DANGER ALLEGED

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 21

DANGER ALLEGED

GRAVEL ON WINTON ROAD MOTORISTS’ COMPLAINTS The attention of the Southland County Council was drawn at its meeting yesterday to what was described as a danger to motor traffic from loose gravel on the Invercargill-Winton road. The secretary of the Automobile Association (Southland) wrote advising that the association had received many complaints about the amount of loose gravel lying on the Invercargill-Win-ton road. It had been pointed out in the complaints that the thickness of the gravel in places constituted a danger to motor traffic. It was decided to refer the complaint to the Main Highways Board. There were present at the meeting: Crs A. S. McNaught (chairman), F. F. Trapski, T. Golden, G. Wraytt, G. W. Whittingham, J. McNeill, J. Dennis. L. A. Niederer and W. M. Norman. Crs Niederer and Golden were appointed to interview the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr T. Cagney) about the proposed closing of the river bank road reserve near Mataura Island. The commissioner wrote: “Your council’s consent to the closing of the river bank road reserves only is sought and I cannot see that such consent can be legitimately withheld at the expense of such a large area of valuable Crown land. I presume you are aware that the bulk of the area is in occupation by adjoining owners, and they, therefore, should have no objections to offer, more especially as these areas will be offered to adjoining owners and thus enable them to obtain legal title to areas at present in illegal occupation by them. I am at a loss to understand the attitude of the ratepayers concerned. The old river bed is dry Crown land and can be disposed of, while it would be ridiculous to dispose of this Crown land and. leave two old river bank reserves which can never be of any value on either side of this Crown land.”

It was decided to accede to a request by Mr D. E. Swain, Kamahi, and carry out maintenance work, and grading on the Kamahi road. A letter about the flood waters near the Iron bridge was received from the secretary of the Southland executive of the Farmers’ Union. “This executive realizes that the matter has been under discussion for some time, but hopes that something effective will be done without any further undue delay,” the writer stated. SUBSIDY ON RATES Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., wrote enclosing a letter from the acting Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) in reply to the council’s request for a subsidy on rates. Writing to Mr Denham Mr Webb, on behalf of the Minister of Labour, said he regretted that he was unable to offer the council a subsidy on rates as requested, for subsidies from his department applied only to works which helped to relieve the unemployment problem. If, however, the coun-' cil was desirous of putting works in hand which would absorb unemployed labour and which could not proceed without assistance his department would be prepared to give every consideration to an application for a subsidy for such work. The question raised by the county council of an increased subsidy on rates was a matter for the consideration of the Minister of Finance, to whom he was referring the representations. The letter was received: “That’s all we can do witn it,” said the chairman. A circular letter was received from the Main Highways Board, Welliington, advising that the board had definitely decided that on State highways longitudinal planking on bridges was to be completed across the full width for the full length of the bridge unless the bridge was due for early renewal, the most urgent cases to be dealt with first.

At the request of the .Automobile Association (Southland) it was decided to give the county engineer power to erect railings painted white on the small bridge on the short-cut section of the Waimahaka-Tokanui road. TENDERS ACCEPTED The following tenders for road maintenance work were accepted:— Waikaia riding.—Styles road, filling and gravelling: Browning and Favel, £B7 10/-.

Hokonui riding.—Mandeville-Retreat road construction: R. A. Dick, £214 11/-

Waimea Valley road, construction and metalling: R. A. Dick, £385 1/6.