TE KUITI MOKAU ROAD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 524, 7 December 1912, Page 5

TE KUITI MOKAU ROAD.

An important letter from the Public Workß Department to the Waitomo County Council in connection with the Te Kuiti-Mokau road appears in an-* other column of this is3ue. It is suggested that the council should undertake sole control of the road and expend the money available from thi3 year's grant. It is pointed out, however, that the council would in future be liable for the maintenance of the road. There can be no doubt that the present system of dual control is entirely unsatisfactory, and is, moreover, resulting in serious loss to the ratepayers The principle hitherto advocated by the council and tactily agreed to by the Government is that as sections of the road were metalled they were handed to the local body which attended to the maintenance. When the first five mils stretch of the road was metalled the Government handed it over, but instead of continuously metalling from the fivemile peg onwards the Government has left unmetalled spaces which will prove costly to complete. After the metal has been laid on the road the Government takes no further responsibility and does nothing to maintain the metalled portions. The road beyond the five-mile peg has not been over by the council, and, as a consequence metal which has only been laid a year or two is fast falling into disrepair. As a result of this neglect by the time the road is metalled to Pio Pio much of the road will require to be re-metalled. At present there is an amount of £1670 available for expenditure on the road. An uncompleted contract for crushing will absorb about £3OO, , and an uncompleted contract for cart- ' ing to the amount of about £IOOO also exists. This work will, obviously, notsee the completion of the metal to Pio Pio, and in case of taking the road over the council will be faced with the heavy expense of keeping the road open during the winter months. Past experience has shown this to be a heavy item, and seeing that the road is a main arterial thoroughfare, there is ample reason to claim that the Government should provide for keeping the road open until the metalling is at least completed between Te Kuiti and Pio Pio. There is no doubt the present system of dual control is unsatisfactory, and should be terminated at the earliest possible moment. Unless provision is made for the maintenance of the roa d as soon as the metal is laid much of "tH^'metal will have disappeared wit hin" two or three years Already > the metal that has been laid by the -Government between the five and ten irViiepegsis getting badly cut up GapiTg ruts and abyssmal holes greet the ye too frequently, and not an attempt iarcade to preserve the weak IcTfn the metal from developing into quagmires which become worse wth V passage of every vehicle. S h a Btate of things would hardly L possible under ****«»£«». rJa C n e e tb?niftter satisfactorily.

' Mr T. Steele, who will be leaving tho district shortly, i'a prepared to sell his household furniture. Mr H. A. Ellison 19 calling tenders in this issue for grading and metalling road on Bonny Glen estate. A meeting of the Te Kuiti Borough Council Ja to be held on Monday evening next. All those interested in the Aria Hall meeting should note that the meeting has been postponed until December 21st.. Tenders are invited by advertisement in this issue, for the lease of a first-class dairy farm situated eight miles from Te Kuiti. The farm consists of 469 acres 3 roods, of which 460 are in grass. Full particulars may be seen in the advertisement, or on application at this office. Residents of Pio Pio are notified that Mr Dransfield, dentist, will be at the hall on Thursday afternoon 19th, and Friday morning, 20th inst. At the Wanganui Supreme Court jn Monday William Merson was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for embezzling £I7OO from the 'Public Works Department by means of altered vouchers. Tonking's Linseed Emulsion, the superb and thoroughly approved popular remedy for all affections of the throat and lungs._ 1/6, 2/6, 4/6, everywhere.