HAURAKI PLAINS ROADING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5404, 25 March 1929, Page 1

HAURAKI PLAINS ROADING

DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTER. REQUESTS' FOR SUBSIDIESWhile, drainage questions, comprised the bulk of the business, dealt jvith by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, on his tour of the Hauraki Plains on Wednesday last, several roading, matters, were dea.lt with. TOWN BOARD ROADS. The chairman otf- the Turua Town Board, Mr J. Mules, approached the Minister and asked for a subsidy tc( enable metal shoulders to be provided for the bitumen roads. The edges of the sealeji road were) continually bejing broken away, and on account of the proximity of the drains it was necessary to have the wheel nuts filled up to prevent the drain bank, from slipping.

The Minister suggested that proposals be submitted.

LIABILITY FOR LOANS.

Mr A. M. Samuel, M'.P.. mentioned that the Town Board! hadi desired to make a similar request regarding the liability for loans, raised: for bitum'ejg roads, as had been done by the County Council, ahd therefolre. it did not propose to reiterate the arguments, but merely desired to stress .the point. SUBSIDISING AWAITI ROADS.

The; county cliairman and Ct. J- A. Reid interviewed the Minister at Nethertqn and' asked, that he reeonsid-, er. a decision of his predecessor. Mr Walton explained that some y’qars a&o when the Awaiti settlers, to raise a loan for metalling their roads they asked for a subsidy and were told to go ahead with their. Joan and then approach the depajrtmejit. This, was done, but at that time the dfepartment was pot in a position tai pay the subsidy and it was agreed that th® County Council should hypothecate the loan debentures against the subsidy. subseque|ntly a £ for & subsidy was received. When the Land was opened for selection the settlers were : assured that they .would be givqn completed roads. They naturally understood this to mean metalled roads, but the department maintained that a formed road; was all that was intended. This dispute affected; a great part of the county, but it was settled, and. the metalling of other roads in the county was subsidised at the rate of £2 for £l, being £1 from the Public Works Department and; £1 from the Lands Drainage Department However, before the dispute was settled the, Netherton: people had gone on with their proposal and the ling was' finished, the subsidy received being only £ for £. The request now being made was that the decision to. pa'y ! this subsidy be repopsidered and'an additional subsidy be granted So that thbe Awaiti district would receive the same treatment as the other parts of the Hauraki Plains which had delayed their roading. Or. Reid added that, the; Prime Minister had said, "Go ahepdl with your loan and I will sec that you are treated fairly.” The Minister asked what would! be done with the money if it was received.

Mr Walton said that it .would have to be paid into the sinking fund, where it. would reduce the term of the loan.- The sum involved was £l5OO. In reply t« the Minister’s question Mr L B. (Campbell, inspecting engineer for the department, said that the facts were as Mr Walton had stated. The Minister said that the matter would be looked into. He pointed out that there was a continual demand for Government money, and it was, natural to hope that \yhat (had been dune in the past was finished with. However, the question wotfjld receive consideration. NETHERTON-TIROHIA; ROAD. Mr H. E. Hi]l said he had recently learned that the Crown had acquired a block of land beyond the end! of Awaiti Road whic,h had no road access. The settlers beyond thq end of. the present metalled rbadi; had no access except a. strip of lapd not yet. proclaimed a road, a,ndi for their, benefit, as well as for the Crown, landj, a road should be legalised) and formed. The route was on a sandy ridge, aMd the road would: not require, m.eta,lli)ig. Consideration was, p.rit>inisedL