NORTHERN ROADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 583, 8 February 1929, Page 2

NORTHERN ROADS

HIGHWAYS BOARD TOUR REQUEST FROM KAITAU (I'rom Our O u u Corretpondemtj RAITAIA. To-day. Various mutters were discus*.! " hen Mr - A - K - Jul >- acting-ehalrma-and other members of the Main High ways Board met the Mangonui Couir - Council, yesterday afternoon. J The board was welcomed by the Being- chairman, Mr. It. T. Wrathall, urged the board to expedite expend!tore on reconstruction work on tl-Awaroa-Here kino Road. The eounci! was told to anticipate right away. A re.iuest for a special subsidy 0 { £3 for £1 for widening the rocw portion of the Herekino Gorge R C a! met with the assurance that it looked upon as a necessary work Tho board consented to consider application for declaring XVainui Ju nc . tion Road to Ahipara Beach a main road, and when asksd to subsidise ex pendituro on the tVaipapakauri . West Coast Road, Mr. .lull said b. could not agree to unless the road in! declared a main highway. on >K council suggesting that this be don.’ the chairman intimated that the bo-,,; would view the road. ooar< * Two bad stretches of road betw«» hatrourns and Oruru, known loJS? as ••Coulter's" and "Carton's" corS respectively, were mentioned as cZ stituung an absolute hold-up to tro* during the floods. The board aSzl to inspect the stretches, and iv council intimated that it would kZ of the cost of work, “f The council raised the question o' bridges as a serious one for th- corn, pointing out that when the brK were erected they were not first-ch! nor standardised. A liberal *sub«ich under this heading was asked for morn especially as it was known that a, board s funds had considerably i„ creased of late. The council coniid. ered that the board should institute a. policy of placing so many bridges in order annually, thus in a few veaii eliminating the now serious position. r. Jull put forward the Question of a loan, but the council declared such to be out of the question, us the county already was too heavily rated. Air. J. McEnnis, district engineer who was accompanying the boojrd, re* marked that the Public Works Department reported to the council that a comprehensive bridge scheme was not warranted, but that several bridges should bo renewed and the rest improved on a progressive programme. If the council would submit proposals on these lines, he would recommend to the board that these proposals be carried out. Referring to the Hon. H. Atmore's recent speech, when the Minister advocated a petrol tax reduction, Mr. Wrathall said that council was greatly opposed to it. Air. J ull agreed that funds had accumulated, but th* board’s committments would preclude any perpetual surplus.

In concluding his address Mr. Jull stated that it seemed to hira that the council was looking for more than ordinary contributions. However, th* board could not single out Mangonui for preferential treatment.

.V deputation from the Kaitaia Town Board requested the Highways Board to consider giving a. larger subsidy for works in the town area, as the town had to carry the traffic of two main highways, or, in tho alternative, would the board entertain the idea of a mite of concrete for the main street.

Mr. Jull indicated that the interest, sinking fund and maintenance for such ;l work would amount to mor* than the board was already paying annually for the main street. He suggested tar-sealing, and the deputation stated it would go into the question.