EXTENSION AND COMPLETION OF MAIN ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 182, 19 July 1900, Page 2

EXTENSION AND COMPLETION OF MAIN ROADS.

♦— KEPKESENTATIVE PUBLIC MEETING, UNITED AOTION OF THE DISTBICT, In response to the v invitation of Bis Worship tho Miyor (Mr. E, Dockiill), | issued by request of the Chamber of J Commerce, one of the moat representative meetings that has ever been held in New Plymouth took place at the' Borough Council on Wednesday even- J ing, when there were present residents from all parts of the district, { The Mayor, who presided, after reading the advertisement convening the' meeting, said that it had afforded Lisi very great pleasure to accede to the request of the deputation appointed to wait on him with reference to calling a public meeting to take steps to secure the extension and completion of the main roads in the interior of the district. Although only a townsman, he

recognised the necessity of having good roads', as he knew that for years past tho settlers in the outlying districts hbd been heavily handicapped for want of roads. He had received letters of apology from Messrs. O. Samuel, Sndl, and W. J. Shaw, and the chaiimtu of the Inglewcod Town Board, who re- ' their inability to bo present- ! but all of whom heartily agreed v.rh t the object of the meeting aud were in i sympathy. He also read a letter from 1 Mr. W. 13. Davies advocating the ex- i

tension of the Upper Oarrington Boad ' —(laughter)—between the Bangee, and t which, the writer said, was not only of < le greatest importance for the con- ( ■■e-ysnea of firewood and timber, but I ■vas the shortest route to Opunake, f Mr, Kerr said he had been asked to 1 •nove the first resolution to be 6ub- i

•uitted that tvaning, It was very n gratifying to find such a large and i Iropris-jutativo gathering from all parts t I >t ihe district, as it showed that the a wttlm vim («Hy alive to thequestwn, e,

