PAEKAKARIKI HILL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 3, 29 September 1919, Page 6

PAEKAKARIKI HILL

IMPROVEMENT AND DEVIATION

- PLEA FOR GOVERNMENT

ASSISTANCE

A deputation representing local bodies concerned waited on the Prime Minister and the Minister of l'ubtoc Works on Saturday morning to press for the early completion of the improvements contcnip.ated in the road through to Paokakariki. Tho request had particular ret<e,Mice to the proposal Hint the road should bo taken down from the hill and c'eviated along the sea front, on tho level, having some live miles in dwtiimr, an., reducing all tho grades to inakiUhe. road sale and easy. They pointed out that the present road, narrow and steep and fcrtuous, could never be a suitible high-vva-y for one of tho main outlets of this city. There is a difficulty t-baut this proposed route. It is that tho railway has to go by tho same way, and there ia some doubt as to whether there will be room along the sea front for both road and railway. Tho opinion of tho Public Works engineers is that tho read cannot bo moved until the railway deviation has first been made. This was the chief cause of the alarm of tho local bodies represented, for this threatened a long delay. One of the bodies represented at tile deputation was the Automobile Association, and tho representative of this body came- forward with u suggestion that tho Government should tax motorist? in order to get money for the improvement of roads. It was suggested that a twenty per cent, tyre tax, to which motorists would willingly submit, won.d produce yearly interest and sinking fund on three millions sterling, and they would be satisfied that tho Government should spend this money on road building. One of the speakers said that the motorists would consent to this, and would be scved money if tho money wore spent, on rnsking roads with good surfaces, but they would expect good roads, with concrete surfaces. Tho deputation was led by the loed members of Paifiament, Messrs. AV. H. Field and 11. A. "Wright, and there were rei-resenta-tivej present from tho Hutt County, Makara County, Johnuanville Town Board, aiuLthe, Pliiiimerton Town Board. Mr. Massey said that he. would leave the reply largely to the Minister tf Public Works.who wifs familiar with tho subject Ho wished to say, however, that he ,wns .awaro of the necessity for imprdve/nent of this load. .Hut the job was a big one, and it would take sonie time. However, this was an additional reason for putthe job iu hand at once. He hopeo. the Minister of. Public Works would be able to do this- in the course of a fow months. His difficulty was that the present session must be brought to an end on a certain date. Ho . die; nut think that there would be time for all the necessary legislation already in liana. He would like to take up this roittev of tho Paekakariki Road, but lie -feared (lint there would not be timo. Kir William Fraser'said ho wished to be brief. Mr. "Wright: Say "Yes." That will be brief. ' , , , ,„ The Minister: "Say 'les to what? You have not come with anything definite. All you have asked is that I disregard the advice of, my engineers. ,^ on '< I have more confidence in the advice of mv onginera than in that of any amateur engineers." He' said that he had agreed to spend the .sum of tnree or four thousand pounds on tho present road to restore it to a proper condition, but when he had promised to. do this the local body had said simply that it could not find its share. lie couti not go on spending money on the road under these conditions. He quite ngrced with the local body that the burden of this road should be spread over several local bodies whoso people used this road, in the same ,wav as had been done in connection with | the Alanawatu Gorge Head. A commission ought to be sot up io apportion the cost among ■' the local bodies, but the county would not take any steps to ask for a commission. It said simply that it could not afford to. pay anything. J his year he was making provision tor tins road on the Estimates, but he was not providing JMSOO. He was providing Ins share-half of that amount. He agreed that the present road wou.d never be suitable for a main road. lie -approved "of the suggestion of Hie A-iomobilo Association for n motor .ax. There would have to be a motor tax. There could be no doubt thct motor-cars damaged a road, more.in cr.e year than r-nv other tn'lfic voultl do in six years. There would be'difficulties about a motor i«* or a tyre tax, but hetnought these, could bo tso't over, and that the tax could be collected. The. sooner :ln.s .was ai-.. ranged the better. His opinion w* that the collection of the tax would haie to be undertaken by tl.ie Government, and. not bv the local bodies. i>r ion Mr. Massey concurred.). Jin I lie nointed out to the Automobile Association that the work* I hey were asking foi in all parts of New Zealand would. co> not three millions of money, but ten 01 twelve or fifteen millions. ■■ ' As to the deviation aloag the sea front he was advised that it would not be possible to put both road ami railway in this Place. As to the maintenance ot the present road, he repeated us declaration that he could not »™<?™« °" > p f half of, the Government to find tie. total «03t Tho local bodies would have to bear part. There were dozens ol such roads in New Zealand, and if he. relieved the local body of liability in one ease hi,'would have to do it in others. Mr. Massey made as a final suggestion, that the local bodies move without delay to have a commission fet up to apportion tho cost of the roaa among the local bodies using it. . Mr Field referred to the PhmmertonPukerua deviation, which the Minister of Public "Works had said would cost .« 000. He did not know exactly whnt route it was proposed to take. Sir William Fraser: The sea route all the wav round. - . Mr. Field said there must be a bridge at Paremata in order to !?ivp communication to Pliiiimerton and other places northwnrd. ~ Sir -William Fraser said the railwiw must be shifted before the road could bo provided. The engineers'had given that 'ruling after careful examination of the ground. Tho road woiild follow the present railway route, and the railway would go round the coast to avoid tunnelling.