BLINDING FOR ROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5229, 20 January 1928, Page 2

BLINDING FOR ROAD.

HIGHWAY NEAR WAITAKAKURU.

QUESTION OF COST. At the meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council yesterday, a letter was read from the.resident eng’neer of the Public Works Department, Paeroa, advising that the Highways Boards’ engineer had drawn attention to the urgent need of some flnfe blinding on the section of, mail highway beyond Waitakaruru. It was suggested that supplies ’be obtained from the quarry in the vicinity, but as this material would be so expensive that the question of sealing this very solid piece of road was worth going into. The engineer stated that the cost of blinding the road as recommended would exceed £6OO, of. which the Highways Board would find two-fifths. Cr. Harris stated that there was nochance whatever of the county financing the work. It was decided to intform the Public Works Department that the riding had insufficient funds to undertake the work.

Cr. Miller said the District Highways Council had recommended that all highways and secondary 'highways be a charge over the whole county.

Cr. Madgwick opposed the motion, as he did not think it right for one riding to sit tight and make the whole county liable for its roads. The Highways Board could, and pr°bably would, de'duct the cost of the work from the subsidy due to the rest of the county.

Cr. Harris said that the road should have been sealed when constructed. It was not right for the Public Works Department to hand over a metalled road and to ask the county to seal the surface when it was known that the rate necessary to provide adequate maintenance was such that if levied the settlers would be driven off their land.

Cr. Mayn moved that the PublicWorks Department be advised that the council looked upon the sealing of, the road as constructional work and was of opinion it should not be called upon to provide a greater sharethan for the original work,