DANGEROUS HIGHWAY

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1933, Page 12

DANGEROUS HIGHWAY

NGARUAWAHIA TO HAMILTON. SPECIAL GRANT TO BE SOUGHT. The dangerous nature of the surface of the main highway between Ngaruawahia and Hamilton was the subject of a report from the touring manager, Mr. R. E. Champtaloup, received at the last meeting of the Council of the Auckland Automobile Association. It was generally accepted among motorists that the section was oiie of the most dangerous parts of the highway system of the North Island, the report said. With a short spell of fine weather the visibility was almost entirely obscured, making overtaking or passing a hazardous venture. The farmers in the district already had made representations alleging serious damage to stock and pasture land by dust. The council approved a suggestion by the touring manager that strong representation should be made to the Minister of Finance to allocate to the main highways fund a special and sufficiently large sum of money to allow the Waipa County to receive its subsidy in order that the work of reconstruction might be commenced immediately. It was held that this should be a grant separate from the amount it was intended to release from motor taxation for the board’s use, as otherwise the board would be forced to curtail other very urgent work scheduled under the 1934 programme. Members agreed that the grant would necessarily be made from that portion of the motor taxation which was annually being used for the general purpose of Government, but which motorists and country ratepayers were now demanding should be released for road maintenance and construction.