MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4888, 9 October 1925, Page 2

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE VOTES FOR THE DISTRICT. Local bodies in the No. 2 Highways District have received a circular showing the main highways construction and maintenance estimates covering payment’s from March 31, 1925, to .April 1, 1926, as recently put through Parliament. The chairman of the No. .2 District Council had no information as to the legislation altering the rate of subsidy for maintenance, but he advised that if such legislation had passed into law the maintenance subsidy would be altered accordingly. It would be possilbe, if the Council thought fit and approval was given, to apply moneys on the estimates to other works than these actually specified.

The sums shown for construction of the portion of the.highway in this locality was, as follows : Pbkeno-Mara-marua, £1974, free; Whangamarino Road, District section, £5O, allotment 25, Maramarua Parish to Haley’s Conner, £B5BO, free ; Waitakaruru Stream Road, £413, free; and £36, £ for £; Pekapeka Road, £l2oo' £ for £; Wilsoii’s Road, Waihou, £1750 £ for £; Nether,ton-Awaiti, £3OO £ for £; Waitete Bridge, £590 £ for £; Mangatanigi •section, £B6, free < Kauaerangi Bridge, £B7, £ for £, and £165, £1 for £2; Kopu-Thames, £looo', £ for £; Thames-Waikawau, £lOOO, £ for £; Waihou River Bridge, at Kirikiri and Piako- River Bridge at Pipiroa, £7500, free ; Pipiroa Ferry, £2oo', £ for £; Kopu-Hikutaia, on account, £3OOO, £ for £; metalling at Waitoki, £7'so, £ for £;

The maintenance subsidies include the following : Waikato-Haurakt Plains boundary to Haley’s Corner £2OO (rate undetermined) ; Haley’s Corner to Ohinemuri County boundary, £5OO, £1 for £2 ; Paeroa Borough to TeAroha Borough, £269, £1 for £2 ; Plains-Ohinemuri county boundary, excluding Paeroa Borough, £435, £ for £; Dalgety’si Corner to Waihou River, £lo'o, £1 for £2; Kopu to Waikawaii, £4Bo,'£l for £2; Kopu to Hikutaia, £3OO ; Hikutaia to Paeroa, £223, £1 for £2. Discussing the circular at the Thames County Council the chairman said that it was well-known that the recommendation had been made to pay £ for £ subsidies for maintenance. The sums voted were very small, and totally inadequate to pay the subsidy on the amounts the council proposed (spending. The council had £23,000 in hand waiting for expenditure on roads tor which subsidies amounting to only £lOOO, had been voted. If the council had all the work carried out it would have to pay a huge sum as interest on money borrowed until the subsidy came to hand. On the motion of Mr Cribb and the chairman it was decided to protest to" the Highway Board re the inadequate subsidies to meet the requirements for which the council had money in hand.