GOVERNMENT ROAD WORKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 225, 15 January 1910, Page 5

GOVERNMENT ROAD WORKS.

A Startling Proposal.

Since the v beginning of the present working season strong efforts have been made, by the settlers and the Waitomo County Council to have the 'metalling of the Te Kuiti-Awakino road undertaken as soon as possible. Last season a substantial grant was voted for the road and a comprehensive metalling policy was inaugurated. No less than three stone crushers were obtained by the. Roads Department arid about two "miles of metalling was completed. Unfortunately, the wet sea-' son came rather early, and throughout the winter the crushers and engines have been idle. In the meantime a change has taken place in respect to the control of the c road works. The Roads Department has been abolished, and the roads are now under the control of the Minister of Public Works. The Te Kuiti-Awakino road, in addition to be the main thoroughfare of a very large district, is the arterial road between Auckland andTaranaki. In winter it is a quagmire, except for five or six miles from Te Kuiti, and m summer it carries an enormous amount of traffic. .On this year's Estimates appeared a vote of £3500 for the road, of which amount the sum of £1632 is still available. The efforts of the settlers have been directed towards getting an additional three miles of metalling done on the road, and with the plant on hand and limestone in unlimited quantities available, such a proposal was quite practicable. After sundry interviews with the Minister on the part of the settlers and representatives of the Waitomo County Council, ths Minister tacitly agreed to the proposal mentioned, and gave an assurance that when specifications had been approved no time would be lost in having the work started. Since Parliament ended nothing further has been heard from the Department, except an acknowledgement of the receipt of the specifications, and an agitation has been proceeding to have the work started.

The following letter concerning the matter was to day received by the County Council: — Public Works Department, Wellington, N.Z., 10th January, 1910. Re TE-KUITI-AWAKINO ROAD. Sir,— With reference to the letter of 9th ultimo from your County Engineer, forwarding specifications and estimates of metalling three miles of the Te Kuiti-Awakino Road, I am now directed by the Minister of Public Works to inform you that there is an amount of £1632 13s 6d still available out of the vote for the current year for further works on this road, and I am to inform you that the Minister is willing to grant this money as a £1 for £1 subsidy to your Council for metalling the unmetalled portions of the road, and to enable this to be done the Government is willing also to lend your Council one of the crushing plants at present on the road, provided it is returned to the Department in good order and condition, after the work is finished.

The specifications which you have submitted are on the whole approved, but it is suggested that the metalling to be done should be of the same dimensions as that already laid down, viz., 12 inches deep and 10 feet wide, instead of 10 inches deep and 12 feet wide as provided for by your Engineer. I also forward for your consideration a copy of the criticism of the specifications by the Engineer-in-Chief. If you will please lei me know at your early convenience whether or not your Council is willing to undertake the work, the question of obtaining authority of Cabinet for the expenditure will then be considered. I have the honor to be Sir, Your obedient servant, W. S. SHORT, Assistant Under Secretary. The Chairman, Waitomo County Council, Te Kuiti.

Needless to say the public are highly indignant at having such a proposal sprung on them at this late hour. Apart from the fact that it is the plain duty of the Government to do the work, the County Council is placed in. a false position. Assuming that the Council ' accepted the Minister's offer of a £ for £ subsidy, it would have to raise the money under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, and the necessary proceedure would consume the remainder of the summer. As the work cannot be done in winter the result is obvious, and settlers will have to wallow in the mud as of yore. The three miles of road proposed to be metalled is the very worst piece of road in the district and is an absolute bar to traffic long after the remainder of the road is passable. The position is rendered more acute from the fact that dairying has started in the district, and the output of two factories has to be parted over the road to the railway. This season only one factory was working, and the butter could not be sent away until the beginning of December. The new factory will probably have a much larger output, and it will be impossible to store the first three months butter. Indignation over the matter is naturally widespread and deep, and the Government's action is regarded as a barefaced attempt to prevent any money bairig spent upon the work this season.