The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th, 1922. MAIN HIGHWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th, 1922. MAIN HIGHWAYS

Yestkuuav reference was made to the subject of good roads and better. On the question of main highways important legislation is pending which diloet.v and seriously affects this district and me matter cannot receive too close attention. I-ist session the Government had a measure before Parliament a Highways Bill —which dealt with the subject. In the schedule thereto tnere was a list of proposed main highways coming under the measure, but so far as this district was concerned, the main highway w„s to cease at Hokitika. The bill is to be revived again this year's session, and in some form or other it is not unlikely it will pass into law. The authorities should seek betimes to have local interests safeguarded. A conference on the measuie is to bo held next month and whethei represented or not the local body should have its Claim in for more reasonable consideration. The fact that the Minister of Public Works who is the sponsor for the bill passed through Westland this year, and had the opportunity of noting the position in the southern district, should be Helpful. Mr Coates is credited with a good deal of native fairness, and he must realise that such a long stretch of road which reaches south of Hokitika on towards Jacksons Bay and Haast Pass, is Ireyond the finances of the local body. The arterial road traverses l.,ng stretches of Crown Lands which are non-rate producing, in order to reach the settleis below. The road for a great deal of t.ie distance, is little better than a road in nulhe. Over long lengths of it a vehicle lias nbvCr passed, in fact for miles and lniles, it is but a. horse track: Actually it is n pioneering highway to give access to the backblock country. The road is difficult and costly to construct, ano also to maintain. Very few of the main rivers are bridged, while the lesser streams and creeks all present difficulties to travellers a times, and are unbridged. To convert the thoroughfare into a highway for vehicle traffic would be very costly, and is fnr beyond tile possibilities of local taxation, The road is a national work, for it is the main highway into and through the thousands of acres of ciowil lands. An appeal to Mr Coates to Consider the special circumstances of the main south rdAJ should result in the load being classified as a main highway stretching to Jackson Hay niid Haast Pass. The subsidiary rOads are tuiiilerous And increasing, arid will be ii growing burden oil the local body both for construction and maintenance. The local body lias not shirked its Obligations ih respect to the works indicated and lias raised some thousands of. pounds by loan to assist district devc- • iopment. There has been also the pro- I mise of monetary help in regard to one ! of the large bridges in the south. A very fair and reasonable request can be made therefore to the Government to extend the scope of the Highways Bill to include the main road beyond Hokitika into the far south. If this is done th district will be treated fairly, and it should he done because for the time living at least there has been an indi-1 cation that further railway extension I will not take place in Westland. T e j road should therefore take the place of j the railway for expenditure. |