The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, MAY 9th, 1922. GOOD ROADS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 May 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, MAY 9th, 1922. GOOD ROADS.

Last week in Christchurch at the annual meeting of the Progress league, the organiser (Mr Clitnio) delivered an exhaustive report oil New Zealand railway management . The report was very comprehensive from everev point of view, and Mr Climic was complimented on all sides on the amount of work and thought he put into the report. While the indictment lie made out against tin* railway management was very complete the case he made for better roads, not to say good roads, was very convincing. The arguments used for Can. terbury seem to apply with no less effect to Westland. It is apparent that for some time we have reached tue limit of railway extension in this Province. The one chance of having the Ross railway extended was vetoed by tho Government at a time when the monej was available. Now the money is not readily available, even though the authorisation of the work is on the statute book. For the time being the people must look for improved access by means of the roads. This is rendered possible nowadays by impioved means of traction—to wit motor vehicles. M'otou traction is going to he of grc..t service to South Westland, hut it call be of that service only if the roads and bridges are there to operate upon. It would appear that this is the time to say to the Government that if nothing more is to he done in the way of railway extension, that the uisti ict has the right to expect more in the w y i roads and luidges, There is a Lug stretch of country south of Ross capable of yielding products which must transported over the roads to the i ai! head. For this purpose the traffic m..st be taken into account; There is the fact also that the Way the Hoklt k.. Boss railway is rtiit at ((resent; more and more traffic must he thrown on to the main road. The main rohd is not in a fit state to carry that traffic. T. ere is the need for great iinprovemelll ii tlie roads; and the public should c-i centrate on the fact; The widen.n

the Lake Kanieri road has been urged over and over again, Imt the authorities do not take up the matter; There was a demand for a short piece of road between So-.th Hokitika and Ruatnpu, which would cut off several miles of the hilly section of the main road between Rimu and Ogilvie’s. That wo: k is deferred now indefinitely, yet it would be of the greatest value at this juncture, when trnins run so inconveniently and the bridges on the main road are reported to be so unsafe. Good roads or better roads should be the slogan in Westland for the next year or two. The traffic is increasing all the time, and if the roads are going to be equal to requirements, and the district is going to progress as it should, the agitation for road improvement should be insistent. Now that railway construction is at a standstill the:c is every right to demand good roads and better.