STATE HIGHWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19100, 22 August 1936, Page 7

STATE HIGHWAY

FARMERS' UNION NEUTRAL CASTING VOTE DECIDES INLAND ROUTE REQUEST ROUTE WAR DEPRECATED The Poverty Bay provincial executive of the Fanners' Union will reremain neutral in the fixing of the routo for the proposed State highway. This attitude was defined at a meeting of the executive yesterday afternoon on the casting vote of the president, Air. J. E. Benson, after four members had voted in favour of the inland route and lour against. The matter was brought, up as a result of a circular from Hangaroa, Waerenga-o-knri and Tiniroto settlers .sorting out the advantages of the route over that via Morere as a State highway, and Mr. W. T. Veitch, who was chairman at the meeting of settlers, backed up what was contained in the explanatory circular. Mr. P. W. Mossman pointed out that many settlers had been in the Tiniroto and Hangarco districts without having any decent access.

Mr. J. C. Field contended that the Hangaroa route required a. smaller benzine consumption by cars using it, compared with the Morere route, while the inland route,'besides 'being away from the railway, was of greater scenic, importance. W AIKOKOPU DEVELOPMENT

The president, Mr. .). E. Benson, said that the fact that there were 45 miles of dairy land on the Morere route had been overlooked, while it had the scenic reserve at Morere, which the Government would protect, and then there was the possible development at Waikokopu. For those reasons, he thought the advocates for the inland route 'were beating the air. Mr. Veitch did not agree with this view, and said that the shorter route to Waikaremonoa, was via Hangaroa, and also would give the shortest route to Auckland.

Mr. Benson said that few districts had two parallel highways, and the Government might wish to close one of them. ' Mr. Field pointed to the dangerous Morere section of that route. "Good drivers," he declared, "have told me that they have been paralysed with night when they have been up on the top of the Whareratas and a fog came on. Mr. Mossman said- that the only emergency landing ground for aircraft between Gisborne and Wairoa was on the inland route. The. president said he was not against, the inland route, and it was absurd that the main route should follow the railway, but he was content to leave the decision to the Government in order to avoid a controversy. Mr. F. llobbs moved that, the union should back up the Hangaroa and Tiniroto settlers in their advocacy of the inland route as the State highway. INTERESTED PARTIES Mr. E. 11. Richardson said he could not feel justified in supporting one road in preference to another, and would rather not vote on the matter. He preferred to remain neutral. Mr. D. J, Gumming expressed a similar view, and said he would like to know that those responsible would, give the matter earnest investigation and consideration.

The president said that the men who brought the mat tor forward were interested parties, but he believed that the union .should remain neutral, be■causo it had members on all routes. Mr. Veitch said that the matter should be viewed from the point of view of which was the best, and not on how many members were on other routes.

Th president replied that it was i 1 matter for the settlers own organisa tion. lie moved an amendment thai the union should take no action in the matter of State highway routes. On a vote being taken, the voting was even, those voting for the amendment being Messrs. Benson, Richardson, Brosnahan, and Gumming, and against it Messrs. Mossman, Veitch, Hobbs, and Field.

NO CONTROVERSY WANTED SHEEPOWNERS* VIEW The claims of the Hangaroa-Tihi-roto road to be recognised as the principal highway between Gisborn.e and Wairoa were advanced in a letter received yesterday afternoon by the Gisborne and East Coast Sheepowners' Union 'from Mr. W. T. Veitch, on the lines of those sent to local bodies throughout the district. The president, Mr. 0. H. Williams, questioned whether this matter could be dealt with in any effective way by the executive. There were advocates of three different routes, and their feeling was that no good purpose could be served by entering into a controversy. The district hod suffered enough harm through the battle of the routes on the railway, he added. Mr. S. T. Gray expressed emphatically the view that the executive should not enter into any controversy. The meeting was in general agreement on this point.