MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 613, 22 October 1913, Page 4

MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

ANTICIPATING GOVERNMENT ACTION. DEPUTATION TO COUNTS COUNCIL. In view of the rumoured intention of: the Government to proclaim and maintain the main thoroughfares to the country, the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce decided to lose no time in recommending that certain roads in the King should be taken over by the Government. With this object, Mr Mostyn Jones, president, and Mr Robinson, secretary, waited on the Waitomo County Council at itß meeting last night, and desired the assistance of the Council in furthering the matter. Mr Jones said that he had very sound reason for saying that the Government intended to move in the direction indicated, and it wbb wise to get in early and give a lead as to which roads it would be wise to have declared main arterial roads. His chamber considered that it would be advisable to recommend the main road parallel to the railway; the Taronaki road; one from Kawhia to Taupo and Napier. (Cr Gregg: Why not Otorohanga?(—and possibly the Marokopa to Te Kuiti road. He asked the Council to give assistance in recommending these roads. The Government are collecting data and he considered it necessary that an early Btart should be made by those districts interested. Cr O'Dwyer queried the Kawhia to Napier road, saying he had never heard of it and was informed that it would only be a suggestion as to what would be a thoroughly good proposition as it would tap a great tract of first-class country. Mr Robinson endorsed the remarks of Mr Jones and considered the Kawhia-Napier proposition both geographically and strategically possible. The chairman said as far as the Council was concerned it was prepared to let the Government take over all the roads provided they maintained them. But from what he gathered at the County Conference at Wellington he had no hesitation in Baying that he considered such a proposition would never eventuate. It waß well known that the Government were waiting for n lead from the County Conference and the speaker said that eighty members of the County Conference advocated an opposite procedure to the Government taking over the main roads. Therefore be considered it would be a waste of time for the Council to consider the question at length. In combatting a remark made that "All roads lead to Te Kuiti" and that he waa acting parochially Mr Jones said he was quite prepared to leave the future of Te Kuiti to its geographical importance. What ho was urging wouid in his opinion be to the advantage of the King Country generally. Eventually it was decided by the Council to take no steps in the matter endorsing the chairman's remarks that at the present juncture it would be really only a waste of tima to go into the matter. The deputation thanked the Council and withdrew.