MARATOTO ROAD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5498, 8 November 1929, Page 3

MARATOTO ROAD.

CONDITION OF SURFACE. * GOVERNMENT’S SUGGESTIONS. At the Ohinemuri County Council meeting yesterday a letter was read from the Minister* of Public Works advising that during August information was received from the Mines Department that the council had telegraphed the Minister of Mines requesting a grant of £5OO for the purpose of effecting improvements to the Maratoto Mine road, it being stated that the road was in a very bad condition. In commenting on the request, the Inspector of Mines had stated that in his opinion the condition of the road was mainly due to neglect on the part of the Ohinemuri County Council, in so far as maintenance was concerned, but, nevertheless, he considered that an amount of £l5O should be provided by the Government to assist with necessary improvements. If this sum had been made available it would have been a charge against one of the votes under the Minister’s control, and for that reason, before agreeing to authorisation he had arranged for the Public Works Department district engineer at Auckland to investigate the matter. From the report received the Minister said he understood that the first 3i miles of the road was in fair condition, it having received a certain amount of maintenance. The next section, of 11 miles, was in poor shape, and the next section, of similar length, had been practically destroyed. The road was quite unfit for motor traffic, and this condition could be attributed to a great extent to the fact that heavy cartage to the mine was carried out during the worst weather, and resulted in the metal being pushed out of sight. To place the road in a reasonable state of repair it was considered that six cubic yards of gravel to the chain should be placed on the middle section of H miles and ten cubic yards to the chain on the final li-mile section. The estimated cost would be approximately £576. The Minister said he did not think the Government would be justified in providing the full £576, but he was prepared to favourably consider authorisation of £3OO to assist the council with the work, on condition that the council undertook to accept responsibility for the future maintenance of the road. There was a balance of £126 15s of the item of £350 which was provided on the current year’s estimates for the road, and if the council would let the Minister have a resolution to the effect that it would accept responsibility for future maintenance he would approve authorisation of that amount of the balance, plus £173 5s to make up the total to £3OO.

After the letter was read the chairman, Cr. C. Mason, said he took exception to that part of the letter which said the present bad condition of the road was mainly due. to lack of maintenance by the council. If the inspector of mines was as conversant with the matter as the council was he would not have passed the remarks he did. The bad state of the road was wholly due to heavy traffic. He also disagreed with the Minister in asking for a resolution that the council should not apply for further assistance.

Cr. A. R. Robinson said the bad portion of the road was purely that leading to the mine. He did not think the council should be called upon to maintain that portion. It should be covered by gold duty, if any, but it was not at all likely that any gold would be forthcoming, from the mine ; silver was principally expected. The engineer stated that there was no balance available on the road. Last year there had been a balance of £223, which had been worked out on the road between Mcßrinn’s Creek and the mine. It had been metalled as far as the money would go. As the contractor had not finished the work at the end of the financial year the value of the contract had to be carried forward as a re-vote to the next year. There was no balance. There had been the matter of 5s 3d, but that had been wiped out. In addition, another £l2O had been asked for to complete the metalling. The request for £5OO had been made through the damage caused by heavy traffic. The inspector of mines had estimated the cost of repairs at £125, but the Public Works Department in a subsequent report arrived at £560.

Cr. J. B. Morris asserted that the road had been washed out by flood, which was an act of God. Cr. Robinson remarked that if an extraordinary flood had caused the damage the department should pay. The engineer explained that he had not made application for a grant previously, as he did not think it was necessary. Since that time heavy traffic to and from the mine had used the road in the winter and pushed all the metal out of existence. Cr. Robinson considered that as there were a number of men at the mine, it was only reasonable that the road should be fixed. He suggested that the chairman and staff take up the matter and see where the complications came in. The council should be agreeable on its part to spend whatever money was available for the purpose. He did not think the council should agree to the resolution requested by the Minister. Cr. Morrison thought that the inspector of mines was absolutely wrong, and that the council should maintain its present stand. The suggestions made by Crs. Robinson and Morrison were eventually agreed to.