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Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1932, Page 4

Tiie fact that the Lewis Pass road is held up at this juncture whew" it was about to be pushed on by thle Unemployment Board, is arousing a good deal of feeling in Canterbury. The Lewis Pa-ss road i,s the class of work which commends it-e’f at this juncture h cause of the labour it requires. The road wlvefu com,pitted will have some tangible utility, and bp used a good deal by mo-toriists. It is hard to see whore it can rival the railway in the matter of revenue, but ns an opening for using rnrulus labour to some useful effect, it lias irvrh to -commend it. Tt i? « case like that suggested previously in. those columns, to h°" , d the money to the Public Works Depm tment to prosecute useful 1 work in opening the bar 1 -: country. In this instar'-e it is proposed to confine the l work to road construe? froii only. T in bridges are to b ■ kit to- a more convenient season, finan chilly. Thi? mmi’ l ds us of tb* position of the Great SoW> rnn-1 herond Wipbckn. will a. some 'miles linvc been made but. ni at present not bv vehicles be"nus l \ of I be hridgejo".; rivers from the. high mountain range The Great South road is designed to be carried on to junction with the Haast Pas.?* a;nl when completed it

wi'.'l be a great asset to tine Dominion. But work fa held up. As. at Lljwis Pass, SO' at Makarora on the Otago side, the work was stopped; again at Cooks-Karaatigarua the men have been takea. away. Westland has ‘a similar g ievance to Otago and North Canterbury—that useful work has been suspended, and available money for relli’ef work is bedng frittered away in town's and cities, i'he opening lip o this back country is one of the best aids to development. South Westland is largely a tract of C. own lands. The roadmg of that estate is first foi the public good in affording aecjss If the south road were carried o: there would be a us.ful nationa' development in regard to timber, , and the Crown would reap the royalties. As time goes on., and it is recognised relief funds are being f. ittered away in centres where works are exhausted there will he a more insistent demand to seei the money used t» some national benefit, and great roading schemes tr> open the back country is the readiest means at hand for the pu.pcse.