A "NO MAN’S LAND”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 205, 31 August 1943, Page 3

A "NO MAN’S LAND”

ROUGH ROAD IN PARSONS STREET CRITICISED A portion of Parsons Street, Springvale, which forms the boundary Between the city and the Waitotara County was described by counsel, Mr. W. R. Brown, in the Magistrate's Court, Wanganui, yesterday, as a “no man’s land” so far as road repairs were concerned. This length of road, he added, was full of pot holes and boulders. Mr. Brown appeared for a young woman who admitted cycling on the lootpath, but commented that he wished to draw the attention of the Court to r«»e state of the road. It was part of the boundary between two local bodies and for the past 10 years had been treated by grader only. About once a year a grader piled the boulders into the centre of the road, but traffic was so heavy, particularly with lorries, that within a day the boulders were spread again and cycling along the road was difficult. In winter the road was worse and full of pot-holes. “Not long ago a girl cyclist fell into a pothole and broke her collar-bone,” Mr. Brown added. “She is now paying the penalty for not breaking the law.” Mr. J. H. Salmon, S-M.: I always thought this footpath was a track for cyclists. To tell you the truth I have seen so many cyclists on it that I was under the impression that it was a cycle track. Mr. Brown: I must admit that this girl was riding on the footpath, but I have been asked to place these facts before the Court. The Magistrate: Once it is made clear that this is a footpath no cyclist has a rijht to be there. Mr. Brown added that arrangements had apparently been 'made between the two local bodies to do something about the road, but in the meantime the boulders and the potholes remained. Defendant was fined 10s, costs 10s.

The following is an extract from a report published In the "Chronicle” on August 4, last, following a meeting of the City Council: Acting on a recommendation by the Works Committee, the Wanganui City Council, at its meeting last night, agreed to a request by the Waitotara County Council to pay part of the cost of tar-sealing approximately 28 chains of Parsons Street which forms the boundary between the city and county areas. The City Council is agreeable provided the cost it is called on to bear does not exceed onethird of the total expenditure. It was stated that the City Council, at its own cost, has already tar-sealed approximately 13 chains of the boundary sections of Parsons Street, near the St. John’s Hill end.