MAIN SOUTH ROAD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 93, 28 July 1910, Page 2

MAIN SOUTH ROAD

COUNTY COUNCIL'S REQUESTS DECLINED. NO SUBSIDY AVAILABLE. Mr. W. 6. Short, assistant under secretary in the Public Works Department, has written to the Taranaki County Council as follows: "I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the l)th instant, in which you ask that the resident road engineer should be instructed lo report to your Council on the condition of the Main South. Road, between Puniho and the Bayly roads, and to furnish an estimate of the cost of maintaining same. In reply, I am directed by the Minister of Public Works to state that as there 'are no engineering difficulties in this case it is presumed that your Council can readily obtain from its' own engineer a sufficient report on the state of the road, and as the county records will no doubt indicate what has been the annual cost of maintenance, it does not seem to be necessary that a Government engineer should specially report upon the matter. Under these circumstances, therefore, the Minister regrets he does not see his way to direct Mr. Murray to make a report, especially as his time is so fully occupied with his

ordinary duties. "As .regards your Council's application for a subsidy of £IOOO towards the cost of metalling this road, I am directed to ( inform you that the matter has beeni very carefully considered; but as thej road for the most part traverses a pros-j perous district, which has been settled for many years, and which is not rated; to the, full extent allowed uy )aw,.iuidi ■also in view of the very large number| of applications for road grants receivedj from settlers and looal bodies ra backi block and other districts, where they I roads ! a.re very bad or where there are no roads at ail, and where it is difficult to provide sufficient funds, the Minister] regrets he does not see his way to grant! a subsidy for the work to which vou refer." • ,