Road across the Ranges.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1707, 13 May 1886, Page 2

Road across the Ranges.

The following correspondence has been, handed to us with a request for publication for general information on the above subject, which is of considerable interest just now :— The Chairman Manawatu Road Board. Sir, — Referring to our conversation on Tuesday last when I informed you. that I bad seen the Minister of Public Works and pressed on him the matter of a. grant for that part of the Foxton Road that was through Native lands, and that I have also seen the Under Secretary for Crown Lands re the road to Pahiatua. but owing, to Mr Ballance's absence had not brought the matter before him, yet I have the honor to inform you that with respect to the Foxton Road your Engineer seems to have misunderstood the Minister, for Public Works who is by no means disposed to look favourably on any request for a grant for road work. The Minister states what is perfectly true that if he were to make one grant of the kind he would be deluged with; applications from all parts of the colony.The quotations from 'the Engineer's report that, "If I would bring up an application from the Road Board under the is .unintelligible as (the Public Works Act Public Works Act it would be considered/ has nothing to do with the matter.. I shall be glad if you will inform me of any special circumstances which will enable me to , put the matter before the Minister m a more favourable light than at present. The fact of the road passing through Native land gives no claim as rates are paid on these lands under the Crown and Native Lands Bating Act. So far from Mr Richardson acknowledging that it was a reasonable application to make (as stated m your Engineer's report,) he expressed an exactly contrary opinion, and appealed to my own knowledge of how matters stood with respect to grants for roads and bridges, for which works there is at present no provision at all now that the Roads and Bridges Construction Act has been repealed. I showed him that part ot the Engineer's report dealing with this matter. Re Pahiatua Road, Mr McKerrow, the Under Secretary, does not believe m this road at all, but has supplied me with the enclosed plan and letter giving such information as is m the possession of the department. By this you will see that the road is surveyed on the eastern side to the top of the Tararua Kange. A road line is also shown on the western side reaching within a mile of the eastern line. You will know best whether this western line exists or not and what it is like. I would suggest that the Board

connect the two by a blazed track, and I would then have great pleasure m going over thejline with your Engineer m order that I might from personal observation be able to press ita importance on the Minister and m Parliament. I understand from Mr Marchant that the grade on the eastern side of the range will not exceed lin 15. — I have the honor, &o. D. H. Macarthor. Feilding, May 7. To D. H. Macarthur, Esq., M.H.R V Feilding. Dear Sir, — Referring to your enquiries about projected road lino from Palmerston North .across the range to the Mangahao and Mangatainoku Valleys, I find that with the exception of about a mile m the Forest Reserve on the top of the Tararua Range west of the saddle (see tracings herewith) the line has been laid out m sections from time to time as the sectional surveys progressed. The height of the saddle has not been determined, but Mr Marchant thinks it will not very much exceed 1200 feet above the sea level. Although Ido not see from the Crown Lands point .of view any reason for the immediate opening of this road line, I think it would be well to have the road line surveyed through the Forest Reserve at an early date.— l have the honor, &c. J. MoKerrow, Surveyor-General.