which was one of vital importance to Taranaki* He quoted Mr. Oonnett's remarks on the subjeot at the recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, and said that anyone who had a knowledge of the back roads would say that Mr, Oonnett's statements were not exaggerated. An illustration of the hardships endured had been given at the Stratford meeting last week, when, amongst other things, it was stated that it cos} £5 per ton for cartage of food, etc., to the back blocks of that locality—horses had been knocked up, and even men had been bogged, Such a state of things, he contended, should I not be allowed to exist, and they must be blind to their own interests if they did not take steps to remedy the evil. The completion of the Ohura Boad was a matter of the greatest importance, but it was being pushed forward at a very slow rate. He urged that it should be gone on with immediately and as rapidly as possible. Next to that road in importance was the Junction and Purangi Roads which should also be proceeded with as soon as possible. Then there was the Moki Boad.leading from TJruti to the Main North Road by Awakino, and giving access to 30,000 acres of rich flat land. A good part of this road was formed, but there were bridges, etc., to be built, lie estimated that was required, and if the roads were made there were hundreds of sturdy young men whp were ready to take up the land. This, he said, was instanced at the Grown land ballot the 'previous week, when for sixteen sections of land there were 2000 applications—a number quite unprecedented, It would be seen that a considerable sum was requirarHttf these four roads. He intended to limit his resolution to the Ohura, the Junctfon-Purangi, and Awakino Roads. There was some indication that the Government were tak irjg up a forward road policy, and il behoved the settlers of this district tc try with all their might to secure t ' just proportion of the grants bj strengthening the handsof the members [ When it was considered how great wai the importance of the back country foi : settlement erery nerve should b< : strained to get good metalled roads He therefore moved—" That tfai3 meet ] ing, in view of the unprecedented demand for Grown lands in the Tara nasi district, and of the great hard 1 ships which are being endured bj J settlers in the back blocks, directs thi • attention of the Government, and o i the members for Taranaki, to thi ' urgent necessity for completing thi main arterial reads in the district 1 nanwly, the Ohura, Purangi (running [ into the Ohura) and the main coacl . road to Auckland by way of Awakino I and urges, that a sufficient sum bi J placed on the Estimates for the im ' mediate construction of those roads, (Loud cheers.) ' T&r. OonneW,in scoondingthe motion i said he was quite aware that then > were many roads that required com [ pleting, bus the question was which oi , these roads were of the greatest im : portnnce. It was better not to attemp i 100 many at one time. Some couU [ stand over for awhile, and if what wai , now being oßked for could be obtained they would be getting a good deal. Ii i this district, where heavy downfall o ; rain was of frequent occurrence, wher 1 forming the roads the bush shouh : felled several chains on eacl side so as to allow of the roads dryinj up, but, as 1 his liad not been done, the* got into a very bad state. Hi was sure that if the roads were com pleted a piece at a time, as settlement progressed, it would have been thi right courso to pursue, and the settler: would have been willing to pay for thi boon of having good roads. He hoped that there would be peifscls unanimity on the question, as if there was a divi sion of opinion over the roads, similai to that relative to the railway, thai chance of getting what was required would be spoilt; and therefore he hoped that Stratford and New Plymouth would pull together for the common good of the district. " Once get good roads through the interior," said Mr, Connett, " and dairy factories will be found along them." The Grown lands in the district were not, he considered, properly administered so as to get good results, It was wonderful what had been done in spite of adverse circumstances, but there was room for much more to be accomplished in the direction of scouring good roads, followed by the erection of dairy factories, the existence of which enhanced the value of land. Mr, Rattenbury said he was pleased to give the motion his hearty support. It was questionable whether the Government were justified in putting men on the land and leaving them to wait for ten or twelve years before any proper road was made or any dairy factory erected, Referring to the Main North Road, he ventured to say, with- | out fear of contradiction, that the land , in the King Country was the best that had come into the bands of the Government. It was that class of land which, ' if opened up with good roads, would ! very largoly increase the dairy Gxports, as well ds being adapted for fattening jbeef aEd mutton. Although in the lost year or two the dairy industry had 'advanced by leaps and bounds, they must not rest satisfied. He confidently anlioipa'ed that in a few years this district would have the largest export trade in the colony. A million of money spent on public works in this district would yield better results than elsewhere, Tho proposal before the meeting had his ncarty support, and he would use his best endeavours to assist in the attainment of the object in view, (Loud applause.) Mr. T, O. Fookes, President of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, expi es;d his acknowledgments for the hearty invitation given to himßelf and tho other members of the Chamber to bo present at that meeting, and he np 1 gised for the absence of those • irtv'ible to attend. He said that at a 1 irge and influential meeting at Stratford last Saturday a resolution relative io the Ohura Boad, in terms similar to tboso in Mr. Kerr's motion, had been carrid unanimously. The completion of that road had for several years past ten ed as a matter of the greatest importance. Many persons lias gone through to Auckland by road, including some of the Ministers, and nil of them were impressed with the necessity fir its completion, Only ;wtlv« miles of the road was metalled, , md this progress was not nearly fast iljough. The. (sMl«rj n.ow S o W9 I

