The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1923. MAIN SOUTH ROAD

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1923, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1923. MAIN SOUTH ROAD

It will not bo possible-, now tiiat such pointed attention has boon drawn to the state of the main ?ouph road, Co sit tamely by ami allow thp present peglept of rhrt road icj rmifin’ic. Ml

Cliinie. .is was reported yesterday. spoke strongly and emphatically on the point. The rennirks were much on tile lines of those which hove been sii<l before lint now flint, outside visitors are drawing attention to the matter, the people will he sadly neglecting their duty if a well defined and sustained effort is not made to draw’ the pointed attention of the Government to the serious position. The 1*1111(1 is ill a deplorable state. II is under the control of tin* general government, whose oflieers are evidently not very cordial in their feelings towards the welfare of the highway. From ; tune to time the Minister of Public : Works eulogises the benefit of roadj making machinery for effective work, j hut the long stretch of road on the | Coast is still being dealt with by priI (native means, and the public are suf- ! fering. The Government, too, are ! building up a large sum for highway •roads, out of the tyre tax, but the main south road has not been considered even as a main highway. Vet it- is a road which is using up tyres faster than any other road ill the Dominion. The indifferohee of the authorities is greatly to l>o deplored, but the time Ims ciinie for definite action to secure some equitable consideration for the district. The locality traversed by the road has been denied railway com mu ideation. the Government using the money voted in a more favored locality. Now the people aie without a railway and they have a toad w hich, as has been shown, is a menace to visiting traffic. Here in a district where there is excellent material for road-making there is one of the worst roads in the Dominion. The people should not sit down under such an injustice and should call on the Public Works Department to remedy the position. This is a yeai of great opportunity for the Coast with the opening of the Midland railway in sight, but if South Westland is not easily accessible, that important quarter of i lie Const, will suffer seriously and ihe advantages of through rail . connection will not he realised to their I lull. Them is every reason to deniaiid ] and require a good road south. The I Government has gone to considerable I expense in bridging the south rivers, j hut if the mad in between is not read- j ily passable, the value of the In idges is minimised and the traffic they were I supposed to encourage will lx* missing. ! This road question is one of the most ; important which could arise, for it 1 leads to the portion of Westland where i the greatest development in the shortest time in regard to settlement may he looked for. Tf the district is to forgo ahead it is imperative that at least the roads shall lie kept in pass- 1 able order, and not as in tlie* ease of flic main south road, be in a condition to discourage traffic. South Westland by reason of fair access promises to come into its own quickly, but tin* handicap of had roads will delay prosperity indefinitely, and it i.s for the people to see that the menacing incu‘bns is promptly removed. If is time for definite action. j