“SHOCKING ROADS.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4412, 10 May 1922, Page 4

“SHOCKING ROADS.”

HAURAKI PLAINS PROTESTS. COUNTY COUNCIL APPROACHED. CRUSHED METAL ESSENTIAL. Several deputations,, die total strength numbering, 30, waited’ on the Haur.’ki Plains County Council jit Ngatea on Monday. The deputations were heard in the Public Hall. The chief; grievance was the bad state cf a number of roads. Several Huirau Road settlers asked for a quantity of metal to be put, on their road to enable them to supply the factory during the winter. A strong Turua deputation urged the metalling o£ roads, particularly the Piako Road between Turua and Kopuarahi. A number of Waitakaruru setters made representation.-. to have metalled a stretch of . road to the west of Waitakaruru, While still another section of ratepayers petitioned to have something dore to the Pekapeka Road. HUIRAU ROAD. Mr Madgwick, on behalf of, the Huirau Hoad settlers, said he had been asked to bring forward a petition asking for some metal to be put on the Huirau Road. Unless there was metal put or. the road the settlers would not be able to get to the factory. Mr McLoughlin: How much metal would you need ? Mr Madgwick: About 200 yards. Mr Miller (county chairman) recognised the necessity for the metal. The Council had tried to get metal from Puriri, but the price had been increased considerably. The broken metal had to be carried in punts, and the punts were not. fixed up yet. Two yards of the latter metal would be better than three of the. other. The Council had £6OO to £650 to patch the roads up. He thought that better service would be obtained f|rom the broken metal.

Mr Sutton asked if the metal coull be obtained in another fortnight. Mr Miller replied that he could not guarantee that, but the punts would be finished soon. The metal would cost about 12s in the punts. Mr Sutton wished some definite promise of, say. a couple of hundred yards. Mr Miller said that a couple of hundred yards would work out at about £250. Mr Sutton: Will you promise to patch up the roads to the best of your ability ? • Mr Miller : We are moving in that direction. Mr Sutton: You know things are getting pretty serious over there. We will be “in the soup” soon. We won’t be able to get out. Or. Hayward suggested that the settlers have drays ready to take the me l al off the punts and get it spread on the road. The cost would then be reduced by about half!, and as there was a limit to their money it would be a help. He thought the settlers should help themselves a little.. Mr D. G. McMillan asked that the case be studied on its merits. The roads were in a disgraceful state. The doctor at Turua had said t,hat if the roads did not improve he would have to travel on horseback, and, he knew what that meant in the case of sickness. Now that the loan had been turned down he thought something should be spent on the roads. He maintained that £6OO was not sufficient, to put the roads in order. Seeing that Turua and Netherton ridings had been bearing the brunt ,ot> .the financial burdens of the Council he thought they should have a little more consideration. Messrs N. Davidson and J. Bennett supported the previous speakers. THE PIAKO ROAD. Mr H. Rogers, regarding’the road between the Turua post office corner and Hicks’ corner, said that a large amount of milk was being carried over the roads. The settlers were prepared to assist in carting the metal for the work. The red metal j was worthless, and it was useless puttinc it on. There had been nar- I ’ ; 1 row escapes from accident on that ( road. The settlers were all prepared to help in some way. | { Mr J. E. Green said that over the f fen’ miles of: Turua roads there were [ 13,500 tons carted during the past ' . year. He gave further figures of the • large amount of; traffic over those roads. The following petition, signed by t 15 settlers, was also received : “We, the undersigned, respectively beg to bring under the notice of your Council the condition of the TuruaKopuarahi Road. At the present time e this road is in a shocking condition, and it is apparent that unless repairs j g are made traffic will be impossible by ( next spring. The settlers fully recog- I s nise the difficulties o? your Council as regards finance, and desire to as- ® sist either by contributions or by supplying labour and cartage so that repairs may be put in hand at the earliest moment. To enable a working s

plan to be devised, it is asked that your chairman would be good enough to meet those interested at Turua to discuss the matter. As the portion of the road under the control of the Lands Department is also in need cf repair it is suggested that the resident drainage engineer should be invited by your Coun'cil to attend the Turua conference.” The Council subsequently decided to accede to the request to meet the settlers,, and the chairman was appointed to represent the Council. TURUA-ORONGO ROAD. Mr G. Gray drew attention to the state of the road between Turua and Opani. He asked the Council to take the grant of £BOO and meta] that road, which was the outlet from the Orongo . estate The settlers on that road, he j thought, would help, in carting the , metal The metal could be landed at two points, at the Towers and at Tuj rua. The broken metal was what was wanted. Mr Newman said that nothing had bean done on his road, which he wanted graded. Mr Miller promised that tenders would be called for grading that road. ' He promised that the Council would ' consider the matter that day. | DOMINION’S WORST ROADS. I Mr Gray asked that the Ngataipua . Road should be graded. This had been previously promised by Mr Miller. I Mr Davies, supporting the previous speakers, said that Turua had been waiting for the last .two months for something to be done to the roads. He suggested taking the councillors for a “joy” ride over those roads. He urged that some definite statement should be made with reference to the roads?" That was one of the richest districts in the Dominion, and had the worst roads, where there -were bog-holes and dgath-traps. There were culverts 2ft deep in the roads. Mr Miller said it was recognised that the roads were in a shocking condtiion. He thought that no good job could be done until the settlers went in for a good loan. It was difficult to get the broken metal. Dr. Bathgate, doctor at Turua, said he had been all over New Zealand and had never seen, worse roads. There were culverts quagmires, and bogs. He asked the Coun'cil, for the sake of their wives and children, who might some day become ill, to put the roads in decent order. Mr Walton explained the financial position of the Council. If the Council was able to. proceed with the ma-, chinery loan the difficulties with regard to metal would disappear. H 3 also said that if the rates were paid early the Council would have more ready money for road work. Cr. Mayn said it was painful to listen to the tale Of woe. They were apparently in a bad position. He thought the Coun'cil would give the requests every consideration. If some of the Patetonga ratepayers had been present they would have got some kind of satisfaction in knowing that there were others in a similar plight.

