WAIMATE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20679, 18 March 1937, Page 3

WAIMATE

HIGHWAYS BOARD MEETING WITH LOCAL BODIES Members of the Main Highways Board, in the course of their tour through the South Island, met members of Waimate local bodies in the County Council Chambers yesterday. The party included Messrs A. J. Baker (deputy-chairman), M. H. Wynyard, C. J. Talbot, W. Morrison, T. A. Barrow, G. W. Albertson (engineer), G. W. Knapp (secretary), F. Langbein (district engineer) and Darwin (assistant engineer to the Victoria County Roads Board, Melbourne). The visitors were welcomed by Mr J. Bitchener, chairman of the Waimate County Council, who complimented the Board on the work it had accomplished. Since the last visit of the Board three years ago matters had progressed very well in the county, and they had no real request to make except that in connection with the Gorge Road, where insufficient funds had been allowed to carry the work as far as Waihao Downs. Referring to the possibility of the Waimate County being absorbed in the amalgamated counties, Mr Bitchener said they had no real regret. The Council had a good record of service whatever happened. Mr G. Dash, Mayor of Waimate, said that the borough had nothing to lay before the Board except its warm thanks for what the Board had done. The Board had done all requested by the Council and had extended unfailing courtesy. Motorists’ Requests Mr J. I. Hayman, of the Waimate Automobile Association, drew the attention of the Board to the need for tar-sealing the main road between McNamara’s corner and the fingerpost, which he understood to be under consideration, and also the South Road from the borough boundary to McNamara’s corner. A portion of this road had been treated with a crude oil preparation, but was now in a very rough state. One and a half miles of the road had not been sealed. The road, said Mr Hayman, was used by much heavy traffic between Christchurch and Invercargill. Mr E. J. Meredith, also representing the Automobile Association, referred to the narrow bridges on the main roads, which were a danger to motorists. He instanced the Hook and Merry’s bridges on the road to Timaru, both of which occurred on curves, and also Hyne’s bridge, south of Waimate. He asked further that a suitable bridge be erected over the Dog Kennel creek at Brown’s crossing.

Mr Langbein said that a drainage scheme was progressing in that district at present, and the bridge must be made to fit in with the scheme when completed. Mr Johnstone: No finality has yet been reached, but the construction of the bridge will come into the ordinary working between the Council and the Highways Board. Mr Baker expressed thanks for the welcome extended to members of the Board, and said he was pleased at the happy relations which existed between the Board and local bodies. In their tour of the South Island the members noted that great advances had taken place. They had met more than 100 local authorities and six sections of the Automobile Association. Referring to the requests placed before the Board, Mr Baker said that no provision had been made on the estimates for the sealing of the road i between the borough boundary and the Main Road, but this would receive consideration next year. The Board, he continued, fully recognised the importance of dealing with narrow bridges. This was a problem which faced them all over the Dominion, but other problems of bridge construction had to take precedence in the meantime. Mr Talbot referred to the work of the Board generally and paid a tribute to the calibre of the civil servants who co-operated with them. Finance Mr Wynyard, motorists’ representative on the Board, said that the Automobile Associations were an important class in the system of highway administration, for they supplied the funds with which the Board dealt. It was anticipated that the expenditure of the Board for the current financial year would be more than £3,000,000. Of this amount, £2,200,000 came from revenue sources, making it necessary to borrow £BOO,OOO to make up the difference. This involved a charge of between £40,000 and £50,000 a year to meet interest and sinking fund. Of the lOid petrol tax, 4id was appropriated for the Consolidated Fund, lid was taken up with interest and sinking fund, this, with further charges from the Consolidated Fund, leaving barely 4d for the Boa,rd to work upon. It would be better, claimed Mr Wynyard, for all the Board’s work to be done from revenue, better for the Government to see its way clear to devote all the petrol tax funds to the roads. Co-operating with the National Road Safety Council, the Board had set aside £25,00 for such work as fencing bad comers on country roads.

Mr Morrison said that the Board was handling more money than previously, but as costs had also gone up, the money would not go so far as might be imagined. The Board was building substantial bridges costing from £40,000 to £50,000, but while these might appear too large for present needs, they had to visualise the traffic needs of 50 to 100 years hence. Attention had been given to the elimination of railway crossings and this work would absorb £1,000,000. The Board had thus little money for new highways, for which, incidentally, the Waimate County had not asked for. Very few counties, he concluded, had failed to make such a request. At the conclusion of *he meeting the members of the Board were entertained at morning tea. ROAD TO WAIHAO FORKS NINE MILES TO BE SEALED An additional subsidy of £4500 to permit the tar-sealing of the WaimateWaihao Downs highway to be completed in one operation will be granted

by the Main Highways Board to the Waimate County Council according to an assurance given by the deputychairman (Mr A. J. Baker) during the visit of the Board to Waimate yesterday. The subsidy of £5OOO previously granted enabled the road to be sealed from Waimate to Waihao Forks. Figures placed before the Board by Mr H. B. S. Johnstone yesterday indicated that sealing the road for the added distance to Waihao Downs in the same operation would result in a saving of approximately £lOOO. Mr Johnstone said that the Council had originally asked for a subsidy of £9500 to cover the reconstruction and sealing of the nine miles of road between Waimate and Waihao Downs. On consideration the Highways Board had granted £5OOO subsidy, sufficient only for five miles. In asking for the larger amount the Council wished to save money both for themselves and for the Board. Anticipating the possibility of the larger subsidy being granted the Council had called alternative tenders for 8600 yards of metal for the five miles and 12,000 yards for the nine miles. In the former tender the cost was 6/3 a yard and in the latter 5/3. Thus the larger amount meant a saving of 1/- a yard or £6OO for the whole work. In the meantime the Council had accepted the tender of 8600 yards at 6/3 with the option of accepting the other tender. Completing the road in one operation would also involve a saving of about £4OO in avoiding the necessity of setting up crushing and sealing plant again. The total saving would be in the vicinity of £lOOO, a considerable sum. Mr Johnstone went on to say that the sealing of the road could not be completed this financial year, but if authority were given the metal could be crushed and the surface prepared for sealing next spring. Mr Baker said that financial considerations had compelled the Board to curtail the grant, but the Council had been wise in calling alternative tenders for the work. The Council could instruct the engineer to go ahead with the extra length of road, and the speaker gave an assurance that the necessary authority would be forthcoming.