APPROACHES TO PUKEKOHE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 543, 25 June 1920, Page 3

APPROACHES TO PUKEKOHE.

Rome, in the days of its imperial grandeur, when its empire heid sway over practically the whole of the then known world, was famous for the construction of good roads, jsomc ot which are in good working order at the present day. The old Romans, though they had to go to Athens and learn the higher arts from the Greeks, certainly knew all about roae making, and the engineers of to-cb'. cannot better them; they knew that progress travelled by road, and the lesson they taught—though seeming iy forgotten at times - is being thrust under our noses very prominently in these days of restricted railway services and railway strikes, plus tin go-slow pclicy sandwiched in between whiles. It would be diliuult to overestimate the value of good roads leading info a town, and liliicul! nls< to assess the amount a community loses in various ways if the. town is badly served with roads. The p> ople of Pukekohe will be able to appreciate the foregoing statements be cause the approa 'lies to Pukekohe. I ■>wards I'aerat i on the one side and Buckland on the other, arc in shocking condition. We can well be lieve the land agent who st.ites that a week or two ago lie brought two prospective buyers to show then, over properties in the b.iiough. a.id though both of them were quite satisfied with the properties and the prices required, they would not buy solely because thev had not been accustomed to such deplorably bad roads. With a good main road north and south, in the borough and in the county, the main route from Auckland io Wellington would lie througn Pukekohe. This is particularly desirable on account of the circumstance that the railway line through the town lies in a sunken track, and through passengers on the trains do not have a chance of seeing this fertile and prosperous area, and therefore the place gets little or nothing in the way of free advertisement. However, though the past has aeen miry enough, in all conscience, the future has a brighter aspect, there being every reason for hoping that between the Franklin County Council, the Good Roads' Association and the Commission which is an outcome thereof, and the Pukekohe Borough Council, there will be great improvements effected within a year or so. We trust that this matter will be expedited to the utmost, as both the borough and Ihe county are at present •jreal iy handicapped by 11 if- lack ol a good main ror.d north .vid south suitable for modern trallir, combining, as it does, both horse-drawn vehicles and motor-cars and lorries. Blessed with good roads, Pukekohe will make greater strides within one year than it will in three yeara without them,