MAIN ROADS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4547, 6 April 1923, Page 2

MAIN ROADS

OHINEMURI COUNCIL DISCUSSION. • x ?■ THE RAISING OF A LOAN MOOTED. At the meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council yesterday the chairman (Mr A. R. Robinson) said that . now the financial outlook had brightened considerably, he considered the time was .ripe for the Council to face the question of raising a loan tp enable it to put down some permanent loading in the county. Main roads were a question that had to be faced. Good roads were an absolute necessity. and he felt sure that if,a proposal to raise a loan was put t,o the ratepayers it would be warmly supported. Cr. Johnstone said he was in favour of any scheme that would improve the main roads permanently. The initial cost would be great, but if a permanent roading system was taken in hand the ratepayers would not only get satisfaction, but after a few years their rates would be decreased, because the maintenance of the roads would be less. Cr. Johnson said he favoured a permanent roading scheme. There was no doubt that the present roads were quite unsuitable for motor traffic. Cr. Corbett said that while realising the need for better roads,' he could hot support any motion authorising the raising of a loan over the whole county. He did not think that all the ratepayers should have to contribute ,to a loan. There were many ratepayers who scarcely ever used the main roads. He would be pleased to welcome an equitable scheme whereby the main roads could be improved, but he did not favour penalising every ratepayer. Cr. Morgan supported ibe roading scheme. He said he thought that permanent roads in concrete would be the only satisfactory way of reading. The position of better roading facilities had tp be faced, but the difficulty seemed to be to raise a loan for the purpose on an equitable basis. Cr. McGuire said he sympathised with the other councillors in .their wishes to have better main roads. He thought the Council should, for a while at any rate, concentrate its x energies on the smaller loads- He contended that the many roads leading to the main roads were the ones that, needed the attention. These smaller roads were the ones that fed the county, and the back peopl? shoulcTbe considered before the needs of the travelling public are attended to. He contended that it was a matter for the incoming council tp deal with. The chairman said the engineer would be asked to go carefully into the matter,, collect data, and report to the Council later on. He thought the ratepayers would readily support any proposal to improve the main roads by sanctioning the raising of a loan for the purpose. However, he was gratified to hear the councillors’ views on the matter, and judging ov those views he felt sure that something tangible would be done later on.