his election to the board and Air. A. ,S. Jull on his election jto Parliament. He asked the board to I keep in view the possibility of the erection of two bridges just past Te Puia, one at 65.4 miles and the other at 68.8 | miles, while a culvert was required in I place of a bridge at 69.7 miles. The j bridge required over the Alakarika j stream on Takapau-Ihungia road would cater for a road 30 tjiiilos in length, over j which 2000 bales of wool was carted annually. A bridge was also required at Waiorongomai, for which £IOOO had been voted on account. He also said that the reconstruction of the sea-wall at Tokomaru Bay was advisable. I EXPENDITURE OF £43,000 • The total expenditure on highways in the Waiapu County, he added, ' was £43.671. of which the board found £26.211 and the council £17,460. When the board came into being jn 1925 the council received contributions at the rate of 10s in the £l, raised the following year to £1 for £l, in 1928 to £1 10s for £l, and latterly to £2 for £l. Another length of secondary highway was required on the Tokomaru-Mata road. At present four miles of the road was declared a highway, but the total length of the road was 24J, miles. A few more miles of secondary highway were also asked for on the Tapuwaeroa road, which was 16 miles long, and also the Takapau-Ihungia road. Ah. C. J. McKenzie. deputy, chairman of the board, thanked the council for its hospitality. He did not think there was much opportunity for additional highways this year in view of the straitened finances, but the board was endeavoring to provide necessary bridges on the main highways. The board would deal sympathetically with all applications for those main highway bridges. Of course, they could not hope to build all at once, but they would liberate funds for their erection as soon as possible. If they could release any money for the elimination of the creek crossings the board would do so. BOARD’S ASSISTANCE

In reply to the welcome, Air. Alorrlsoii said that 95 per cent, of the counties commented favorably on the efforts of the Main Highways Board, and as a county chairman for many years lie knew that the counties could not have maintained the roads in the present condition without the assistance of tho board. Air. J. J. Gibson also thanked the council for its hospitality, and congratulated the council oti its fine new offices.

Mr. Jull commented on the advantage pained by the board’s visits to various parts of the country, eliminating the necessity for deputations to the board. The tours enabled the members to judge the comparative'needs of each district and tlie board discovered what great percentage of loss was sustained on the roads by erosion by rain and traffic. The amount of metal thus lost appeared to be greater thn.ii- that put on as maintenance. The thanks given the board, lie said. sliouWl be more directed to tho , svstem, under which a body of men was I able to dispense momiv obtained from j the users for the benefit of the ratepavers and public generally. | Mr. McKenzie said the hoard was pleased with the verv fine state in which the road surfaces in the county were 1 kont. The cost of maintenance on tho main highways when the board was in--1 stinted wn* in the viciivtv of .€sl per mile, but this bad increased to three times the amount. Tn the Waiapu County the maintenance of the highway I bad been well kept up, and for this the rnwil and the engineer were to be [ congratulated.