PARAWERA ROAD BOARD.

Waipa Post, Volume XIX, Issue 1103, 9 June 1921, Page 6

PARAWERA ROAD BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The montlily meeting of the Parawera Road Board was held on Tuesday, when there were f present: - Messrs. C. A. Cook (chairman), B. R. Bulmer, W. G. Park, and 0. Kay. An apology was received from Mr E. H. Rhodes who was unable to be present.

A resolution passed by the Raglan County Council was submitted to the Board for its endorsement, namely: "That this Council in view of the ever increasing amount of levy required for hospital purposes is strongly of opinion that the rate of subsidy paid by the Government to all hospital boards in the Dominion should be a flat rate of £ for £ and so place all hospital boards on an equitable basis."

The Council asked that on the resolution being supported a copy should be sent to the Waikato Hospital Board and also to the Minister for Public Health.

The Board desired further information on the subject before supporting the resolution and the matter was de - ferred until the next meeting. Invitation was conveyed in a letter from the secretary (Mr J. Jemmett) of the Pukeatua Development League for delegates from the Board to meet delegates of the Auckland Public Bodies and other public officials at Arapuni on Friday next at 11 o'clock. It was asked for the Board's influence with the Minister of Public Works so that a final decision on the Arapuni question may be arrived at without delay. A contribution towards the expenses of entertaining the delegates was asked for.

The chairman pointed out that the occasion was an important one and as a large gathering of representative men would be present to show their interest in the Arapuni scheme it was essential that the /Board should be represented at the gathering.

On the motion of the chairman, Messrs. W. G. Park, E. R. Bulmer, 0. Kay and E. R. Gould (engineer) were appointed to attend at Arapuni. It was resolved to grant the sum of £lO towards the expenses of entertaining the delegates. A letter' written by Mr F. C. Daniell (Hamilton) to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland was read in which the writer advocated the formation and deviation of ,the road through Wharepuhunga known as the Aotearoa road. He mentioned that he understood road-making parties we.-e at work Aotearoa block, and that access to form this block to Te Awamutu would be greatly improved by the formation of even one and a-nalf miles of the deviation. He added that from Wharepapa to Te Awamutu was 17 'miles, via the Owairaka Valley and the distance, via Pukeatua was' 26 miles, yet Messrs. Gray Btos., and E. 0. Jepson (returned soldiers) preferred to send their cream via Pukeatua, rather than face the socalled road down the valley. He asked that as the road was much needed that an effort should be made to havo the work put in hand during the coming winter. In connection with the development of the Aotearoa. Soldiers' Settlement, Mr Daniell pointed out that' Te Awamutu was the natural trade outlet for the greater portion of the land and if a road via the Owairaka valley road could be opened up the distance would be reduced to about twenty miles. As the work was to.be carried out by the Public Works Department, Mr Daniell asked that the Department .should be urged to have this important work completed as early as possible. It was decided to write the Public Works Department urging that the work referred to /should be put in hand, so that proper reading facilities should be provided for the settlement Notification was received from the Public Works Department (Auckland) that the following grants had been credited to the Board's account, namely, Puahue settlement £333 7/4 and Kihikihi to Waotu £3BO.

, The engineer (Mr E. R. Gould) presented his report as follows: — Kihikihi-Waotu Road. —Messrs. Donald and party have practically completed their metalling contract on the Kihikihi-Waotu Road, a little napping and dressing up of the work is all that now remains to be done. A good average class of metal has been supplied, and when properly consolidated should make a good roa<f surface. I propose in the course of a few days to take levels along this road between the Cambridge road junction and the Tautari Hall with a view to taking down some of the steep grades along this portion. The Public Works Department have not yet given authority to proceed with the formation and metalling work proposed from"Barnetts corner to Roigards. Puahue Soldiers' Settlement.—The loan money for metalling the Te Awamutu to Puahue Road is not yet to hand. I suggest the Quarry Road be laid out for widening and formed out of loan money. The metalling of the Te Awamutu Puahue Road will not absorb the whole of the loan and there should be ample funds available foi the formation of the Quarry Road and also the road past Mr Park's house.

Tiki Farm Road.—The culvert' pipes have been supplied which are required for extending the formation on the Tiki Farm Road and the necessary woirk has been undertaken by Messrs. Laurie and Young at their own expense. The report was adopted.