Borough Road-making.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 138, 21 October 1913, Page 4

Borough Road-making.

! TO THE EDITOB. j Sir, —Would you kindly allow ir.e space in your valuable paper to pass a few remarks on alternants published in the "Times" re Borough Council meetings in Pukekohe. In reading one would be led to believe we have a few genllemen in the Council who have never been out of Pukekohe, judging from the way they seem to oppose av.ythng that would add to the advancement of the borough, especially a3 regards roadmaking. The first thing I noticed when coming to this district was the dreadful state ot the roads, compared with the size of the place ard tha beautiful surroundings. In speaking to different parties I learn that a good deal of money has teen spent on reads with very little satisfaction. Some old identities tell me it is impossible to stop the mud they have here from working through the metal. Well, lam cot in a position to contradict that statement, but 1 have seen townships in other parts of the Dominion where the mud was quite as bad and even worse, being knee-deep in parts at the beginning; but thoie responsible set to work and had the roads formed with pioper and solid foundations, and for many years th:y have had beautitully ckan and hard roads. lam sure the state uf roads in Pukekohe is no recommendation to the place, tut if these wera thoroughly formed and looked.after, with good footpaths, etc , added, the borough would soou double its population, and thereby it would pay in the end. Kefetring to your istue dated the 14th inst., I read that soma cf the councillors, including the Mayor, were in favour of properly forming certain roads, but were outvoted by 5 to 4 to put only 16 feet of metal instead of 36 feet. Now, Sir. to my idea forming roads in that way is wasting ratepayers' money as they cannot last. 1 hear that a goad many Pukekohe ratepaveis object to any further loans. Is it any wonder, seeing they have comparatively no benefit out of what has been borrowed before? Hence, highur rates. I would suggest that instead of partially doing the work, one road, say King street, or part of it, should be thoroughly done and let the ratepayers see that the money is well spent; then I am sure they would not object to trusting a "united" Council with further and substantial loans to benefit the borough in this way.—l am, etc , RATEPAYER.