WORKS DECLARED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 89, 16 April 1938, Page 5

WORKS DECLARED

MANAWATU COUNTY

COUNCIL DISCUSSED

The Manawatu County Council at its meeting this week decided to investigate the hold-up over the Feild-

ing-Awahuri road and Stewarts Line, said Mr. H. V. Bond, county engineer, in reply to the chairman's question concerning lhe reconstruction and sealing o£ the Feilding-Awahuri Road and Stewarts Line. "You will remember," said Mr. Bond "that at the last meeting I reported that the plans and specifications had been sent to Wellington and since then I have heard nothing further.” Replying to a question as to why surveyors were still working on tie road, Mr. Bond said that they we 'e Government officers and had nothing to do with the council. They were engaged or, the task of locating ano checking up on the original survey pegs.

"I am getting it in the neck over the delay on the Feilding road and I would like to see the work go on.” said Cr. D. W. Reid. "The work should have gone on long ago. The road is in a very bad state to-day and in my opinion we should push on with it.” The Chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber): Well the plans are with the Highways Board in Wellington. Cr. J. Boyce: Has there been any hold up in finance? I am informed that when speaking at a meeting at Bainesse Mr. C. L. Hunter, M.P., said that the money had been available for the Feilding Road for some time and the hold-up had been entirely due to the Manawatu County Council. A statement should be made clearing up the position. We have been pushing this road for years. Mr. Hunter said that the Manawatu County Council was definitely to blame because the money had been available for some time.

The Chairman: At last meeting of the District Highways Council there was £l5OO placed on the estimates for preliminary work. Mr. Bond said that the £l5OO was placed on the estimates so that the actual work could commence. It was not considered by the Highways Council that the council would be ready to use much money and the grant of £l5OO had not been used. Cr. Boyce: Whose fault? “Partly ours and partly theirs" said Mr. Bond. Continuing Mr. Bond recalled that the Feilding road work had been placed as No. 1 on the list of road works. “We agreed to go on with the Feilding Road, but our plans were held up because we were obliged to go on with the Himatangi-Sanson highway which was No. 2 on our list of works. You will remember that when money was placed on the estimates for the Feilding road we could not go ahead because we could not get surveyors. This preliminary work was held up for some months because we could not get surveyors and as soon as we secured their services the work proceeded. “Well it seems that since the plans went to Wellington, the matter has been held up by the board,” said Cr. Boyce. "I would like the position cleared up because there is tremendous amount of talk in the county about the hold-up. If we are to blame I am quite prepared to shoulder it, but I don’t think we are at fault.”

Cr. Perrett: This is the position; we should know exactly who is at fault. Cr. Boyce: I want to find out whether it is our fault; whether we

have no( pushed hard enough or whether it is the fault of the Highways Board. The chairman said that the plans and specifications were sent to the Main Highways Board on February 23 last. “I expect it takes some time to go through the plans before action is taken, but I think they will be approved in due course. Cr. Perrett moved that the Public Works Department be written to requesting that approval of the plans be expedited as the council was anxious to go on with the work. Cr. Boyce said that he appreciated that the department could not stop all other work for the Feilding Road, but he objected to members of Parliament going round the country saving I hat the hold-up was due to the County Council.

The chairman said that very early in the discussion on road works the Highways Board had been informed that the Feilding Road was No. 1 road work as far as the council was concerned. Cr. Perrett then asked about the delay over the bridge on Wilson's Road. This work had been held up altogether too long. The county engineer in reply said that approval was awaited from the Public Works Department. In carrying the resolution regarding the Feilding Road, the council decided to also ask approval of the plans for the'bridge on Wilson's and Rowe's Roads.