“AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4541, 9 December 1930, Page 3

“AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.”

ICR. COWLEY ON BOROUGH RELIEF WORK. When reports dealing with the supervision of local relief work tarried out during tin* past- month wore before tho. Council at last night’s meeting, Cr. ‘B. E. Cowley asked how the Avenue Road footpath work come to he authorised. It was an absolute disgrace, lie said, and an eyesore to the town and should never have been carried out. Left in its present state it was useless as a footpath and a menace as tho sand would commence to blow away during the summer months. The Mayor said that the path tiad Ibeen formed to try and find work for tho local unemployed. Unfortunately the Council had no reproductive works which it could put in hand and acting on various requests received from, time to time for a footpath in Avenue Road it had been decided to go ahead with the formation work. In the future the Council might- he able to put metal on the. path, but it had been decided not to spend anything on material during the course of the relief work so that the men would •derive the utmost benefit from the money available. The Cleiik. said that the pat!) had been damaged by children galloping horses along it. Or. R. ,J. Thompson said the school children were in the habit of galloping their ponies along the track with the result that it had cut up badly and -was now impossible to walk on.

Cr. Cowley: If a quarter of the distance had been clone and done properly it would have been hotter. In front, of Mr. Coker’s bouse, lie said, a piece of nicely grassed frontage had been uprooted and the bare sand exposed. Cr. Thompson said that it would be necessary to turf the path in places otherwise it would form sand drifts. He agreed, however, that the formation of the footpath had been a good idea. Cr. D. It. Barron said tilling had been taken from a hill near the cemetery when the work was being carried out and this would have to bo faseiued otherwise a serious drift might, occur.

Mayor, said that an application had been made for more money for relief work, but so far noiliing. had come to hand. As soon as it did the lmttters referred to would receive ’attention.