HIGHWAYS’ GRANT WITHHELD

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1929, Page 11

HIGHWAYS’ GRANT WITHHELD

...■/. s- .‘H CLIFTON COUNTY’ BITUMEN ROAD. The withholding of the Highways Board grant promised to the Clifton County Council for the bituminous reconstruction of three miles nine chains on the Clifton County section of the Auckland to Wellington main highway was discussed at the meeting of the executive of the North Taranaki branch of the Farmers’ Union in New Plymouth yesterday. A resolution was passed protesting against the action of the board in breaking faith with the county. It was pointed out that the county, on the ■strength of the grant, had struck a fate to reconstruct the road and this work would now be almost useless and the money wasted. On the motion of the chairman (Mr. H. E. Blyde) it was decided to bring the matter immediately to the notice of the Minister of Public Works and the members of Parliament in the district, lirging the necessity of the work being carried to finality and pointing out the sheer waste tliat would occur if the grant were withheld.’ Once authorised, said the chairman, the Work should have been put in. hand by the board. The .road carried a great amount of through traffic' from 'Auckland to Wellington, and if this state of affairs was to continue chaos would ultimately result. A letter was received from the county engineer stating that, the work was split into ' two contracts, one for the foundation work, costing £2300, for which authority of £1725 was received, and the work consequently put in hand. The second contract was for bituminous penetration work costing £6341, for which authority of £4616, £3 for £l, was being withheld this year, according to the Highways Board, owing to the shortage of funds. If this money whs not forthcoming said- the engineer, it Would mean' that the council would bfe put to considerable expense tb "maintain 1 the foundation work, owing to the fact that it had not been put down for a'permanent or temporary running surface, but with the intention "of adding the penetration course this summer. " - ' ’ • The council had alsojstruck an extra ,fd rate over the whole " county this year, stated the engineer, to provide the necessary funds for the work. The union would realise that unless the : work proceeded a considerable amount of that money would be used up in unnecessary maintenance instead of for its original purpose of construction, thus involving the county in serious loss of value fpr .money spent. The chairman ,6f . the Uruti 'branch of the Farmers’ Union--- (Air.-. A. R. Alpe) on behalf of his branch, entered a strong protest against the .action of the board and appealed to the union to do its utmost to influence the district highways council to make the grant for tar-sealing. The ratepayers had had a special rate struck during the year to meet the liabilities of tar-sealing the three odd miles, said Mr. Alpe. He pointed out that the maintenance of the main north road cost about £3OO per mile, and the necessity of tar-sealing was obvious.