ROUTE OF MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Shannon News, 12 January 1926, Page 3

ROUTE OF MAIN HIGHWAYS.

KOPUTAROA AND PAIAKA DEVIATIONS SUGGESTED. SCHEME TO GO ON AS PLANNED. SAYS COUNTY. CHAIRMAN. When the progress of the Horowhenua County's main highways work came before the Council on Saturday, Cr. Harkness raised the question of a deviation of the route north from Koputaroa' via Paiaka with the object of avoiding the Thakara hill. He contended that if bitumen was' put down on- the hills the road would be unsafe for horses, since there were many accidents on toe flat.- They should at least put off surfacing the hill until they had exhausted the possibilities of the Paiaka route.

The Engineer said he would want tlie instructions of the Council before going on with a survey. When the grades were reduced on the hills it would be a great improvement. Cr. Harkness said he wais only bringing the master uip to safeguard himself. Cr. Broadbelt sa-vl a meeting was to be called in Koputaroa the foil owing week to discuss the question Oif taking the Main Highway -across the swamp from Koputaroa to Buckley. With regard to. the Buckley- section the. District .Council of the Highways Board had discussed the matter and it was aibsoruitely turned down. He received a deputation of Koputaroa people who wanted the deviation again considered, personally he was not in favour of moving the main road. He thought the Engineer should be present at the Koputaroa meeting. The Engineer said he' would be quite walling to attend it.

The chairman said that in connection with the Main Highways scheme, the County Engineer had prepared a report on the route. It Was endorsed by the Council and adopted by the Main Highways Board. Today they had two councillors getting up and suggesting altering .the route after the Council had gone as far as it had done, and taken eo> much troulble. How could they expect their estimates to' agree if these variations were to be made. "It seems to me that it is a wrong thing to try and upset a scheme' on "which the ratepayers have voted," said the chairman. "If we are going to start and monkey with these subsidiary schemes we will 'have them from all over the district.. We have decided that we are going to put a read right through tins County and that is what the ratepayers expect. Let us therefore all put our shoulders, to the « wheel I 'and push it throughV Cr. Harkness: Might or wrong! The Chairman:. We and the Highways Board have adopted the Engineer's plans for the read right through, alter consideration and there must have been some reason for that decision. W,e considered the Koputaroa route fully and it was abandoned. We submitted the scheme to the ratepayers and have taken a poll and cannot deviate from that. If this other scheme is good it must come later on When time and funds permit of it being taken up, but don't let us deviate from what we have in mind at present." ihe chairman said 'be had not been invited but he would be very .pleased to attend the meeting at Koputaroa. Cr. Broadhelt gave the chairman an invrtattton to' be.present. The chairman said he had no-w-idh to. Stop- a road being hetwmi Koputaroa and Shannon. The Hagh ways Board, District Council, ratepayers and County Council had approved of the scheme they were now engaged om n . nT ,,„ Cr Catley said numbers of people were'not too favourable to the rood. ino- scheme because they said they could' not drive horses on the surfaces. n , The Ghalirman: You can neve 1. na,\e progress without some disabii-l^ties Cr. Broadhelt: Mr Chairman, you said two coulnoUlons had tried to . bring in fresh roads to-day or had f recommended them.- ■ The Chairman: <H 1 d ; lju|t l was wrong. . ... Cr BroadbelU I simply told you ' what was happening in the dratemt isJd 1 was satisfied wMi the road where,it is going.. Cr Harkness said'he bad not proposed.'that they should go on the . ines suggested altogether • must keep to what was sanctioned in ■ the loan. The ratepayers did not look on it in that light, Hiey xveie in favour ot one highway .fight through the district, "We know it is wrong," he said, "but because we have decided it is to go through we must-go." Cr Barber said toast when the corners were cut off and the grade lowered on the hills, it would be alright. • The Engineer: What are the horses doing ( in Dunedin and Auckland where there is a l-in-10 grade? The chairman said attention of the Engineer was drawn at the outset I*> the road going through the Paaafci 1 and he was asked to consader that The Council was committed to a de■ftoiite scheme after due consideration and could not spend the money voted somewhere else.