DUST NUISANCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 70, 13 November 1931, Page 2

DUST NUISANCE

NGONGOTAHA PETITION REFUSED BY MINISTER ABSERTIONS NOT CONFIRMED The r ecent petition against the use of pumice on the Ngongotaha road which was forwarded to the Minister of Public Works, came up for discussion at Wednesday's meeting of the Rotorua County Council,. when the mem'ber of Parliament for the district, Mr C. H. TJlinkard, forwarded a reply ; received from the Minister in connection with the matter. "From enquiries made, the assertion of the petitions that pumice dust from the righway is injurious to cattle and has resulted in loss of stock has not received confirmation," stated the Minister. "No details are available in support of the contention that since the use of pumice surfacing, dairying returns have been adversely affected." The proposal to utilise maintenance metal similar to that on the Mamaku hills highway cannot be favourably eonsidered on account of the high cost involved, and the alternative request that local metal be used to abate the present dust nuisance, would not overcome the position. The use of local metal would increase the cost of maintenance, and, if any thing also increase the dust nuisance. On one section of the highway, which is surfaced with local metal, it has been found necessary during the summer to blade about three inches of rhyolite dust of the running surface, clear to the side of the road. i "The Rotorua County Council has again stated that it is not prepared to find extra money towards the cost of improving the road, and under the | circumstances, the Main Highways Board is unable to take action. I "Big Reckoning" ' "It appears that the use of pumice surfacing on this particular section of the highway, does not create conditions any different from what obtain in other parts of the country where similar material is used for highway surfacing." i Couneillor J. E. Martin took strong exception to the rejeetion of the petitioners' request, and remarked that the aepartmental ofneials did not appear to study that inclinations or the convenience of the pubh'c, but rather, what accorded with their own ideas. "There is going to be a big reckoning one day. I am sick of being talked to by these public servants," I Cr. Martin concluded.