THE MOUNTAIN ROAD.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 204, 24 March 1877, Page 2

THE MOUNTAIN ROAD.

[From the Taranaki Herald of March 17.] Ix a late issue we pointed out a practical way of dealing with that portion of the Mountain Road within this County so as to make it in a reasonable time, available for traffic all the year round, and at a cost within the means of the County. It now rests with the Council whether they adopt our suggestions by taking action at an early date, and remove the difficulty which now exists in the way of winter traffic along this road. Our remarks so far have been confined to the Taranaki County, but it is evident that a through road cannot be made without the concurrent action of. the Patea County Council. Whoa the , contract for gravelling at the Hawera. end of the x - oatl is completed, there will be a gap of of about fifteen miles between tbe end of the gravel and the Patea River, the boundary of the Patea County. The gravelling of this section of the road is a work for that County to perform. We are not in a position to estimate accurately the cost of gravelling this piece of road, but we are informed that the last contract was at rate of £lO per chain. This is the maximum price. At the Patea River, where gravel is more abundant, the minimum price would rule, and it is probable that £4 per chain would da the work thei-e. Taking then £7 per chain as an average price, and assuming that the cuttings and rough formation were done by the General Government it would require a sum of about £8,400 to gravel the road. Assuming also that money could be borrowed at 7 per cent., this would entail an annual charge of say £6OO. The ordinary revenue of the County could not provide for this, as we see by a report in the Patea Mail that the Chairman estimates the revenue of the County at £650, therefore in the absence of a balance of land revenue this work would have to be provided for by a county rate. We have no reliable information as to the rateable value of the County, but as the area of rateable land is as large or larger than the

Taranaki County, it will be safe to calculate it at not loss than £20,000. If onr assumption is correct, a rate of Bd. in the pound would cover tbe annual charge, and if a shilling rate was levied, the same as we proposed for the Taranaki County, a surplus ■would beobtained for repairs and other purposes. It will thus be seen that the road can be made if those persons interested in its construction will only consent to be rated for the purpose. Th* advantage of connecting Hawera with this place by railway, and by road cannot be overestimated. The settlement of the land would be continuous along the line in a few years, and profitable employment found for the railway when completed to Hawera. We hope that the County Council of Patca will see the necessity of taking action in the matter, as it is apparent that by united effort on the part of the two Counties the road can be made as we have pointed out. And perhaps even Jupiter, in the shape of the General Government, may assist in a work of such Coloial importance, especially when they find that there is noshirking on the part of those who are so deeply interested, as are the settlers at each end of the line, but that they are willing to put their own should the wheels of progress and materially aid in the movement, and are not content to sit with folded arms patiently hoping that Jupiter or some other celestial influence will relieve them of all trouble and expense. It is very apparent to us that this is a work that will have to be done by the County Councils if it is done at all, and the sooner they begin making arrangements the better. If the Counties of Taranaki and Patea cannot between them gravel some twenty-three miles of road, after all the bridges and culverts have made y and the rough formation done, it will be a very discouraging indication of the power of these new institutions to aid in opening up the country for settlement.