THE ESTIMATES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 56, 15 November 1907, Page 3

THE ESTIMATES.

The Public Works Estimates for the current year were presented, to Parliament'on Friday last, among new woy-Vs pi-ovided for the King Country are £;ot> for a post-office at Te Kuiti and £.1150 for a Courthouse at the same centre, in addition to a grant of £6qo for a Stock Inspector's residence.

This year's votes for roads and bridges reach a total of £52,638 as against £42,169 in the preceeding year. However, seeing that more than half the year is gone before the Estimates are published, it is Uv>P°s- j sible to determine how much of the votes remain unexpended and how much it is intended to expend. A | wise man pronounced that speech : was granted to human beings for the j purpose of thought. In ( like 'maguey it ynay b.e said that the Estimates are published for the purpose of deluding people with the idea that they are being taken into the Minister's confidence. The electorate has an exceptionally active member in Mr Jennings, and in such an extensive district it naturally follows that he is kept busy advocating the claims of the multitudinous urgent works in his electorate. As a result it appears on paper that the King Country, by comparison with other districts, fares exceedingly well. However, it is to be borne in mind that other districts are much further ahead in all respects than ours, and in order to bring the King Country into line wit localities agenda:;* , sapri ' map}'- jmpprtant ; it Is gratifying to 'fcote 'tfcafc a ££opt Bgufes. on tfce Estimates (of the ' Waip,ii fericlge, or the Te - ©torohanga road; Other bridges provided far indude : Mangapapa (.i£32QV, Mokau (£500), and Waikaka (£330). New votes are provided for Kaeaea(£lso), Kiekie(£2f>o), and junction to Mahoenui (£500), while the Arapae road from Te Kuril i to Mairoa receives £350, of which £127 had been spent at the. end of March last. The Ohux*a road, north of the Paorae stream, is voted £ISOO, as against £IOOO voted and

