METALLED ROADS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 297, 31 July 1917, Page 2

METALLED ROADS.

Thk decision of the meeting of the ratepayers of the Waiau and Karaka districts of the Mauku riding of Franklin County, as announced«in our last issue, approving of the raising of a loan for securing metalled roads in that part of the County is all in keening with the progress of the districts concerned. As a result of the impassable thoroughfares that have, particularly this winter, been existent the Waiau Pah ratepayers petitioned the County Council at its last meeting to suggest steps for their relief and on the petition coming before the Council the chairman (Mr J. Flanagan) intimated that the residents of the Karaka District between the two new bridges on the road to Papakura were also desirous of raising a loan to metal their portion of the road. A comprehensive scheme of reading and metalling was accordingly drawn up for submission to the meeting of ratepayers held last week. This scheme provides for the metalling and formation where necessary of the following main roads, viz., Patumahoe to Waiau Wharf, Waiau Hall to papakura Concrete Bridge via Hogwood's road and Glasson's, with a loop connecting this road from Rielly's bridge with the Patumahoe - Waiau Road by Litchfield's sheep yards, and a continuation of the metal from Wood house Hill on the Patumahoe to Drury Road by way of Cuff's and Batty's to link up with the Papakura Bridges Road. The estimated cost of the work is Ono and the Council was unanimously authorised by the meeting to take the necessary steps to give effect to the resolution and to ascertain the best method of raising the requited sum. If the scheme as proposed is carried out in its entirety these districts, comprising many thousands of acres extending from Patumahoe to the shores of the Mauukau and from the Tihaki River to the Papakura boundary, will be made easily accessible at all seasons of the year, and this large stretch of country, now sparsely settled and only partly improved, will be rendered available for closer settlement and on account of the easy contour ot the country and free working of the soil will become in a short time one of the most productive areas in the County of Franklin. The roads as proposed will increase the growing popularity of the Manukau foreshores as a seaside resort to the more inland dwellers and will add largely to the productivity of the County as the areas the roads will serve have been proved with ordinary treatment to be first-class dairying country and most suitable for cutting up into small areas tor dairy farming. AH through the winter months, as well as during the ordinary dairying season, a well-laden creamery conveyance has run or rather waded through the stream of mud and slush doing duty for a road from Waiau to Patumahoe and thence to the New Zealand Dairy Association's factory at Pukekohe, affording sufficient evidence of the dairying possibilities of this country when provided with decent roading facilities. The rate to be struck over the special rating area to cover interest and sinking fund on the loan of £JJnon is estimated at Id in the £ on the recent revaluation but the present general rate would be so relieved by the proposed roading that no doubt its amount could be considerably reduced when the proposed roading and metalling scheme was complied. In brief, there is no doubt but that the loan will prove one of the best investments the people of the districts collect nttl could possibh subscribe to.