TOURIST ROUTES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 8 April 1911, Page 5

TOURIST ROUTES

TAKE SECOND PLACE TO SETTLERS' ROADS. A MINISTERIAL PRONOUNCEMENT. (By Telegraph. —Special to News.) Te Kuiti, Last Night. The Hon. Thos. Mackenzie arrived here to-night from the Mokau river, where he had been to look into the question of reserving portions of the very fine hush on the hanks of the river. He \va9 welcomed by Mr. Jas. Boddie. Mayor, and the members of the Borough Council. Several local wants were brought under his notice. In the course of one of the deputations Mr. Boddie, as County Councillor and Mayor, and Mr. Lusk. as ex-chairman of that body, advocated the construction of a second road to the Waitomo caves. It was pointed out that the County Council were metalling a road which struck a point, viz., Oparure, four miles from the Waitomo caves, and they asked that this four miles be constructed. If this were done it would give a more direct connection with Tc Kuiti than did the present road via Hangatiki. In replying, Mr. Mackenzie said there was no prospect of the request being complied with, as there was the Hangatiki road to the Waitomo caves. The settlers which this road also served had taken a poll for metalling it, and in this connection the Government and settlers had mutually agreed to divide the expense. It was quite contrary to the policy of the Government, added the Minister, to give the tourists' routes any preference whatever. The opposite was the case. There were numbers of settlers without road communication, or with poor road communication, and until they were better provided the Government would not be able to see its way to entertain making tourist' roads. The Minister attended the Tc Kuiti Dog Trial Club's banquet, and leaves at 2 a.m. by the Main Trunk express for Wellington.