£ll/2 spent Inst year, and the Te Kuiti to Mokau road has £ISOO, as against £ISOO voted and £I6OB spent last year. These two roads are essentially main arterial thoroughfares already carrying a great amount of traffic for distances up to fifty miles, and connecting directly with railway. A feature of exceptional interest and importance to the district is the mention of the Stratford-Ongarue railway, and the proposal to expend £20,000 on this work during the year, will be greeted with general approval. It now rests with those affected by the line, to agitate strongly for the commencement of the work from the most desirable point 011 the Main Trunk railway. With regard to the route, provision has been made for surveys to be undertaken, and mention is made of the possibility of Puketutu being chosen as the junction. The question of route (other things being equal)'is, essentially, one for the engineers to settle, and the matter may safely be allowed to rest with them until the surveys are completed, and the reports made public. The importance of the work, however, should not be lost sight of, and the whole of the settlers in the district should unite in urging that the proposed surveys be proceeded with at the earliest possible moment, with a view to starting the work from the King Country end. Up to the present the Taranaki end has received all the votes for expenditure, and such a course may have been justified. Without criticising past action it may fairly be urged that this end of the line is entitled to a fair proportion of any amount voted, and in order to secure our share we must use every endeavour to have the route decided upon without the slightest unnecessary delay. The following votes wiil be of interest to the King Country Awaroa to Mahoe £SOO, Awaroa to Waiharakeke £4OO, Awaroa River bridge £575, Caves Road £IOO, Haurua £SO, Hautu.ru £2OO, Hauturu to Otorohanga £2OO, Hutewai £so,_ Kaimango £3OO, Kairimu £SOO, Kakepuku £250, Kauri £2OO, Kawa £240, Kawa Drain bridges £6O, Kawhia to Aotea £2OO, Kawhia to 1 Ngapaenga Junction £IOOO, Kihi £250, Kihikihi to'Otorohanga £i/0, Kinohaku to Harbour £IOO, Kinohaku to Waiharakeke £4OO, Kiritehere £2OO, Kokakaroa £l5O, Lemon Point to Te Maika Road £250, Mahoe £2OO, Mairoa (north of Ngapaenga) £2OO, Mangakino £125, Mangamahoe £l5O, Mangakokopu £250, Mangaorino £2OO, Mangaorongo Stream bridge £59, Mangapohue £750, Mangawhero Stream bridge £230, Marokopa Branch Road £3O, Marokopa River bridge (Marokopa Valley Road) £4BO, Marokopa River bridge (Te Anga) £3OO, Marokopa River snagging £l4O, Marokopa Valley £4OO, Maungauika£ll/, Oamaru £l5O, Okupata £IOO, Okupata Junction to Pekanui £250, Okupata Stream Bridge £6OO, Orongo £l5O, Otorohanga to Hangatiki - Waitomo Road £250, Otorohanga to Ouruwhero £SO, Otorohanga to Pirongia £l3O, Ouruwhero to Kawa £6O, Pirongia to Kawhia £7OO, Pirongia West £SOO, Pomorangi £SOO, Puketarata No. 2 £25, Punui bridge (Kihikihi-Otorohanga Road), £220, Punui bridge (TeAwa-mutu-Otorohanga Road) £3OO, Randall Road (Ngutunui) £6O, Raupara £SO, Shea Road £l5O, Tapuae £l5O, Taumatatotara (East) £2OO, Taumatatotara (West) £IOO, Tawarau £l5O, : Te Kuiti to Otorohanga £2oo t *fe Kumi bridge £8 1, 5 0 Maika £3OO, Te Rau Ma\ik\i £2OO, Ti Tahi £SO, Toi L 250, Tumutumu to Waitomo £IOO, iTur-itea (Lyford's) £loo, Waihohonu £2OO, Waipa bridge (Otorohanga) £IBB, Waipa bridge (Te KuitiOtorohauga Road) LSOO, Waipaua £3OO, Waite Road £SO, Waitomo Valley (Ruakuri Caves) £2OO, Waitomo Stream bridge at Caves L 348, Whakahau £307, Whakapirau £3OO, Wharauroa Ll5O, Awakino bridge L2B, Awakino to Tirua Point (coast track) Lllb. Awakino Valley (lower) LSOO (upper) L4OO, Gleadow Road L 6, Haparua L 250, Hunt Road L2I, Kaeaea Ll5O, Kakahi L 149, _ Kakahi* Stream bridge L3OO, Kie Kie L 250, Kopuha Road bridges L3OO, Kuuwa Lioo, Mairoa (south of Ngapaenga) LI2O, Mahoraho';a L«w, Mairoa to Te Kumi (A*apae>. L 3.5.0,' Mangakahikai;ea LSO, Man'gakara 1-70. Man- 1 ganui L4OO, Mangaorajigo bridge LSOO, Ma'ngaotaki bridge (Lindsay's) Ll6, Valley (upper) L3OO I L 144, 'Marigapapa L2<?o, Mangapapa : Stream bridge L 320, Mangaparare LIOO. Mangaroa LjO, MiroahuiaoMangaotaki L 270, 'Miroahuiao-Ma-tiere L 720, Mokau to Awakino Heads L 166, Mokau bridge (Wairere) LSOO, Mokau-iti L2OO, Mokau-iti bridge (above Huiateko) L7O, _ Ngapaenga LSOO, Ngapaenga Junction to MaV\o,e« nui LSOO, Ohura (north of Paorae stream) LISOO, Ob.ui-a River bridge (Niho Li 14," Ohura River footbL2o, Oniao LSO, Ongarue ; River Ferry Service LSO, Paevuako I Improved Farm Settlement Lioo, I Pakihikura x*afaheka Ll5O. Paro LIOO. Povoo-tarao to Tavtma- ! rmuii Potaka LSO, 'Prentice i Road' LIOO, Pungayehu LSOO, RangaI roa Village Road L 35, Rimu L 3, j Rohe Potae Tracks LISO, Ryan Road Lioo, Taumarunui to Matapuna LIOO, Taumarunui to Moetahangei LBOO, Te Kuiti to Mokau Lisoo ; Te Kuiti to Te Kumi Li 50, Te Kuiti to Poro-o-tarao L 22, Tolme Road LSO, Tongaporutu to Mangaroa(east of Waiaraia Range) LSOO, Turipoto Ll2, Totoro L 92, Turoto L 250, Waikaka L3OO, Waikaka Stream bridge (Whenuakura L 349, Waikaka . Stream bridge (Miroahuiao to Matiere) L 330, Waikawau LIOO, Waiora L 450, Wairere to Mokau-iti W aitangata LSOO, W L \2oo^ \.ia