BACKBLOCKS ROADING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 25, 13 February 1937, Page 3

BACKBLOCKS ROADING

Our Own Correspondent

Big Scheme Planned • For Wairoa County £100,000 MENTIONED

From

WAIRUA, Jjasr nignr. Following up a'tentativo suggestion by the county chairman at a former meeting, that the councillors for the several ridings shotild think over the question of a big roading scheme for the baek blocks of the county, Mr D, V. Thomas (Waikaremoana riding) brought up the matter again, stating that while they were thinking big things progress was languishing and costs were rising on every hand. The county valuation, he said, was three and a-half millions, and the county debt only 7 per cent. Ee considered that if the debt was raisod even to 10 per cent and they got capital up to £100,000 or even more, made up of loan and the Government funds allocated for backblocks roading, they could carry out the bitumen scheme for the Nuhaka road and metal the baekblock Toads so that the settlers could get out to the main highways . without first having to plunge through mud, aa at present. They had a release of £2000 expenditure on the main highways which could be spent in interest on the required money, and the settlers, besides not having anything more to pay than at present would be able to get in and out of their holdings in safety and at reduced costs. Every day councillors were being hauled over the coals, aild it was now time for action. He would like to see a sub-committee set up to get something going as soon as possible. • The chairman said that this was a big thing and it would take some five months or so. v Mr Thomas said he also looked on it as a big thipg, but , as it must take time the sooner they got to work the better. The clerk. said that there was a good deal of engineering work to be done first to enable the proposals to be formulated. Mr W. Tait said that he agreed with all that Mr Thomas had advanced, but they must get a stone-crusher at work in these backblack areas. _ Mr Carroll said it was time they began to put county matters on a better basis. They had, he contended, dojie well in the past with the means at their disposal, but the labour conditions were now forcing them the take a long-range view, and proceed to give greater satisfaction to the ratepayers than they could give out of the rates. The chairman: I am with you all the time. Mr Dickie said that as a backblocker himself he could endorse all that Mr Thomas had said, and added that it was no end of a shame that ^ where there was a good metalled highway running past a man's holding he should not be able to get out to it. The following committee, to prepar* the scheme for the roading of the backblocks of the countv. was then set up: The chairman and Messrs D. V. Thomas, S. A. Dickie, and A. T. CaTroll.