SANSON-BULLS HIGHWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3730, 15 December 1927, Page 3

SANSON-BULLS HIGHWAY.

INCREASED GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council meeting, the chairman '(Cr. W. E. Barber), reported that he had just received advice that the Main Highways Board had offered to grant a subsidy of £2 for £1 instead of the existing £1 for. £1 for the sealing of the Shnson-Bulls highway to the extent of £3,111. In outlining the position as he put it before the Public Works and Highways Board authorities, the chairman said that the Council had already expended £7498 19s 7d, in construction work on the road which was practically ready for sealing but would Require a further expenditure of £3,100. ,‘The amount placed on Jbe loan estimates was although the County en--1 gineer’s original estimate was £9,475 which had been cut down to the aforementioned figure by the Main « Highways Board. Cr. Barber said that the Council did not feel justified in expending more money on any section of road than was allocated in the loan proposals. If it did so, the proposed Scheme for the main highways in the county as a whole, must fail and the ratepayers would feel 'that their assent to the loan proposals had been exploited. Owing to the large volume of traffic the Sanson-Bulls highway is called, on to carry, the maintenance was very heavy and the estimates for the first seven months of the year had been exceeded. The road had 'to carry ever-growing and concentrated traffic,' very little of which had its origin or destination in 'the County. The position therefore called for the immediate sealing of the road to save the already completed construction work and lower the cost of maintenance. The Council however was not prepared to carry out the work under the present circumstances unless the Highways Board came to the rescue and provided the money to complete the road.

In conclusion the chairman said that he had stressed the foregoing to the Board and the present offer off the Board was a matter for consideration. He thought the Boaid should, under the , circumstances, grant more and he proposed to visit Wellington to further discuss the matter with the Highways Board and Public Works officials. The Council left the matter in the hands of its chairman.