ROAD OVER HAAST PASS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1927, Page 1

ROAD OVER HAAST PASS

OTAGO TO SOUTH WESTLAND. DUNEDIN, Aug. 31. "The Haast Pass is no new discovery,” declared Mr IV. B. Steei'e, secretary of the Otago Expansion League, when commenting on the agitation of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Tourist League for the formation of a road over the pass, which is the lowest in tho Southern Alps, to connect South Westland with Otago. From the early days of the province, the Hon. James Mncandrew had mapped out as part of his reading policy the use of this low pass to enable Otago to bo connected with South Westland, said Mr Steele. The union of tin* provinces, however, and the big questions brought in by the railway policy of the united governments, put this matter far into the background, more attention being given to the eastern plains than to the western mountain slopes; in fact, so far did it drift that the scheme became known as "Maraudrew’s dronm.” MB. SEDDON’S INTENTIONS.

The next politician to see advantages in this collection of the two provinces was Mr Scdon, who had far-see-ing pl'ii 11s for the opening of communication between his beloved West Coast and the southern portion of the island. It is believed that had he survived a few years longer tho work would have been put in hand. "Bo that as it may,” said Mr. Steele, "road extension in Westland has been extremely slow, and at present the road only reaches ns far south ns the Fox River. This leaves an expanse of country intersected by big rivers and forostclad mountains to he negotiated before roads can he connected up from the Otago side. The scheme would mean the building of the road from the Hawea River along the Pine to the present bridle track to Makarora, thence over the pass, down the Haast River to join with the road from the north. ROAD WOULD BE COSTLY.

“Tlie road would certainly open up great tracts of virgin forests, but under present conditions, when timber interests are maintaining that they cannot face outside competition from our present scources of supply, what hope is there of getting timber out from this area, with the heavy additional cartage charges which isolation would cause P. Certainly there would he no