REQUESTS FROM OHURA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 33, 7 June 1907, Page 3

REQUESTS FROM OHURA.

«— In reply to a series of resolutions of Ohura.settlers, with reference to road works in the Taranaki hinterland, Mr Jennings, M.H.R., has received the following reply from tke Hon. HallJones, dealing seriatim with the requests as follows: — I. That a dray road be immediately formed to connect Mangaroa with Tatu along the route chosen by the District Road Engineers. "In reply to this, I have to point out that if the above description means by way of the Mahorahora and Tokirima roads, the amount provided for the work during the year 1906-07 is £3OO, which has been all authorised for expenditure, and at the end of the year £133 had been spent."

2. That the Hon. Minister for Public Works be asked if any of the votes for the Ohura Road were intended to be spent on road formation through the Tatu settlement. "No vote, or part of any vote, was taken specially for such expenditure." 3. Asking that a road be formed from about the three-mile peg on the Ohura Road to Mangapapa. " Since your letter was received, I have had an exploration of the route made, from which it appears that the proposed road will be through a good* country chiefly in the hands of the Maori owners, that its length will be approximately eight miles, and the cost for forming, as a six foot bridle road, about £lßoo. The question of providing money for this work will be considered in preparing the coming j estimates." |

4. That work on Kapuha Road be recommenced at once. " Work has been resumed out of the money voted by Parliament (£220), £219 has been spent, and out of loading £341. Three men are now employed on the road, and instructions hive beer, issued to employ more men when available." 5. Protesting against the sudden stoppage of work throughout the district. " Towards the end of the financial year it was found necessary, in order to keep the expenditure of "loading " within the statutory limit, to stop expenditure under that heading. But this did not amount to so serious a proceeding as implied by the resolution. As a matter of fact, the number of men employed in the road district immediately before the stoppage of expenditure as above was 160, the number decreased at the time to 126, but rose again in three weeks to 163, then in April to 194, and is now 180."