MANAWATU GORGE ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1917, Page 7

MANAWATU GORGE ROAD.

REQfUEST FOB GOVERNMENT HELP. By Telegraph.—Presa Association. Wellington, June 26. A large deputation, representing many local bodies, waited upon the Minister for Public Works to-night, urging that tlia Government should take over the Manawatu Gorge road and bridge. The Minister was informed that tho local bodies felt strongly that the Gorge road, as the connecting link between the two coasts, should be treated as a natural road.- The tallies showed that most of | the traffic through the gorge 'was motor traffic which was responsible for much of the damage, The condition of the road at present was highly dangerous, owing to the fact that tho neighboring local bodies couTd not provide the money required to maintain it in proper order for tho arterial traffic. The .Minister, in reply, said he could not look upon the proposal of the deputation as affecting purely the Manawatu Gorge road. The principle advocated affected every arterial road in New Zealand. He had recognised for a long time that it was not a fair position for a few counties to bear the whole cost of the Gorge road, and so a commission had been set up to allocate the charge on a fair basis. He could nob say definitely what the Government would do regarding the Gorge road. He believed a tax on motor cars using the Gorge road would provide all the money required for maintenance. Mr. Fraser said he did not believe it a wise policy to suspend public works expenditure altogether, even in war time, The Dominion had a big burden of debt to carry, and the way to lighten the load was to increase production and provide means of getting produce to markets, but he did not know yet what the amount would be placed at his disposal. Most- of the loan money to be raised during the current financial year was required for war purposes. It was costing New Zealand at least a million a month and the Government would find it easy to raise the money for other purposes. In reply to a question the Minister said he would consider any request for permission to place a tollgate on the Gorge road. Mr. D. Buick, M.T?., m thanking the Minister, said lie believed the tollgate offered a solution for the whole difficulty.