CLIFTON COUNTY ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1919, Page 8

CLIFTON COUNTY ROADS.

NEED FOR A PROGRESSIVE POLICY. The need for adopting a progressive policy of road construction in connection with the main road between Taranaki and Auckland is being recognised by the Clifton County Counncil, and as the present obstacles are overcome, namely, the metalling of Mt. Messenger, the bridging of the Mokau river, and the cutting out of the journey over Taumatamaire by the completion of the Lower Valley Road, the traffic will increase to such an extent that modern I methods will be an absolute necessity.! At yesterday's meeting of the Clifton I County Council the engineer (Mr. C. F. Dowse'tt) stated, inter alia: The Public! Works Department has now in active commission a White truck, which, when loaded, weighs about 11 tons. The old bridges crossed by this lorry were never constructed to carry this load, and the risk of accident is always present. Loads of these dimensions will in the future be common occurrences, and the preliminaries in connection with the reconstruction of certain specified bridges i should be put in hand. Warning notices, to be posted, are in the hands of the • printer, but to give a safe margin to an old structure would mean stoppage ,of heavy traffic. To replace wooden I bridges on the main road with concrete , and steel would cost approximately i £10,020, made up as follows: Parihaka . £3OO, Waiau £I2OO, Onaero £I6OO, Urenui £2900, Mangamaeho £ISOO, ' Urenui £1520, Mangahia £IOOO. Further, the council's gravelled roads will not in their present condition carry extraordinary traffic, and to replace the gravel with broken metal on the m«n road through the Urenui and Mokau Ridings woxild cost approximately . £14,900. If these works are carried out i additional plant will be required.

The chairman said there was no doubt the council would sooner or later have to consider renewing the bridges, and as it could not be done out of the rates a loan would be required. Cr. Murker said that additional plant would be required, making necessary a loan of £26,000, which, spread over the whole county, would mean a rate of '/id. Cr. Sander: Kate the whole county and spend the whole of the money in the Mokau riding. ! The chairman pointed out that the-l money would be expended over the Waihi, Urenui, and Mokau ridings. Cr. Musker said that the latest pieces of road put down showed conclusively that an additional engine was required. Cr. Jones said that though they might manage without metal they could not do without bridgeß. Cr. Musker said that if there had been an active policy of public works and land revenue a lot of waste land would now be bringing in revenue, and he thought the council, as representing the ratepayers, should send a deputation to J the Industries Commission and point out that a vigorous road policy would stimulate primary production, which was the basis of all industries. He had nothing to say about education, but in New Plymouth at present educationalists were at the Minister's elbow all the time, putting their side very strongly. The chairman said that would not overcome the present difficulty, as the revenue would not increase in time to build their bridges. The chairman and Cr. Musker were appointed a deputation to give evidence before the Industries Committee of the House of Representatives. Reverting to the loan, the chairman considered the council should obtain authority to raise a loan over the whole county.

Cr. Kennington: I can guarantee you a block" vote against it. Cr. Sander: It's absurd to rate the whole county for work in a special part. Cr. Foreman did not think it right that Tikorangi should pay a special rate for the main road in other ridings. Cr. Musker said he was prepared to give an undertaking that if a similar necessity arose in Tikorangi and Ngatimatu Ridings his vote would favor the whole county being liable.

The chairman: If a bridge goes down it is the county's liability to re-erect it. This was the first call'on the county revenue. Therefore, it was county work and not that of a particular riding. Cr. Kennington considered the ratepayers would think otherwise. Cr. Foreman thought the loan should

provide for future work in the other ridings. He would like to see the council go in for a loan to construct all its bridges in ferro-concrete. • The chairman stated that was the intention.

Jr. Sander moved that the engineer prepare a schedule of bridges required in each riding, and that this be placed before ratepayers. There was no seconder.

O. Jones moved that the report be adopted. This was seconded by Cr. Musker and carried.