MANAWATU GORGE ROAD.

Shannon News, 26 June 1925, Page 3

MANAWATU GORGE ROAD.

NATIONALISATION ASKED FOR. Delegates from various local bodies who are contributing towards the construction of tli. e Manawatu Gorge, road waited upon the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. J. G. Coates), asking that the Public Works Department take over the work, under the Public Works Act of 1908, and to treat it as. a Government job. It has been discovered, Mr Linklater informed the "Chronicle," yesterday, that the undertaking is costing far more than was anticipated, the concrete piles having to go very much deeper, in order to ensure absolute safety. At the outset the local bodies wore under the impression that their contribution towards the work would, on a £1 for £1 basis, not be likely to exceed £20,000 where as the cost io them had already amounted to £OOOO in excess of tiiat figure. Naturally, tin.' representatives of the local bodies were beginning to loci uneasv, and more especially as approximately £13,000 was required to finish the job, Mr Ransom (M.P. for Puhiatua) stressed the importance of the Gorge as a national highway, and pointed out that the road, when completed, would have little or no commercial value so far as the .present contributor! es were concerned. The Minister, in reply reminded the deputation of Ihe disapproval of the scheme bv the Department's engineers the 'latter having been of the opinion that the proposals of the Gorge Board would prove too costly. However, he (Mr Coates) would ask 11ip Department to consider the question of a further grant.