ROAD MAINTENANCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5236, 8 February 1928, Page 3

ROAD MAINTENANCE.

WAHHI COUNCIL’S GRIEVANCE.

OBJECTION TO ALLOCATION. The Minister of Public Works (H°n. K. S. Williams), in reply to thq Waihi Borough Council’s request that the present allocation of the cost of maintaining the road between the Puke landing (Paeroa) and Waihi be reviewed, advised, that this road was no,w a main highway, and that the question of reviewing the present allocation had therefore been submitted to the Main Highways Board. The board had expressed its regret at being unable to recommend any reilef from the present arrangement, and in view of this, it was to be regretted that the warrant apportioning the. cost of maintenance of this section of main highway could not be annulled. UNSATISFACTORY REPLY. When the matter came before the Waihi Borough Council on Thursday' evening Cr. Morgan . s;aid he did .not think that they should be satisfied with the reply from the Minister. He would remind members that in the old days the people of Waihi had fought for railway connection with the .town, and ultimately this was achieved by the Waiiii Gold Mining" Company advancing the Government a loan. The section phid well at one time, but now it did not pay the department because people chose to get their goods by road instead of. by ra’l. He, however, did not think that the Borough Council should be penalised when there was the railway available.

Cr. Robinson, speaking on thc'QUestion of the allocation, was strongly of opinion that the best way of getting at the position was to ascertain the amount of tonnage that was conveyed over the road to Waihi and the traffic in goods carried by rail to the town. If thi’s, information was 'available the council would have some argument to put up, and it would be a fairly strong argument, but without it they wduld have little chance of any.relief. As far as the heavy traffic was concerned they could do nothing in that direction, as he understood the Highways Board collected the dyes. It ivas ridiculous that as a result of an award made 25 years ago the council should still be saddled with it. When the award was made there were over 200 horses engaged in the haulage of goods, over the road, whereas to-day there were practically none. ! INFORMATION WANTED. The, Mayor: It means; taking,a census of the tonnage -carried over the road and wilL involve putting a man on to take a tally. Cr. Robinson : Is,! there any possibility of getting the information ,fr°m the shipping company which carries the goods to and from Paeroa ? The Mayor said that the council would endeavour to obtain thi’s information. He might say that the engineer in charge of Public Works at Paerpa had been asked by the Minister to furnish a report. The engineer had make the necessary investigation and it was obviousjy on his report that the present finding had been made.

The town clerk explained that the matter maide no difference to the Highways Board; it was a question between the Waihi Borough Council and the Ohine-muri County Council. Without further discussion it was resolved, that the letter be received..