King Country Chronicle SATURDAY, MAR. 29, 1913 MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 554, 29 March 1913, Page 4

King Country Chronicle SATURDAY, MAR. 29, 1913 MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE.

The letter appearing in another column of this issue concerning nBL necessity of repairing the To Awakino road Meals with a which is of considerable interest the whole district. It has all along been recognised that the cost of maintaining the road would be a very largo annual item in the council's expenditure, and the important question of the distribution of the responsibility has yet to be settled. At present as is pointed out by our correspondent, there is only a distance of about four miles under the jurisdiction of the county. The borough boundary extends beyond the mile peg, thus leaving a matter of about four miles for the council to maintain. It is common knowledge that during last winter there were indications that unless extensive repairs were effected during this season the road would bo reduced to a very bad state. The council has already received an estimate from the county ! engineer, who approximates the coat of repairing the county portion of the road at £3OO. Unless this work is accomplished a very much heavier expenditure will bo required, in the shape of re-metalling, and steps are being taken to effect the much needed repairs. Considering that such an amount is necessary to repair four miles of the road at present and that an enormous amount of traffic is carried on tin? road to Pio Pio it is obvious the cost of maintaining the fifteen miles between the borough boundary and Pio Pio will constitute a heavy burden on the ratepayers of the district affected. The recent utterances of the Minister of Public Works serve to indicate that Mr Fraser views sympathetically the suggestion that main roads should bo tatan over by the Government, but until definite action in the form of legislation is taken the road in question will require to be maintained. It is imperative that the main transit routes of tho district shall be made and kept passable for vehicular traffic throughout tho year. The greatest handicap under which any district can labour is the blocking of its transit, and settlors should ponder deeply upon tho necessity with which they aro confronted. Tho general rale collected from any one or two ridings of the county would quickly be absorbed in maintenance work on the main road, and tho question will have to bo faced as to whether it is not desirable to make special provision for (he work referred to. At present the ridings of Te Kuiti, Paemako and Aria are chiefly affected, though both Mairoa riding and Awakino county are to a large extent dependent upon the main road as a means of acceßß. The immediately important feature of the question is. of course, the placing of the road in a fit state to carry the heavy traffic during the coming winter. However, the ultimately important aspect is undoubtedly the equitable apportionment of liability for upkeep, and the taking ot the proper stops to provide for tho maintenance of tho road. The Government is undertaking tho original metalling work, but it can safely bo assumed that all repairs and maintenance will bo regarded by the authorities as the special duty of tho local body.