THE ARAPAE ROAD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 503, 25 September 1912, Page 5

THE ARAPAE ROAD.

NO VOTE FOR WIDENING

The following letter, in connection with the widening of the Arapae road, which has been received by tha chairman of the Waitomo County Council, will be of interest to settlers throughout the district:

Referring to the interview which you had with me, when reference was made to the Arapae road and to the interview which you had with the Hon. R. McKenzie, when Minister of Public Works as to the cost of widening work necessary, 1 have to state that I have now had an opportunity of looking into the matter, and am of opinion that Mr McKenzie's intention was that the £1 for £1 subsidy vote should be devoted to widening as well as to metalling; the following extract from his letter indicates this intention. He states, "that if the road required widening, it could be done out of the vote and loan at present available." There does not appear to be any inference possible to be drawn from his letter that the Government should find the whole cost of the widening leaving the subsidy grant and loan to be devoted wholly to metalling. I find also that Araape roads runs for practically its who'e length through native leasehold land, and the Government's interest in the matter is on account of a block of lease-in-perpetuity land at the extreme end of the road. On consideration of these circumstances i regret that I am unable to favourably entertain the application for a free-money grant of £l5O for widening, etc., work. W. FRASER, Minister of Public Works.