EASTERN DRAIN ROAD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 61, 21 January 1913, Page 4

EASTERN DRAIN ROAD.

Road Board and Prime Minister. A Protest Answered. Io our issue ol December 20th it was reported that the Pukekohe West Road board were to write »o the Prime Minister, expressing its "intense disgust" at public mrney being made available for the Eastern drain road, which led to nowhere except private property, while no money wss allocated for the main road, Which was used by the general public. This road was the one running between the properties of Messrs Shipherd and Wily. MR MASSEY'S REPLY. 1 The Prime Minister, in his reply, *aid: — "In regard to the vote intended for making the road from Aka Aka to Pukekohe railway station it seems to me, after reading your letter, that the present Board is not well acquainted with the conditions under which this vote was made, and in connection with which it is intended to be expended. You say in your letter, for instance: that "Money is year after year so readily forthcoming for expenditure on this particular drain." I have asked the Public Works Department to furnish me with a return of the money expended on this particular work for the last six years, and I find that it works out as follow i: —1907-08, £3 is 2d; 19U8-09, £44 4s; 1909-10, £5 16s; 1910-11, nil; 1911-12, £197 8s 7d; expended during the past 5 years, £250 9s 9d. For the year ending March 31st next there will have been no expenditure at all. "It may be pointed out further that when Messrs Wily and others took up Crown land on the Aka Aka Swamp it was on the understanding that this roid would be made, and that road frontage would be provided. For several reasons there has been considerable delay in com pleting the toad access; the Board is probably aware of the fact that some hundreds of pounds have been expended in forming the road from the Waiuku side. Until the road formation is completed to Puni this expenditure is actually valueless. The Department is ot opinion that a sum of £250 will be more than sufficient to complete the formation

of the mile, or thereabouts, of the gap that remains, and the vote of last session is intended to be used for that purpose when the necessary labour and funds are available. This (s the difference between expenditure by a local body and expenditure by the Public Works Deparfcnent: when a vote is intended to be expended by a local body the money is generally required to be provided forthwith, when it is intended to be expended by the Department, and Parliamentary authority has been obtained. the expenditure will take place when circumstances permit. The Department is committed to the completion of this road so far as formation is concerned, and will complete it; but when, it is impossible for me or any one else to say. To allow the road to stop where it in at present would be unwise, and would be a breach of faith with those who, quite a number of years ago, took up the land on the understanding that the road would be made, and I am confident the Board will not suggest that the work should be stopped, because it will most likely benefit two of its own ratepayers.

"I have set out the actual position, and I hope that what I have said will remove thfl misapprehension that seems to exist in the mind of your Board. If at any time there is any special requirement of your district in connection with which, owing to my knowledge of the locality. I may be of assistance to your Board I need hardly say my help wil be readily forthcoming. "In conclusion, let me say that I was somewhat surprised at the tone of your letter, which, however, I overlooked, as no doubt it was owing to want of knowledge of the real position on the part of members of the Board. "I need hardly say that although I own some land at Aka Aka, on which one of my sons lives, I am not personally interested in the matter; on the contrary, the completion of the road will have the effect of cutting my property in two and subjecting me to considerable expenditure in the way of fencing the road where fences are not required at the present time."