COUNTY HIGHWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3747, 28 January 1928, Page 2

COUNTY HIGHWAYS.

HIGHWAYS BOARD ASKED TO' INSPECT.

The bad state of the Main High-

ways in the Manawatu County was again discussed at the monthly meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce, held on Thursday evening.'

. Mr. R. McMurray considered the main north road absolutely unsafe for motor traffic. There was two feet of loose metal on the road in places, he said, which was a menace to motor vehicles. The Main Highways Board should be asked to inspect these roads.

It Avas decided to Avrite to the Higlnvays Board asking them to make an inspection of the roads in the Manawatu County/

“HIGHWAY POTTERING.” TRENCHANT CRITICISM. “Spotlight,” the contributor of motoring notes to the “Dominion” in yesterday’s issue writes: — “With motor vehicle owners contributing something over £2,000,000 a year in special taxation under various headings, queries are arising as to just Avhat they are getting for their money. “Soon after the Main Highways Board began operations various counties in the Wellington West District, extending from Wellington City up through the Manawatu and Mangaweka, brought forward schemes with commendable enter-; prise under which Avithin three years paved roads Avere to extend over almost the whole distance from the city to Palmerston and Bulls. . “The three years have now elapsed, and Avhat is the position? Hutt County’s programme for widening and sealing the main road from Paremata to the beginning of the Government road o\ T er Paekakariki Hill and from Paekakariki to Waikanae has come a bad crash. According to the official county timetable draAvn up in June, 1925, the last section of this job Avas to be completed on, December 31, 1927,' a continuous surface of bitumen on a widened road, extending over the whole length of highway by that date. Not. half the Avork has been 6done. “Horowhenua County next door set out on a 46-mile scheme in De? cember, 1924, also scheduled for completion in three years. It. projected a . bituminous penetration road from Waikanae to Levin, thence via Shannon to the county boundary at Tokomarir,. and also from Levin to the Manawatu Bridge on the Foxton Road. Very substantial and excellent work appears to ha\ 7 e been done by" the county engineer, Mr. W. N. Anderson, now retiring, but the progremme is far behind timetable. The Foxton Road section from Levin has been drop(J ped from the schedule, and the bal- ■- ance may or may not be completed in the season of 1928-1929.

■ “Further north, Alanawatu Coun- ’ ty embarked on a programme to expend £IOI,OOO on laying a bituminous surface on about 30 miles of highways in the Foxton-Sanson- ' Awahuri area. It did a mile or two, found the cost much greater than estiniated and retired into its shell.

“The net result of these operations is that whereas the motor vehicle owners of the Wellington West Highways District have provided vastly m'ore money than Avas required for the completion of tljp county programmes in the district, they are still without the improved roads planned.

“It is not a satisfactory position from the motor vehicle owner’3 point of view, and leaves the impression that the highways scheme ,to date has resulted in a mere pottering with the task of road improvement. “Alanawatu County, finding a unde gap between financial estimates and financial reality, has, as stated, taken cover, and practically abandoned its main scheme. “The unsatisfactory feature of the whole position is where Toad improvement lags behind traffic requirements the Highways Board j has no power to step in and take over the work, calling on the coun ty for its share of the cost. It can only go cap in hand to. the * county and submit an offer to it and nothing can be done except by leave of a county. It is high time the boot was on the other foot, and motor tax payers will get no adequate return for their money until it is. The Highways Board must have power to step in and get the job done, assessing the county share of the burden, subject, of course, to right of appeal by the county. The present system will only drag along with endless years of pottering.”