THE BLUFF ROAD

Southland Times, Issue 21097, 31 May 1930, Page 3

THE BLUFF ROAD

NO FURTHER SUBSIDY.

CONFERENCE OF LOCAL BODIES.

A conference of representatives of the City Council and the Southland County Council was held in the Town Hall yesterday morning. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. D. Campbell) and Councillor Hinchey represented the City Council, and Councillors J. McNeil (chairman) and L. A. Niederer and Messrs A. J. Service (County Clerk) and B. C. Basstian (County Engineer) represented the County Council. Mr W. Pearce, engineer in charge of the Public Works Department in Invercargill, was also present. Definite advice was received from the Main Highways Board that it would not subsidize the Government unemployment subsidy, arriounting to £2,000, which is being expended on the reconstruction of the Invercargill-Bluff main highway.

The amount available for the work is consequently £lO,OOO, made up of £l,OOO from each of the bodies concerned, £2,000 unemployment subsidy and £6,000 Main Highway subsidy. Approximately £5,400 was expended last year and the conference recommended the expenditure of a further £2,600 on the reconstruction work between Ocean Beach and Greenhills. Owing to the ■ expected subsidy being unavailable • the conference decided that the bodies concerned would have to find a portion of the money required for metalling and sealing the section under reconstruction.

Another recommendation brought down by the conference was that the two bodies should confer- again in two months’ time for the purpose of defining a policy regarding 'the reconstruction of the remaining length of the highway from Greenhills to Invercargill. The County Engineer was requested to prepare an estimate of the cost of such work.

If the recommendations are approved by both bodies, the County Council can place about 20 men on the work in about a fortnight. All men employed on the road will be engaged through the Government Labour Bureau.