GOVERNMENT ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4936, 8 February 1926, Page 4

GOVERNMENT ROADS.

OHINEMURI COUNCIL’S BEQUEST,

MINISTER’S FIRM REFUSAL.

In the Ohinemuri county the Waihi-

Whangamata road travenses over 12 miles through country that has only one ratepayer on it, and eight miles of the distance passes through Crown land which has not yet been settled upon. The amount of general rates paid by the one settler to the Ohinemuri county is only a few pounds a year, and this sum is promptly spent on maintenance of the road, which is principally used by settlers in the top end of the Thames county, which local, body does not contribute towards the upkeep of .the road. For some years, the Ohinemuri County Council has been endeavouring to get the Government to declare at least a portion of the road to be a Government road, but without success. Just recently Mr A. M. Samuel, M.P. has interested himself in the matter, and at the request of the Ohinemuri County Council he waited upon the’'Minister for Public Works and renewed the request for the Government to take over the road.

At Thursday's council meeting the following reply was received from the Minister, through Mr Samuel:— “With reference to your interview in which you urged that the section of the Waihi-Whangamata road in the Ohinemuri county should be declared a Government road, and the responsibility for its maintenance asi sumed by the Government, the matter has been most carefully examined on several occasions during the last year or two, .and following upon your representations again been the subject of review.

“This' road has a length of 12 miles within the Ohinemuri county, the first few miles traversing rateable lands and .the northern eight miles, mainly Crown land, one settler owning and occupying some land on the section. “It has already been pointed out to the council that the Government assumes responsibility for maintenance pf a road only in exceptional circummstances, for instance, in respect to long lengths of inter-dtatrict or tourist routes in isolated localities; and the reasons warranting the declaration- must, of course, be such as are not, applicable to the majority of the roads in ,the locality.

“While it is recognised that further settlement on the road in question is sparse, and that, further, i,t is the outlet for a small settled area of the Thames county, which area, therefore, contributes a big portion of the traffic, yet such conditions as these are common to several, roads in the Ohinemuri county, and a large number of roads in the Coromandel Peninsula are similarly situated. Furthermore, there are many other county councils that could, on similar grounds, claim that one or more of their roads be declared Government roads; and these requests the Government could not face.

“So far as the Thames county traffic is concerned, a means) oi redress exists in the provisions of section 109 of the Public Works Act, 1908. “Considering the function of the Ohinemuri County Council in its broad aspect, the council wi.lli, I am sure, agree that its duty is equally to all its 'roads;, and it is suggested that the declaration oifi this and similar roads as county main roads enables the council to allocate the necessary finance for maintenance purposes. I further sjuggest that ,the Main Highways Act, by relieving the council of some of its expenditure on its .through roads, is an encouragement and help to it in dealing with such roadie asj the Waihi-Whangamata road.

“In conclusion, after full consideration, I can only repeat the decision previously given, that it is not possible to declare the Waihi-Whanga-mata road a Government road.”

The chairman remarked that it appeared to be the end of a long nd very persistent agitation.