ROADING POLICY

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1239, 17 July 1947, Page 7

ROADING POLICY

MATAMATA COUNTY COUNCIL Over-all Picture Necessary That any large road work must be viewed from the perspective of an all-round picture: of the county as a whole was stressed by Cr. E. D. White (chairman) at the monthly meeting of the Matamata County Council when Bucklandi Road came up for discussion at the instigation of Cr. C. Bruce. This road was briefly discussed at a recent meeting when a deputation of ratepayers from that area waited! on the council. At the July meeting the engineer tabled a further set of estimates for major work o'n the road, the total for which amounted to £6785. Cr. C. Bruce stated that the work was. badly needed, but he never expected a cost of £7OOO. He proposed that a portion only should be done. That would cut off at least £6OOO. He would ask the council to allocate a sum to commence the work as soon as possible. The chairman: Do you suggest that the work should be gone on with out of county funds without waiting fer a subsidy? Cr. Bruce said that he was worrying about where the' money was to come from; that was not within his province. The chairman added that in view of the budget it was impossible to go on with the work as an ordinary job. It would have to be looked at -along with other jobs in the county, some of which were equally as important as Buckland Road. Cr. Bruce remarked that he had not finished his comment. He asked that soma money be allocated to improve the road. If -all roads were held up for subsidies there would he such an accumulation of work that it would not be possible to carry out

the programme for years. Whereas if they went along quietly and 1 did such work as he suggested they would be in a far better position. The chairman agreed that some work could be done with advantage and should lb-e done if possible. The surface of the road was good, but it required to be widened in places, and that work could be done with the grader. However, major works could not -be tackled out of the county funds available. Ha stood by what he had said previously, that he was against raising -the rates for work on the roads, as in his opinion the land was be-aring all that it could bear at the moment. Further: money would have to be found from, another source. The engineer commented that the council might authorise £SOO to £IOOO for earthwork next summer to widen narrow portions. The present solution of danger spots was notice boards. He agreed with the chairman that portions would have to be straightened. Or. R. H. Bri'nkworth stated that b-efora seeing the estimate he had advised ratepayers that he felt the cost would be £7OOO. Ratepayers had agreed with -him that it would not be wise to .spend money on cutting corners at places where the road might be straightened in future, and that it would be wiser to do the major job. Or. Blue? added that to his mind to spend only £SOO was simply patching, a policy which had been condemned in the past. The engineer commented that in places a new road would have to be made 'by running right across paddocks. The chairman explained that while he agreed some work should be done, he could not agree that the work as a whole was an ordinary job. It was a major work and as such it must be judged alongside otheir important road works. A number of councillors were unavoidably absent that day, and in his opinion

a decision should not be made without an over-all picture of all other such county works. Cr. G. C. Dunham: This should l have bean discussed when we considered the estimates. We surely cannot break into our estimates in tho middle of the year for more than £SOO. The engineer reminded the council that owing to the war, works had got behind, and that as he saw the position the council next summer would have to make a three-day tour of the county inspecting all of the roads. In some respects the position was worse than when he took over. The chairman added that the pre-

sent council could not tackle the work. It was one for the new council. Cr. C. H. La Trobe stated he was against throwing a few hundred pounds away on patching jobs which were not of a permanent nature. He had a similar case in his riding. Crs. J. E. Davidson and G. H. Verity agreed with this view, the latter adding that it might be possible to spend some money, hut it must be on portions of the road where tha alignment would not .be altered.