ON THE WRONG ROAD

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3836, 25 August 1928, Page 4

ON THE WRONG ROAD

[ißangitikei Advocate.] The Main Highways Board and the authorities controlling some of the arterial highways in the North Island seem to have little knowledge of or regard for the'needs of the through traffic which is*paying a large share of the cost of highways upkeep. For months the road fiom Sandon to Foxton in the Manawatu County and on to Levin in the Horowhenua County has been in a disgraceful condition; in fact if modern methods of highways maintenance are not speedily adopted the contributing authorities may find that they will have little foundation of the old road left on which to carry out improvements. This road is part of the main WellingtonAuc'kl awl highway, and as such should receive preferential treatment under the national highways scheme. However, it is neglected ,while the authorities, by soirnf means or other, are hoodwinked into improving another road in the Manawatu-Tlorowlienua district, which, even though it may carry a large volume of traffic, is not taxed by traffic to the same extent as the Levin-Foxton-Sandon highway. By some influence, Horowhenua County has been persuaded to improve the Shannon-Palmerston N. road until the contrast between the two highways named is becoming remarkable indeed. A good road leading to Palmerston N. may be all right for the chief centre of the Manawatu, but it is not what through motorists look for. It seems to be a recurrence of the old aversion to the Levin-Foxton-Marton route for traffic which was so marked in railway transport circles years back. Palmerston N. has scored at the expense of the other towns and it is for the latter to assert themselves in this matter. The motorist too, is entitled to demand a better highway between Levin and Sandon by the Foxton route. Through motorists with no desire to cample Palmerston’s amenities are practically being forced to travel through the latter town and whether the Horowhenua Council and the Main Highways Board know it or not, some influence must have affected the issue other than the cominonsense influence of providing good roads where the traffic is heaviest. The neglect of the Levin-Foxton-Sandon road could almost be termed deliberate since the Main Highways Board, which derives its revenue from the motorist, has power to order improvement of roads where it is shown that these ar eparts of the national highways scheme and require attention.