MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 522, 13 April 1920, Page 1

MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS

GOVERNMENT CONTROL. ♦ HUNUA REQUEST. The question of the Governmer taking over the maintenance an control of the main arterial roac was discussed at a meeting of ratt payers of Hunua and Moumoukai o Saturday Mr. T. J. James presiding The gist of the matter was contair ed in the following motion, move by Cr. T. J. Lockwood (Hunua Ric " ing member of the Franklin Count Council), and seconded bv Mr. G W. Heald:— "That this meeting of ratepayer urge the Government to take ove and maintain all main arterial roads and levy a wheel tax, or othefl di rect taxation to cover cost of same We are satisfied that the Govern ment should do this, and that mail ■ arterial roads should be of equal im portance for railways We would utg> as strongly as possible the importance of this being done by the Gov ernment for the following reasons:(1) It would relieve local bodies o '• a fair amount of responsibilities and side roads would be able to gei more attention; (2) the councils an j constantly being reminded of th< good roads in Taranaki. As these roads were mostly laid off by Gov ernment officers, and formed 12f1 wide before being handed over to the councils, no better argument can be used in favour of the Government doing the same in the Auckland district." Speaking to the motion, Cr. Lockwood said our main arterial roads ; were a disgrace. But it was not fair to compare Franklin roads with those of Waimate County in Taranaki, as the roads in the latter county had, in the first place, been made 12ft wide by the Government. But no Government roads had been made in Franklin. Mr. Milne said the Government did not make the roads in Taranaki. He had known the Mountain Road (main) being a sti-etch of mire. The settlers rated themselves and made their own roads. Cr. Lockwood replied that his statement was correct; the Mountain Road was one of the old ones, but several grants were spent on this, too, and the Government made most of the others in the first instance. The motion was carried unanimously and with enthusiasm.