The Gorge Road.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XIII, Issue 2385, 28 June 1895, Page 2

The Gorge Road.

DEPUTATION. On Wednesday a deputation representing the local bodies, and as arranged at the recent conference held at Palmerston North, waited on the Minister of Lauds at Parliament buildings. The deputation consisted of Messrs Lethbridge (chairman Manchester Road Board), Whitcombe (chairman Pahiatua County Council), Haggen (Mayor of Woodville), and J. Cotter, and the following Members of Parliament also attended :—Messrs Hall, Hogg, Carnell, Stevens, and Pirani. Mr Park (Mayor of Palmerston), and Mr Wallis (chairman Fitzherbert Road Board), were also members of the deputation, but did not attend. Captain Russell had not received the intimation as to the time of the deputation, and go did not attend, but afterwards informed the deputation that he would do his utmost to support their view. The deputation was introduced by Mr Hogg. Mr Lethbridge explained that, at the Minister's request he had called a conference of local bodies to consider the matter, and as a result they had decided to wait on the Miuister and ask that the bridge be re-instated and the bridge and road taken over by the Government. The bridge was likely to cost £9003. It would be useless building a wooden bridge, and the Engineer said a cylinder bridge was required. It would be absurd to ask the Manchester Road Board to undertake such a work. Mr McKenzie : What rate do you levy? Mr Lethbridge: lfd, including the special rate. Mr Hall: What is the general rate? Mr Lethbridge : sd. The County is suspended. Mr Haggen pointed out that the Government maintained the Otira Gorge Road, which was a main connecting link, and the Manawatu Gorge was in the same position, and ought to be maintained by the Government. Mr McKenzie : You cannot say that this is in the same position as the Otira Gorge, as there is no settlement there. The difficulty in this case is that only one local body has a general interest in the road, though generally they all had, but I suppose they are in the position of the Pahiatua County, and don't care much. Supposing the Government do agree to therequeof the deputation, the next thing you will want will be to do away with the toll, I Mr Lethbridge : I don't think so. Mr McKenzie : It is a very barbarous way of raising revenue to stick a man up on a road and ask him to pay toll. Can you give me any idea of the revenue from the toll ? Mr Lethbridge: About £6OO a year. The tolls for the last four or five years have been set aside to maiutain the bridge and road, and there is £BOO in hand, £2OO of which will be required to repair the road. Mr McKenzie : What will become of the former loan ? Mr Lethbridge : The Manchester Road Board will still pay the interest. Mr Whitcombe : The road was in the hands of the Government until the railway was opened. It is of no interest to the Pahiatua people, and the Fitzherbert Road Board is in the same position. Mr Carnell: Was not the bridge in a shaky condition before the flood ? Mr Lethbridge: No. Mr Carnell: "Well, I heard it was. Mr Hall: The position of the Pahiatua County is a very bad one, as they are rated to about 4d in the. £, and they have no land abutting on the Gorge Road. He narrated the history of the tolls and contended that the only way out of the difficulty was for the Government to maintain the road. He regarded the closing of the road as a cruel thing. It was the most direct route between Hawke's Bay and the West Coast. Mr McKenzie said it was a most unfortunate thing, and the moment he knew the bridge had gone, he came to the conclusion that demand would be made on the Covernment. Mr Pirani : I would like an understanding as to what is the ohjecfcof the Board ? Mr Leithbridge : To get rid of the liability altogether. Mr Pirani: It is a most impsrtant point.

Mr McKenzie: The idea of the other deputation was whether a bettar road could be got over the range from one side of the country to the other, and they ask for assistance to put up th's bridge near Palmerston. He had asked these gentlemen to meet the local bodies and to bring their decision to him. ' Mr Lethbridge : The local bodies would rather have the bridge at the Gorge. By making a road a mile and a quarter to the Fitzkerbert bridge, it would answer the purpose of the proposed bridge at Hokowhitu. Mr Hogg strongly supported the request of the deputation. Mr McKenzie said they had only a certain amount of monev lo assist settlers in that part of the colony and they could not assist both bridges. The object was to find out from the local bodies whether one bridge could not do for both. Mr Pirani strongly suDDorted th Hokowhitu Bridge; Mr* spoke on the difficulty in which the Government would be placed by changing the route; and Mr Cotter urged the injustice that would be done if the Gorge road were abandoned for the other route, and pointed out the value of the Gorge as a scenic spot. Mr McKenzie : I admit at once that it is a show place. I will lay the matter before the Cabinet, and let you know whether we can agree to the request of the deputation. I will ask Mr Lethbridge to send me particulars of the returns for the tolls. The deputation then thanked the Minister and withdrew.