AWAKING VALLEY ROAD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 298, 28 September 1910, Page 5

AWAKING VALLEY ROAD.

(From a Correspondent.) A very large and thoroughly representative meeting was held in the room of the Farmers' Club at Awakino on the evening of the 17th inst., to consider the advisability of making an effort to get a sum of money placed on the Estimates this session for the purpose of forming and metalling the Awakino Valley road. Considerable interest was manifested by ali present, and the remarks of the numerous speakers were greeted with applause. It appears from facts supplied to the meeting by those in a position to know, that it has long been recognised by the Roads Department that the old road over Taumamaire, although useful as serving as an outlet for those whose properties abut on to it, and also in part as a means of carrying the small amount of through traffic that there was in the early days of the settlement, could never be made to serve as part of the only highway between the two great provinces of Auckland and Taranaki, not only by reason of the great height of 1500 feet to which it rises in a few miles, with consequent steep grades and sharp curves, but also by reason of the excessive cost of reforming the road bed to fit it for metalling and the heavy charges for repairs and up-keep that would be entailed. On the other hand it was pointed out that the Valley road, by skirting the foot of the hill, and following wherever practicable the bank of the river, would be two miles shorter in a distance of thirteen miles, would be practically level, rising at no point to a greater height altitude than 200 feet, and that by easy grades, would by reason of its level nature, be freed from the constantly recurring slips which will always be a disagreeable feature of the old road, and with the great quantity of easily accessable metal to be found in the river bed, would be exceedingly cheap to maintain. Probably the strongest point produced was that shown by the department's own figures, viz.: that the cost of forming and metalling the total length of the Valley road to the point where it would again junction with the present road, would be at least £2OOO less than would be required merely to relay the bed of and metal the hill road which it is sought to avoid. In addition to the capital saving of £2OOO one of the speakers estimated that the saving in cost of maintaineance would go a long way towards paying the interest on the cost of the deviation, Great stress was laid on the argument that this, the main and only arterial connection between Taranaki and Auckland, which at the present day has its burden of traffic by through passengers, and which will in the near future carry a yearly increasing interchange of stock and population between the two centres, should be treated as a main road is supposed to be, that is, formed and metalled, as a Dominion undertaking. The gathering thoroughly endorsed this view, by carrying unanimously and by acclamation a resolution calling upon the Government to complete the work on lines laid down by the late Premier in a promise made uy him on the occasion of his visit to this district some years ago, a promise which has since been reiterated by two other Ministers, Messrs Hall - Jones and Hogg, on the occasions of their respective visits It was also resolved to seek the aid of Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce, and of other bodies interested in the welfare of the district, and that the facts should be brought to the notice of the press. The whole-hearted assistance of the member for Taumarunui (Mr W. T. Jennings) was naturally looked for.