OPENING UP COUNTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 84, 6 October 1931, Page 6

OPENING UP COUNTRY

At present the politicians are all on for l'oadiug camps in the back blocks, writes "Through Roads." This is all very well if the roads are going to lead somewhere, but if they are only going to endup in some gully what use are they.' There are several through roads badly needed to open up back country, which with topdressiug would make excellent cow farms, e.g., the southern end- of the Wairarapa and the intervening bays towards Wellington would all be opened up by building the coastal road to the Wairarapa. The building of the Auckland Harbour Bridge is" going to bring the east, coast of North Auckland Peninsula closer to Auckland, and a main highway is urgently needed up this side of the coast to Whangarei. Then Hawkes Bay needs a road through Norsewood to Apiti for transferring stock, and. this also applies to the Hope Lewis Saddle road between North Canterbury and Westland, and ulso the Haast Pass road between Otago and South Westland. In our own province there is need for a road between Otnki and the Wairarapa. Then there is the question of opening up the pumice country between Waiuru and Tokaanu with- cross roads branching off at a later date. It is the through roads that are so essential to push on with this summer. No important through roads have been built since the early pioneering days. The Main Highway Board lias been improving the already constructed roads, but _it has not opened up country by constructing new through roads. Therefore let the Government concentrate on new through roads opening up new country altogether.