MAIN HIGHWAYS SCHEME.

Shannon News, 15 January 1926, Page 4

MAIN HIGHWAYS SCHEME.

PROGRESS OF WORK. BITUMENIZATION XO BEGIN AT ONCE. At Saturday's meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, the Engineer submitted the following report on the Main Highways scheme;— Good progress is being made with the survey and plans of the LevinPotts Road section on the Levin-Pal-merston North Hjighway. " L The formation work'on the LevinManakau section is nearing completion and the formation metal course from Kfmtoerley road to Waikawa bridge has been completed. The crushing plant is still at work at the deviation south of the Waikawa Bridge. The plans and specifications. for the Waikanae-Otaki Bridge Section (9 miles) and the Manakau-Levin; section (8 males) have been approved by the Highways Board. A start will be made with the formation work on,tlie Waikanae-Otaki bridge section on Wednesday. All arrangements have been made for camps, etc., in connection with this work; The big crushing plant at Muhunoa is practically completed' and everything should be in readiness for a' start to be made with crushing operations early next week. The bitumen sprayer and boiler came to hand early in the period and a start will be made with the laying of bitumen within the next few days. y , Gr. Harkness asked Whether the report was true that a part of .the, crusher was missing. The Engineer said it was absolute iy untrue. He was the only one who. knew any tiling about it and no part was missing. Cr. Ryder said he thought it was time the Engineer gave a definite date wh en the bitumenizing of the road would begin. , The chairmajrn: Will you give a guarantee, in regard to the weather?/ The Engineer said he hoped to get a run with'Hie crusher on Tuesday and they were only waiting for that. E,verything in connection wiith the bitumen was ready. •' A GREATER SUBSIDY. The chairman said that when this scheme came up the Council 'understood it would receive a subsidy greater-'than £1 for £l, unless the road was declared ja Government road; which the County Council were not prepared to do. Last session leg i station was put through and when the Highways Board thought fit they now had power to contribute a greater aanount. He considered there was no trunk road that was entitled 'to greater consideration so far as sub. sidy was concerned than the-Horo-whenua. The Hutt Gounties had been relieved and at 'the present time 50 per cent, of the cqst of this work was foisted upon the ratepayers. and ■the balance on the travelling public. Now the Highways. Board had authority to, increase the subsidy -.and if the County * thought it had a .very ; good case he felt they should place that claim for greater consideration before the Board. If the Council could get .this assistance, as other counties through" New Zealand were doing, then the Council would not be doing itsi duty if it failed to get it for Horowhen/uia Gounty. He suggested that an application be made to the chairman of, the District Highways Goiunciil asking for favourable consideration of the matter. It • was deaided to follow the. chairman's suggestion by making application to the Highways Board.