ROADING IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF THE RANGIIIKEI COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 July 1949, Page 4

ROADING IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF THE RANGIIIKEI COUNTY

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (OC).—One vital factor which was retarding production, delaying greater development of land, helping to assist the drift from the country to the towns and cities, was insufficient road improvement and construction in the Rangitikei electorate. Tins was said today by Mr E. B. Gordon, Parliamentary representative of the area- which embraces three counties and a small portion of the Mar.iwatu.

Rangitikei electorate, according to the latest data available, has a population ot nearly 20,000 and extends over more than 2700 square miles. Its chief administrative centre is thriving and prosperous Marton, with the third largest shunting station in New Zealand, and its boudaries come to within 12 miles of Raetihi and nine miles of Karioi, ’ touch Rangiwahia and sweep 40 miles up the Wanganui River. Sheep, wool and beef production are by far and away the greatest of the Rangitikei electorate's pursuits and the most valuable. Indeed, Rangitikei itself has the second largest sheep population in New Zealand. Although a decline of some 2000 head is shown in last year’s sheep return, compared with the figure for the year previously, this should not be taken as an indication that the decline is likely to continue.

“We had a very dry season, which accounts lor fewer sheep,” Mr Gordon told the “Chronicle.” He added that another point of interest in the annual sheep returns, which the “Chronicle” published on July 9- was that there were more sheepfarmers in the district today than in previous years. “Most of them are ex-servicemen,” he said. “I think my electorate has given these men a jolly good run. They have the sympathy of all farmers, who wish them every success. There is not a farm that is not being run as well as today’s conditions will permit.”

Apart from the dry season which Rangitikei experienced, and which affected the sheep population, Mr Gordon said a greater number of dairy farms were being run. Most of these farmers were also ex-servicemen and were making good headway and helping to increase the volume of butter production. “Roading is our greatest problem,” said Mr Gordon. “There is something like 664 miles of feeder roads in the Rangitikei electorate, and it requires a huge amount of money to maintain them.” BULLS-TAIHAPE ROAD He regretted that so much money was being spent on realignment and reforming of the Bulls-Taihape road, usually known at Cliff Road. “The road was tar-sealed and in quite good order before,” said Mr Gordon, “and to my way of thinking it would have been more important to do something about * back-country roads first.” Most of those roads were formed 50 and more years ago and were quite adequate for horse traffic. With the advent of heavy motor vehicles capable of carrying greater loads, wear and tear on the roads and bridges had been considerable and was mounting. “If we could only get roads and bridges in order, I feel a lot more country can be opened up,” said Mr Gordon. “Better roads and better Access will mean that more people will stay in rural areas, always provided we can get housing for them, of course, and provided, too, that we can get electricity to the new farms. More farms will mean more production, and' that is what New Zealand and Britain need badly today.”

Mr Gdrdon said many bridges in his electorate, since the arrival of the petrol-driven truck and lorry, had become outdated. It was beyond the resources of any of the counties in his electorate to finance the vast reconstruction programmes necessary to replace the old heart of totara bridges, which were still standing after 40, 50, even 60 years.

“And in addition, there is a shortage of steel and a shortage of cement” commented Mr Gordon. “If only we could get material I feel sure the counties, with assistance from the Government —and it needs to be real assistance—could get this vitally necessary road and bridge work under way.

Mr Gordon said he had always considered the countries had a rightful claim on the Main Highways which was raised through motor taxation on petrol. “The country depends on the primary producer,’’ he said, “but the producer cannot just carry on with inadequate roads, unsafe bridges and poor access. He wants his needs to be realised and he will not fail in doing his share once he gets the sympathy he deserves. The position gets a bit alarming when roads are going to pieces and bridges will not stand up tc modern traffic,” he said.