TIRING THE COUNCIL. ‘ Cr. Death thought that as there were several more, deputations to l.e heard the deputation which had already spoken should withdraw. They had received a very good hearing. Mr McMillan said that as the Council had been elected by the ratepayers. the Council should listen to what the ratepayers had to say. He objected to the deputation beipg asked to quit. Mr Baker said he had had to run his car on low gear most of the way that day, and had run out of benzine. “We want metali,” he 'concluded. Cr. McLoughlin impressed on the deputation that when the County started it had not a sheet ofl note- j paper to call its own. The clerk had ( helped them out. The Council had I had an up-hill fight. I Mr McMillan asked what was

: wrong with the county punts. I Cr. Harris said that the punts were I bought cheaply, but drew too much. ; water and had to be cut down. The' County had had an up-hill fight, an 1 I had taken over £2OOO liabilities from:, I the Turua riding alone. He sympaI thised with the deputation. ■’ I Mr Miller said the punts were realj ly good ones, and were a cheap proposition. Cr. Whitechurch urged that the deputations should quit. He had 25 ■ i miles to ride over rough: roads, worse I than those under discussion. | Mr Gray inquired if the £BOO for the Opani road was included in the estimate to patch 'the road. Mr Walton sa.’d he knew of no £BOO grant. Mr Miller thought there was a! grant of £B5O on the £1 for £l, and that it might reduce the loan on that end. If a loan were raised it could be reduced by £B5O. WAITAKARURU ROADS. A large number of Waitakarurti settlers petitioned the Council tp use, *1

its best endeavours to have the Wai-takaruru-Pokeno road graded and channelled between the WaltakaruruMorrinsviUe road to Haley's Corner. It was pointed out that that, road was practically impassable in winter and it was thought <ll6 work could be done at a, very reasonable '.cost. ' Mr Stretton upheld the petition, ' and su’d the road was in a bad state. There was a £2OOO grant for that ' road. The Council did not push the ] work, and n'ow there was only a grant . of £BBO. There was a chorus ofi voices from the councillors that the Council had been continually trying for these ■ grants. , & | Mr Stretton said the Council had made efforts for the Miranda road, ! but he had not seen where the Council had been trying for the road in question. Cr. McLoughlin said there had been £l5OO on the Estimates fpr the road from Waitakaruru to Kaihere. Before the Councili 'could get at it the money had been taken off. Cr. Harris moved’ to the Council that the grader be used on the road in question as soon as it is finished at Waitakaruru.

Or. Mayn said the grader had been promised to the Turua riding. I Or Harris withdrew his motion till . later. He thought the grader could I do the work- within a week. I WAITAKARURU DRAINS. ' Mr Haley spoke with regard to two stream road drains which required cleaning out. The drain on the east side of the road Was In urgent need 'of cleaning. The drain was .about 150 chains long and could be cleaned for about 5s or 6s per chain. Mr Miller said the drains were not ’ affecting the road. It was for the Council to get moving. If the drains were not affecting the road it was not f'or the Council to interfere. He. asked if the settlers would be prepared to meet the expense. ' Mr Haley thought the Council’s' road would benefit a great deal if the drain, was cleaned put. If it was left for the settlers to do the work and collect the money, no work w*ould be done. Mr Miller: Why not form a drainage board ? Mr Haley: We are in the Government drainage area, but the Council controls the drains. Mr Miller asked if the settlers would offer a contribution to clean out the drain. Or. Parfitt thought the Council had a certain responsibility with these drains and the Council should help. Or. McLoughlin asked if the settlers would contribute half the cost. Mr Haley did not think they should. Cr. Mayn thought the Council should do the work. As they were about to elect an engineer the matter should be left it,o the engineer. Cr. White.cburch urged that the matter be given due consideration in council. Cr. Parfitt asked the deputation if they would be| agreeable to a rate being struck over the area fpr the purpose of cleaning out the drain. A member Off the deputation : Yec, but this collecting, stunt is no good. THE PEKAPEKA ROAD, A deputation of Netherton ana Kererechi settlers urge'd improvement to the Pekapeka Road. Mr Jamieson thought the Turua complaints were small against their complaints. There had been no rates struck on his roads. He understood that a special loan of £l5OO had been put ti: the credit of that road. There had been bullock waggons carting on the road and there were holes from which conveyances could not get out. The Pekapeka Road was a connecting link which would bring Ng,atea five i miles closer to Paerpa. He urged that the Council should let a contract or let the settlers collect their own rates and do the work themselves. Mr Miller: What, is this road. I

have not been there ? Mr Jamieson; That’s the trouble. Mr Barton said a loan had been carried about four years agoi, and he wished to know what had become pf it, It had been proposed that the councillors should go around in motor cars, hut if they went on the Pekapeka Road they would need sledges. _ Cr. Chatfield urged that this matter be one of the first for the consideration of. the new engineer. Cr. Death thought those settlers had a grievance. Mr Barton: Could we get it started j this winter ? 1 Cr. Chatfield : We could start right, away. The chairman promised that that would be the first work for the new engineer to report on.