PATETONGA-NGARUA DEVIATION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4495, 22 November 1922, Page 2

PATETONGA-NGARUA DEVIATION.

Sir,—ln your report of the last meeting of the Hauraki Plains County CpunciJ. on the 13th inst, I was’ much interested in Or. Mayn's proposal of an extension or deviation of Patetonga Road to Ngarua Road. »I can only surmise that this project was unexpectedly placed before the members to. explain the favourable reception it received. It is, or should be, common knowledge that the Lands Department intends to construct the Waitakaruru-Maukoro canal, forming, a bank and road ip the process right through the Plains which, will undoubtedly be the main roadi, and giving an outlet to all the sections between it and the riven occupied at present by soldier settlers under heavy rental, thus opening up this land and saving a long detour to gft out. Also the proposed cut would lie through valuably land, and ruhping parallel to the hill road, less than half a mile distant, would be only a bye-road once the Waitak.aruru-.Mau-koro canal road is constructed, and would be an expense to the county for maintenance quite apart frpm construction costs. Had Cii Mayn proposed that a track or summer road be ? opened up along the canal one could have commended his wisdom and foresight, but what his real reaspn is - bne can only surmise. I believe a / vote taken on this would show a large majority against the proposal, and in - favour of the canal road.- Also,, does the county engineer know that this proposition has been turned down by .... the Lands Department engineers previously ? I have heard it freely stated that this county promises to be a very heavily rated one, and if this, kind of thing is persisted in there-is possibly some justification for the opinion.

I would respectfully suggest that the council urge the Lands Department to concentrate on existing works and not fritter money and labour .away on deviations through settled property, and if the council-has any money .to expend I commend it to the boundary road on- the western side of the Plains, which sadly needs repaii ; als'o the Kaihere-Ohihemuri road, which is absolutely essential to the Plains settlers as an outlet to Auckland. Under the Ohiinemuri County one did occasionally see some sort of repair work going on, but since the advent of the new"cbuncil the repair work is conspicuous by its absence. We undoubtedly need roads, but le.t us have them ; not the apologies we have, at present, and to suggest new roads before we have the present 'ipads in passable order is putting the cart before the horse, and likely to be disastrous tp. the ratepayers Perhaps some of your readers may desire to know my interest, in the matter, and I can only quote the freely expressed opinion of Cr. Mayn in reply, namely, that a road cut along my boundary is bound to enhance the value of my property.;--'Why protest 1 This is as it may be, but at present T cannot' see the ratepayers of this county being saddled with an incubus in the shape of what promises be, when the development of the Plains is complete, a piece of useless road.

In conclusion I ca,n only suggest that every ratepayer or future ratepayer will study a. map of the Plains and see the proposed deviation, Patetonga Road to Ngarua Road;, versus Waitakaruru-Maukoro Canal Road, at present under construction, and then let your representative know your opinion. Every read on the western side will lead to it, and through Thn.mes-Morrinsville traffic can proceed via Patetonga Tramway Road or Maukoro Landing Road. E. J. WILKINS, Mangawherp Rbad, Patetonga.