HIGHWAYS BOARD OFFER TURNED DOWN.

Shannon News, 14 September 1928, Page 3

HIGHWAYS BOARD OFFER TURNED DOWN.

* £3 FOR £1 REFUSED

HAMILTON-NGARUAWAHIA ROAD.

On Monday the Walpa bounty Council refused to accept, a offer of £3. to £1 subsidy made by the Main Highways Board towards the of, a permanent road between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia, on the Main South Road. , • • A letter was received from the chairman No. 2 District Highways Council, advising that the Main Highways Board had directed him to offer the council a subsidy of £3 for £1 towards the reconstruction and paving 6f the HamiltonNgaruawahia section of the Great South Road, and pointed out that as the board was anxious to see construction work commenced on this section, the offer be considered as soon as possible. He also stated that it was very desirable that some work should be.done on this section during the forthcoming summer. The chairman said if the offer were accepted the total cost to the Council would be £36,000. The present cost of maintenance was £l6l per mile, so that if the permanent road were provided " the annual cost to the Council in interest, sinking fund, maintenance, etc., would be £53 per mile per annum more than the present cost. Cr. Livingstorfe said the inducement offered was not sufficiently attractive. In 'reply to a question the eugineer advised that the road needed improving, and it would be a good plan to prepare the road in readiness for the time when it, might be bitumenised. Eighty-five per cent:, of the traffic on this road was foreign, and the road did not affect county residents to any great extent. Cr. Livingstone said he was not prepared to go in for a permanent, road unless something better than a thiee-to one-subsidy was available. The chairman pointed out that**thfpresent road was quite good enough for county requirements. Cr. Livingstone remarked that a loan would have to be approved by the rate payers, many of whom were paying a petrol tax, and >f a permanent road were laid down the burden on ratepayers would be even heavier.

Cr. Peacoeke thought the council

should take a firm stand in the matter. and he proposed that the council dc not accept the offer of the Highways Board and that the chairman and county clerk prepare a letter giving reason* for taking up this attitude. The motion was carried unanimously.

' The ehairman remarked that he expected the council would be blamed for its action, but they had the ratepayers*! interests to conserve. MANAWATU GETS £3 FOR £l. THE MAINTENANCE SUBSIDY. Advice was received at Tuesday's meeting of the Manawatu County Council that the Main Highways Board had offered a subsidy of £2 for £1 or, major maintenance on the Foxton Himatangi section of the Auckland ■Wellington main highway and expressed the hope that the work would proceed vigorously. The communication further advised that it was probable that the general subsidy for v mainten ance would be £2 for £1 in future. ' In connection with general instructions issued by the Main Highways Board for the improvement of main highways adjacent to large centres the Board desired to offer the County a £3 for £1 subsidy for improvements to .the Sanson-Awahuri highway and also for the County's section of the Hima-tangi-Rangiptu highway. Approval was granted the .County to go ahead as quickly as possible with consolidation work, minor deviations and widening. It was reported that the work on the Sanson-Awahuri road was well un der way and that plans for the wor! on the Foxton-Himatangi road and the Himatangi-Rangiotu road were in hand and almost ready for presentation.