WAITOMO COUNTY ROADS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 192, 20 September 1909, Page 2

WAITOMO COUNTY ROADS.

i fro jec ted Works. With the- approach cf fine weather settlers in varwus —."is of the County are making poor orations for having Manoiaoriro re at: a: Te Kuiti.for which abie. ' schemes for metalline Cm Ara::a j and . other roads of the di = ::d w and estimates for the work have h--r ---.■':■■■ rv MrVv". H. Adams, County Engineer. In the Waitcmo riding a scheme is projected for the widening ami metalling cf the main road from the bridge over the Waitomo river to the ;'u::ction of the Hauturu roar, a distance of about five miles. An estimate for this work has also he en made ley the Engineer. A serious draw each to the project is the fact that the road for a considerable distance traverses Native land, in addition to which the widening of the road for metalling ptrposes will be a heavy iter/;. In view of the position representations wiii probably be made to the Government urging that assistance be given. The metalling cf the reads of the Mairoa district will be a big undertaking, involving the expenditure of probably close on £20,000. and the work must of necessity he undertaken in sections. The Arapae, which is the main road from Mairoa to the railway traverses a large extent cf Native owned land besides which a considerable amount cf work wiii rwwire to be done en the road eefcre it is r-aoy for metalling. Ilepeated apvTcatiors have been made to the Go"er:.rr.net :o have the road from Te Kuiti to tr.e Mangawhitikau metalled, ami i::.. es are'entertaineo that this year's Estimates will provide for this work he ire: started. This portion of ode mad. a distance of about si:: miles, travwms Natve land through:.:, and tine Mairoa setters have quite su.k.ier.t res* ensibility in their own reads without undertaking a further j.-aw TaTTm. On the Eastern side ■. o the river the road to give access t. Te Ah urea is now being surveyed oy Mr IT T. dordan, and the wcri: of formation oviii probably be undeotu cm daring tr.e coming suntrr.tr. An mdh.vtot is also being made to have tide road joined up with the mads gT dm: amtss to the sections to he opened next month on the Idanrit: to-Tarra hitch. In this district a omat imi m totally depends up.:: toe Government programme with regard to roads, hat it must be apparent to ad. that threading of the district is m wTy in iti infancy. The Gterrmcr.t has done much in the matter of forming roads to give access to Crown, Mutt's. butformation work is hot on: drststtp toward; providing moans of trarspmt to the raiiway, Mr o '-.track settlers. Moreover, all our sew .mo: : ray he said to be outback, the lands o.r.tiprous to the railway d. r : :Tr ote mo-t part Native cwr.ou. .. t s:-:.1.:s a:e thus saddled witit a dip msp crsihiiity even in the matter K local roads. while the position is ft other corny lioated by the existence KNmwe wwo.d areas along evert these mads. Vditk regard to the main roads Too position is now fairly veil dedne 1. and the Government may To looked oof r the placing of these main thoroughfares in a satisfactory state. Our Settlers are alive to the necessity tf t'udioious expenditure for the purpose cf c:irg one most important works, hut witit the existence of groat areas of IMtKe owned land throughout the district progress in road matters is fraught with immense difficulties. A promise has been made hy the Acting-Premier that ail Native owned lands are to be made rateable but qualified with the "Taihca"' doctrine, it is probable that the process will he accomplished very gradually. Tre reading problem is uudouotemy the greatest cf*our local difoiou 1 tie~. and. the solution of the problem is so inextricably mixed with the Native land question that there is little incentive for our settlers to act on comprehensive lines until a permanent settlement of the N2tiv.tr Op-omit:: has been arrived at.