The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1930. A MATTER FOR MOTORISTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1930. A MATTER FOR MOTORISTS.

Tub local organisation of the Automobile Association together with the Progress League and the local bodies generally, should lose no time in looking into the matter of maintaining a direct motor road from Canterbury to Westland This alertness is necessary because of the attitude of the President (Mr Freeman) of the Canterbury Automobile Association before the Main Highways Board at Christchurch on Friday, 't he members of the Board had just completed a tour of the East Coast and were interviewed oil a variety of matters. Mr Freeman brought up thei question of a road to the West Coast, where a, motorist could take his car the entire distance without being dispossessed of it. It was the dream of Canterbury that a road should be open to all the scenic resorts on the West Coast, as it was the dream of Otago that a road should be continued over the Haast Pass. The question of improving the Arthur’s Pass road would involve a tremendous expense in bridges and a deviation of the Bealey. From his own viewpoint he did not think the expense was warranted. He thought that it would be better to leave the Arthur’s Pass road in an improved but unbridged state and constrict a road over the Lewis Pass Saddle, the possibilities of which had been discussed before, Mr Talbot (a member of the Board) inquired what road .Mr .Freeman would desire the Highways Board to concentrate on. Mr Freeman said that, the advantages ofj the suggested Lewis Saddle road made it preferable to the existing Arthur’s Pass route. He was a member of the Arthur’s Park Scenic Reserve Board, but he was of opinion that the board did not expect the road to go through. The railway could, cater for the scenic reserve much better than could the existing road. Mr Freeman’s attitude will be a surprise to local motorists. It is only a few months ago, he and others ol the ‘Christchurch organisation waited on the local branch here, and asked the support of the members in having rivers bridged on the Spnng-field-Otira section and other improvements made to assure through motor traffic. For some reason, and without oxplantion to the local motorists, Mr Freeman has abandoned the Otira 1 route, and now plumps for the Lewis Pass route. The latter has its merits no doubt but they are not to be compared with the Otira route. The direct route from Westland via Otira to Christchurch, has been opened now for over sixty years, and since motoring became a vogue has been used for transport But the road like all other roads in New Zealand requires attention to bring it up to the standard for motor traffic. If our Christchurch friends were true to their opinions, they would seek first.to have the Otira route put in proper order for motoring. It is well to note that Mr Furkert, Chairman of the Highways Board, is not specially enamoured of the Lewis Pass route. He is reported to have replied that in regard to the Lewis Pass Road there was no evidence that the building of that road would help in developing the country thereabouts. It was, however, a most attractive proposition. He regretted thnt the West Coast Road had been giving so much trouble. The trouble on tlie Otira route has not been recurring always, nor is it in any different category to many arterial roads in other p,art,s of the Dominion—which also gives trouble— Manawatu Gorge for instance, Tt appears imperative! that the attitude of the Canterbury Autotomobile Association towards Otira Gorge route should be taken up locally at once, with a view to reminding Mr Freeman and his confreres of their wishes about year ago when here, and to take steps at once to bring the Oan-terbury-Mestland direct route for ! motoring prominently before the authorities.