TOKANUI ROAD

Waipa Post, Volume 41, Issue 3187, 12 August 1930, Page 5

TOKANUI ROAD

MENTAL HOSPITAL MAY BE ISOLATED. Once again Waipa County Council had under consideration at Monday’s meeting the question of improving the road between Te Mawhai railway station and the Great South Road that passes Tokanui Mental Hospital. The medical superintendent of the hospital wrote regretting to inform the Council that the Highways Board had intimated that it did not feel justified in declaring the Tokanui Road a main highway. In view of this, and further to the conversation with the county chairman, he desired to know at earliest convenience what steps the Council proposed to take for dealing with the road, which, the writer stated, was in a dangerous condition. . He was quite agreeable, if it was possible, to assist the Council in its work on the road.

The chairman said the road was m a bad state, but he wanted to make it clear that the Council had not asked that it be declared a main highway. Cr Clarke agreed, and contended that the Department and the Minister did not seem much concerned. The settlers who had to use the land were penalised. The riding could not bear the expense as it was the most heavily rated riding in the whole county. The engineer said the road would need £250 expended on it. Otorohanga gravel would be the most effective. Cr Clarke said his riding was penalised by having large areas occupied by Government institutions which paid no rates.

One councillor advocated doing absolutely nothing to the road at all until the Minister took steps to assist the Council. Very soon the hospital authorities would not be able to traverse the road.

To a question, Cr Clarke said the other settlers could get access to their holdings by other roads, though not so conveniently. He did not like the

present position, but he was positive the riding could not bear the cost of repairing the road. Finally it was decided to ask the hospital superintendent to state what he was able to do, as the Council had no funds. A councillor suggested that Tokanui would soon be an “isolation hospial” in its true sense.