40 or 50 miles inwards, and werel greatly handicapped by the difficulty of I obtaining supplies, and the he avy price I they had to pay for getting food, etc, brought to them was almost prohibitive. This entailed great hardships and al- 1 most starvation, merely for want of a metalled road. Although he had spoken only of the Ohura Road, he wished it to be understood that he entirely supported the motion, including, as it did, the other roads. It was not a matter of making one road, but of joining hands and securing the completion of all the main roads. There , was no ground for jealousy; the country needed opening up, and therefore it was necessary that all should unite to effeot that much desired object. Mr. Horrocks spoke as to the need for maintaining the Junction Road, and read a resolution covering several sheets of paper, which he had framed, but did not, after hearing the broader policy advocated, propose to submit to the meeting. Mr. Okey said there was one matter which had not been touched upon, and that was the " loading" of land with the cost of roads. It was not so much the principle he objected to, but the administration of the fund. It was no*', he said, to be expected that 2s an acrts would pay for road censtructioD, but it would pay the interest on loans raised to carry out the work. He took it fcr granted that in loading the land the surveyors estimated what expenditure" was required to make the -roads, but although the holders of land paid this charge they had to beg and pray for the roads to be made, The Government got the money into the consolidated revenue and the trouble was to get it out/ (Applause.) He thought a strong resolution should be passed insisting on the loading money being utilised in the direction he had pointed out, Mr, Oonnett suggested that the matter should form the subject of a separate motion, and to this Mr. Okey agreed. The resolution moved by Mr. Kerr was then put and carried unanimously, amid great cheering. Mr. Horrocks again brought up the desirability of requesting the Government to assist in putting the Junction Road in order, but, aftir some discussion, the subject was dropped. Mr. Okey then moved, "That it is the opinion of this meeting that a, more forward policy should be initiated by the ' Government in forming and metalling roads, by raising such an amfluut of i capital for the purpose as the loading < on lands would justify, by way of > meeting sinking fund and interest." He said there was a great waste of i money under the present system, where I four or five men were put on to work 1 at a road and a surveyor sent down once a month to inspect. Forty or fifty men should be employed, and the cost of inspection would be no greater. , The stt'lers did not want to wait foi the roads till they were grey-headed. He considered that they could not ask for too much, and that if they did not strike whilst the iron was hot they ; would not get what they wanted. He was glad to eee so many business people present, m it was no use the country settlers having meetings to tako action unless they were backel up by the : business men,

Mr. B. Cock, in seconding the motion, said he thought if a deputation wat< appointed they should urgo the raising of loans on security of tho loading. Hiconsidered Mr. Horrotks' policy of getting patches done was wrong. It waa necessary to got a way into tin Baft Boad, and from tbenco to Auckland, as soon as possible, D.iiry factories had been applied for in many places in the back blocks, but owi«g tt there being no road the requests couht not be entertained. It would bo fai better to confine their claims for completion ot two or three main roads thin to advocate metalUng of those already in existence, *

Mr. Newton King said it would be better to leave Mr, Horrocks' suggestion alone and go on a broader principle They Lad mat that evening to discuss two arterial roads and the Purangi Boad, and he was pleased to see representatives from Awakino, Tarata, and Stratford present. The tirho to ask foi more was the present time and not to wait till they had all grown grey. The future of Taranaki was assured, and ii was simply a question of time in getting more roads.

Mr, Okey's motion wit 6 carried unanimeusly. f Mr. Fookes, in answer to Mr. King, said that at the Stratford meeting b Committee of nine was set up, and delegates were to be appointed to go t • Wellington. Whangamomona, Poho kura, Stratbmore, and Toko, the four centres inland from Stratford, had bejn aEked to appoint delegates to join with the Stratford delegates, who would probably be the Mayor and tho Chairman of the County Council. He was confident thny would all co-opomte with any delegates appointed from Now Plymouth. Petitions were also being circulated throughout tho district with the object of assisting tho Committee. Mr. Courtney said lie would like to ask Mr. Connett to move a resolution to the eflect that no hind be offered for se'tloment until the roads thereto wero [made. He related his own experience ! where a road that was promised within 12 months was not made for six years — £9 a ton having to be paid for cartage. The cruelties in Chioa were nothing to those suffered by the settlers he was referring to. Many settlers were forced out of the district by the hardships and expense attendant on the went of roads,

Mr. Connett said that while in sympathy with the suggestion he doubted the wisdom of acting upon it. On the motion of Mr. Hughes, the [following were appointed a Oommitteo. (with power to add to their number) to give effect to the resolutions passed : His Worship the Mayor, Messrs. Kerr, Connett, H. Okey, Horrocks, Bewloy, Cock, King, Samuel, \V. J. Shaw, Hughes, and Carter. A vote of thanks to the Mayor brought the proceedings to a close.