The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 1922. THE MAIN SOUTH HIGHWAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 1922. THE MAIN SOUTH HIGHWAY.

Tiik eojidition of the main south road again cropped up at the Chamber of Commorco meeting this week, and from the remarks mr.de and the subsequent

letter written by the Chamber to the Member for the District, it certainly appears tlin the question is of outstanding importance. Some temporary repairs have been promised to the seriously damaged portion of the road, but that is only trifling with the issue. Neither will it be satisfactory to govern the position by restrictive regulations limiting traffic. Already there are notices on the smaller bridges that the limit of safe loading is only five tons. Yet fully loaded lorries, the machines alone weighing perhop:; four tons or more, are daily using the road, and ; crossing these defective bridges. The ' users are taking a risk, but if they did not they would he ictarding the 1 progress of the district. The bulk of I the supplies for the upper portion of South Westland now passes over the road in lorries, and on the return ,i'>ur- ' ney the lorries bring back produce from the district—cheese, butter, wool hides, and even stink. particularly • lambs in season. To prohibit this traffic now by barring it with road regii- ! lotions is to put the clock of progress hack. A very strong point has been made by the statement tha* the southern district has been denied railway | communication, and alterilatively the Government should provide loads. Admitting that funds are short and that t it is not possible to go in for a large I outlay in reconstructing the smaller bridges, the condition of which is considered critical something of a temporary nature should lie done to provide fer the traffic meantime in a rough and ready manner by using the timber along the mad adjacent to the bridge. In the same wily with the. upkeep of the road, the problem of repairs siiou'd he tackled with good material at once, and an improvement would result. The Department should acquire some machinery for the task seeing that with manual labor the work will be .somewhat costly. The Department lias the machines in operation oisewbere and what are suitable should he transferred here, and ninintenimrv costs kept down. The outlook for speedy attention is not very hopeful, but at the moment there is no mii'c uregiit work presenting itself in Westland. and if the district is to reap the advantage of the coming holiday traffic the Work requires to he taken in hand in a comprehensive milliner without delay. No doubt Mr Seddon will prcse.'r thecas: very fully in the proper place and the best results are certainly most urgently required