MAIN HIGHWAY’S ACT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1924, Page 6

MAIN HIGHWAY’S ACT.

NOT POPULAR IN ELTHAM. ‘GAZETTING- OF ROADS CRITICISED. (From Our Own Reporter.) Eltham, Sept. 13. “That is a point about which *T foe] very sore,” said Mr. C. J. Belcher, chairman of the Eltham County Council today when reference was made to the unfortunate position of the Eltham county in respect to the Main Highways Act. Or. A. McWilliam mentioned the exclusion of the Rawhitiroa Road which he said carried a great deal more traffic than certain roads already gazetted. The chairman spoke strongly about the inclusion of such roads as the Manaia Road in the Stratford County leading up to the Dawson Falls House and a road leading into Okaiawa in the Hawera County. These roads, he said, did not carry nearly so much traffic as ungazetted roads in the Eltham County, •where only nine miles of road came under the Main Highways Act. Or. McWilliam: The position is positively iniquitous. Cr. A. Campbell said the roads referred to by the chairman were no doubt gazetted in viefar of the problematic tourist traffic in the future.

Commenting upon the practice of gazetting as main roads, roads leading to scenic and historical spots, Cr. McWilliam said “the historical horses have all been ridden to a standstill and are now all broken-winded.”

Cr. Campbell brought up the unfair position existing in respect to tlie Mountain Road from Quinn’s corner to Hawera. The council had recently remetalled this portion of the road, and it was now noticed that motorists were making use of it in preference to the tar-sealed Boylan Road. The unfair burden placed on the settlers who were responsible for the upkeep of the Mountain Road was further apparent from the fact that the Boylan Road was the gazetted main highway, whereas Mountain Road threatened to break up owing to excessive speeding by motorists. Cr. Campbell contended there was no sense in motorists traversing the Mountain Road, instead of the Boylan Road, for the former was only Ifl chains shorter.

The chairman said nothing could be done to check the practice as the road was a public one. He thought that if the attention of motorists was drawn t) the position and also to the fact that a very bad patch of unfinished metalling was to be encountered the excessive traffic would soon cease. A councillor: “If it doesn’t cease we can simply break up a few chains at either end.”